Gucci has given a glimpse into the vision of its new creative director, Demna Gvasalia. It’s not a runway collection per se, which will come in 2026. Rather, it is 38 looks that have been shown, offering a sneak peek into the direction he wants to take the brand.
This is what you need to know about the new direction of one of the biggest brands in luxury.
Why It Matters
In March of this year, it was announced that Demna would be taking over as the creative director of Gucci. The Georgia-born designer, 44, had previously been the creative director of Balenciaga for a decade, and both brands are owned by the global luxury group, Kering.
Demna’s appointment came amidst a series of musical chairs at the biggest names in luxury fashion—the spring and summer 2026 runways season will see debut collections at the likes of Chanel, Bottega Veneta, and Dior, to name a few.
It also comes amidst a turbulent period for the luxury fashion industry, and for Gucci and Kering.
What To Know
Demna’s Gucci: La Famiglia launched on the eve of Milan Fashion Week, to the shock—and delight—of the fashion-ophile corners of the internet.
Prior to the looks launching online, Gucci wiped its Instagram, a move that is tantamount to the calm before the storm in the fashion world and always acts as a prelude to something big.
And these looks “Marks the genesis of a new Gucci era,” according to the brand’s website.
“It reinterprets the House’s codes through framed portraits of an extended Gucci family, made up of singular personalities and distinctive aesthetic attitudes: the different facets of Gucci’s personas,” a statement on the website reads.
Said personas include a ‘Nerd,’ and ‘It Girl,’ a ‘Partyboy,’ and an ‘It-Girl.’
One persona, ‘Bastardo,’ is a look comprised of only white underwear, flip flops, and sunglasses. ‘La Diva’ features a high-octane, ultra-glam, ultramarine fur coat, while florals, sheer looks, and the house’s classic monogram feature in other looks.
Acting as a prelude for what is to come for the brand under Demna’s direction, these archetypes appear to act as characters, an exploration of Gucci’s clientele, and how Demna wants to interpret them.
Speaking to WWD (Women’s Wear Daily fashion trade journal) about the collection, Demna said that from “the very beginning, I shaped the collection by imagining a constellation of characters, asking myself what Gucci means to me, from its archive to the many identities it embodies.
“I gathered an imaginary family to carry the story, each figure holding a fragment of the broader narrative. Since my first show will be in February, I felt like the story of La Famiglia should be told through a short film. I shared it with Spike and Halina, whose work I’ve long admired, and they created their film, ‘The Tiger,’ inspired by these characters.”
The looks are available to purchase for a period of less than four weeks at ten locations, including at stores in Los Angeles and New York.
And, there are multiple Gucci icons in the looks, from the Gucci Bamboo 1947 bag to the Horsebit loafer, and looks that nod to different era’s of the brands heritage, whether it’s the underwear-only looks which take a leaf out of Tom Ford’s ’90s vision for the brand, or the ultra-femme florals which feel reminiscent of looks by Alessandro Michele in the 2010s.
Newsweek spoke to Dr Kent Le, of the University of East London, a Fashion and Luxury Business consultant, who told the publication about Gucci’s new era. “Gucci’s early signals are coherent and timely: turn up the glamour, energise the brand, and connect image with income. That formula, if executed well, could restore its cultural leadership.”
Looking at the state of the industry more broadly, he told Newsweek over email that that “the wave of new creative directors we’re seeing across luxury is telling. In a softer demand environment, groups are relying on creative direction as an economic instrument—to reprice desire when the spreadsheets look bleak.
“We’re also witnessing a faster tempo: digital drops, cinematic campaigns, and tight retail rollouts are compressing the traditional six-month fashion cycle. It’s less about nostalgia and more about creating theatre that photographs well, posts well, and sells fast.”
Gucci recently named its fourth chief executive in two years, Francesca Bellettini, as Kering continues to reshuffle its top management under its newly installed chief executive, Luca de Meo.
Gucci, the Italian luxury behemoth, is the biggest brand under its French parent company’s umbrella. The recent changes come as the $37 billion luxury group has faced a period of continued difficulties, with group sales falling and investors becoming nervous.
This year, in the second quarter, Gucci sales were down 25 percent to $1.46 billion, following a 25 percent decrease in Q1. Gucci’s sales had previously been at $7.7 billion in 2024, a drop from $10.49 billion in 2022, as per Vogue Business.
De Meo is the former CEO of Renault and is taking over the reins from Francois-Henri Pinault, who is set to stay on as chairman. Pinault had been at the helm of Kering for 20 years, and de Meo is the first outside to run the company in two decades.
What People Are Saying
Gucci’s new CEO, Francesca Bellettini, during the brand’s Q2 earnings call, as per Vogue Business: “There is also going to be a Christmas capsule that has already been worked on by the team. There is gonna be a project for Chinese New Year. I would love everybody to defocus a little bit on the collection of Demna. There is a company, there is a brand, and there is constant work of all the team, in presenting new collections and new products.”
Demna, in an interview with WWD: “Gucci is also a lot about the attitude, all of these characters are confident, they have a point of view, they love fashion and they love clothes.”
Dr Kent Le, of the University of East London a Fashion and Luxury Business consultant, told Newsweek over email: “Gucci’s reset under Demna is both a creative and commercial necessity. After several seasons of slowing momentum, the early reveal of “La Famiglia” signals a return to high-impact glamour and seduction: think Tom Ford’s theatrical edge, but reframed with Demna’s irony and cultural voltage.
The strategy is clear: simplify the message, build immediate desire, and shorten the path from show to sale. If Gucci can land a hero bag and a handful of recognizable silhouettes, confidence could return quickly ahead of the February runway. The challenge is balance. Demna’s cultural provocation is an asset, but Gucci must manage brand safety and inclusivity carefully while reigniting heat. Commercially, the first test is conversion, not conversation—whether this capsule sells through will determine the credibility of the wider reset.”
The Instagram account, @boringnotcom, which posts fashion news, reacting to the looks: “Gucci by Demna Gvasalia is familiar yet commercially safe. Exactly what I expected. I don’t hate it, but I don’t love it either.”
The Instagram account, @databutmakeitfashion, which posts data driven fashion analysis, reacting to the looks: “this next era at @gucci is particularly important given the brand has not been doing so $$$ well this yr. sales fell 25% in q2 2025 but that’s precisely also why all the gucci logos and belts in demna’s looks are so smart—because logos do sell, and *especially on leather goods or jewelry < $3000 which still make up the grand majority of luxury goods sales today as for the data, logos were seen in 63% of the collection, and double-G gucci belts were seen in 18%." What's Next Gucci is set to air a presentation in a film titled The Tiger, which will be directed by Spike Jonze and Halina Reijn and will star Demi Moore. Demna's debut show at the house is not expected to take place until 2026, so far, these looks are teasers at what is to come.