At a certain hour in Times Square, everyone begins performing a version of themselves. Tourists pause mid-step beneath LED screens, financiers loosen their ties after dark, and somewhere between the spectacle, bright lights we can momentarily lose ourselves in a kind of crowd-induced anonymity. For Gucci, there may have been no better setting for GucciCore – its Cruise 2027 collection built around identity, performance, and the idea of a wardrobe shaped by the people who move through New York unnoticed.
The location ...
New York has long occupied a symbolic place in the House’s history. More than 70 years after opening its first store outside of Italy on Fifth Avenue in 1953, Gucci to stage a show in the centre of Times Square, framed by towering digital billboards and illuminated screens. The choice of location was cinematic and also deeply referential – nodding to the Gucci Galleria, an exclusive salon hidden above the Fifth Avenue flagship during the 1980s, where select clients accessed the space using a specialised golden key.
Ahead of the runway, Times Square’s screens were overtaken by a video montage of archival footage and fictional Gucci advertisements, spanning imagined worlds from Gucci Automobili and Gucci Gym to Gucci Pets and Palazzo Gucci.
The invitation ...
Exclusivity informed the GucciCore invitation, which arrived as a brass key housed inside an aged leather sleeve.
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The collection ...
This was the fourth chapter in Demna’s ongoing “character studies” approach to the House, bringing together the visual identities of La Famiglia, Generation Gucci, and Primavera into one cohesive wardrobe. The collection seemed focused on the foundational Gucci wardrobe – one built from pragmatic, wearable staples elevated through the House’s codes.
The collection also drew directly from the visual diversity of New York City, spanning Madison Avenue polish, downtown nonchalance, and uptown sophistication. Pinstriped business suiting appeared alongside slouchy denim and soft tailoring, while shearling coats, structured gowns, and sleek pantsuits evoked the eclectic mix of personalities seen across the city’s streets. Plush duvet stoles in supple leather and monogrammed fabrics contrasted with technical reversible outerweary.
Signature Gucci motifs were reinterpreted throughout: the iconic Web stripe became a bandeau top, while the Horsebit appeared as stirrup detailing on sharply heeled boots. Eveningwear was realised through croc-scale sequins, beaded fringe, and feather embroidery that extended couture-level embellishment into menswear. And accessories ranged from jewel-toned leather handbags and watch-strap clutches to oversized sling totes rendered in new fabrications.
The guests ...
Demna's flashy list of invitees included Mariah Carey, Shawn Mendes, Playboi Carti, and Stormzy, Lindsay Lohan, Molly Gordon, and Laura Harrier, Kim Kardashian, Iman, Alix Earle, and Ivy Getty.
But the guest lists didn't just occupy the FROW – they also walked. Paris Hilton and Cindy Crawford made appearances alongside models Emily Ratajkowski, Gabbriette, Amelia Gray and Alex Consani. Even NFL legend Tom Brady made his runway debut.
The show notes ...
Denma included his own personal 'manifesto' in a press release about the Cruise show:
Gucci’s love story with this city began more than 7 decades ago on Fifth Avenue, so bringing this show to New York feels like a homecoming for the brand. I wanted to do the impossible and place Gucci at the centre of this metropolis by staging a show in the middle of Times Square, using its screens and billboards as the set itself. This collection is the 4th act of my character studies approach, bringing together the aesthetic languages of La Famiglia, Generation Gucci, and Primavera into one single, cohesive vision. This time, the idea was to build a core wardrobe of staple pieces that form the foundation of the House’s stylistic language: the perfect peacoat, the classic trench, the business suit, the essential shirt, the ultimate pencil skirt, alongside elements of Italian glamour and elegance. To do something that felt real to New York, I wanted to show this collection on the kind of people you might pass on the street, individuals with their own way of wearing clothes, a plurality of styles that intersect like the streets of the city. Most of what you’ll see in this show is part of GucciCore, a permanent collection that will evolve over time, shaping my vision by building the foundation of a Gucci wardrobe grounded in pragmatic, wearable pieces that are unmistakably Gucci.
