What a difference a different colour and an Oscar-winning composer can make to a fashion show, as Gucci showed in its first post-Sabato De Sarno collection in Milan on Tuesday.
The debut show of the six-day Milan Fashion Week, the show and set were useful reminders of Gucci brand power, something far too many people have forgotten lately.
Gone was the deep purple that obsessed the banished creative director. Instead, the green room, invitations, curtains, and banquette seating inside the huge show space were hearty Castleton green. Even the catwalks were done in two massive interlocking green Gs.
A model walks the runway in Gucci’s Castleton green show space, reflecting a new direction for the house. – Photo Credits: Godfrey Deeny
Presented inside Superstudio Maxi, a giant party club in south Milan, the show was blessed with a fantastic original soundtrack by Justin Hurwitz, who won two Oscars for Best Original Song and Best Original Score for La La Land. He energetically conducted a live chamber orchestra before a front row, where Kering CEO and Gucci patron François-Henri Pinault sat beside Julia Garner, Jessica Chastain, Parker Posey, Jannik Sinner, Yara Shahidi, Dev Patel, Xiao Zhan, and Wen Qi—not bad going for a house without a designer.
A rousing performance that drove forward this show and collection, a cautious yet snappy array of Gucci hits over several decades created by the in-house design team. Ranging from ’60s fur and deep mohair peacoats; to knee-length skirts slit up the side, big-button tunics, or some perfectly cut Donegal tweed business suits. Dolce Vita damsels out for a stroll, certain to make heads turn.
Gucci’s runway featured rich textures and fluid silhouettes, blending heritage with modern elegance. – Photo Cresits: Godfrey Deeny
All the way to the 90s slip dresses, oversized coated blazers with peak collars, or bouclé wool mini cocktails. Best of all were the interlocking G-print velvet dresses and the semi-sheer skirts paired with velour leotards and worn with gold stirrup pendants, adding plenty of oomph. All this was worn with several new takes on the 1955 horse-bit bag that looked very commercial.
There was a time under Alessandro Michele, when the Gucci girl looked like she lived in Brooklyn. None of these girls looked like they ever took a subway.
Halfway through, the chamber orchestra changed rhythms and out came the menswear collection, featuring a sharp new double-breasted suit with an elongated jacket and slim pants, slashed at the back at the ankle and worn with natty leather slippers. Noting too awe-inspiring, but decent merch as were some great scrawny mohair cardigans. Though quite why there were six versions of the same coat, albeit in different materials was hard to comprehend.
Gucci’s menswear collection featured sleek tailoring with modern proportions and effortless elegance. – Photo Credits: Godfrey Deeny
“We wanted to make a brand statement,” said Gucci CEO Stefano Cantino. And the house most certainly did with an excellently staged show that ended with a score of young designers taking a joint bow at the bandstand. All dressed in Castleton green sweatshirts.
Despite it being one of those foggy days when clouds descend like lumpy porridge from the Alps and Milan looks very mournful, several thousand fans swarmed around outside, cheering each star as they exited. Gucci may have suffered several tricky years and seen revenues fall 20% in the most recent quarter, but judging by these fans; the label is still a major cult marque.
The house was mum about the eventual successor to De Sarno, though an announcement is expected in the next several weeks – with Hedi Slimane the designer with the shortest odds.
Business may have been weak but there is plenty of life in the house of Gucci.
K-pop stars have proved themselves to be a popular pick for SS25 campaigns and PVH’s Tommy Hilfiger is part of this. It has just released its latest campaign starring K-Pop supergroup Stray Kids.
Stray Kids – Tommy Hilfiger
But Hilfiger isn’t a newcomer to the K-pop frenzy as the group actually returns for a third campaign with the brand, “fusing fashion, music and a bold sense of optimism”.
The brand said the K-pop group “showcases a fresh vision of prep style in a series of portraiture that highlights each member’s fearless individuality and the undeniable strength they share together”.
And designer Tommy Hilfiger added that: “Stray Kids have become one of the world’s most dynamic groups through their relentless drive and unique vision. Through this campaign, we wanted to give them the freedom to express themselves authentically. It’s a celebration of youthful positivity and the power of dreaming, through a red, white and blue lens.”
The images are “a celebration of Tommy Hilfiger’s lifelong love for nautical lifestyle [and] blends classic prep with bold maritime codes. Sailing influences come through in Breton and Ithaca stripes on heritage shirting, while an iconic varsity bomber is adorned with a rope logo treatment. Lightweight linen blazers and crisp, energised polos capture the spirit of life by the water, while chain-link and flag prints add a playful touch to refined silhouettes. It’s New American Prep — where Ivy League heritage meets effortless coastal style”.
K-Way, no stranger to fashion shows but making its debut on the official Milan Fashion Week calendar, took to the catwalks to celebrate 60 years of everyday style. The brand showcased its legacy, highlighting the poetic side of daily life alongside like-minded labels and selected artists.
“We’ve been staging shows for five years now, and each year, we question whether it makes sense for a brand like ours—a brand for all people, for everyday life, that remains true to itself over time—to be part of fashion week, given that fashion is always changing,” said Lorenzo Boglione, president of the BasicNet group, which owns K-Way, in an interview with FashionNetwork.com. “Our answer is always the same: it’s worth it if we have a story to tell. This year, for our anniversary, we wanted to share our history but, more importantly, K-Way’s values, elevating them through art and celebrating the brilliance of other brands that make everyday life a little easier and happier.”
This vision led to the creation of “In Y/Our Life – The Hidden Side of Everyday Things,” a global multidisciplinary exhibition exploring the poetics of everyday life. The project highlights K-Way’s legacy alongside other iconic brands, offering a journey through archives, design, and art to showcase their cultural significance.
The diverse selection of international brands chosen by K-Way for this project includes Bic, Borotalco, Borsalino, Chupa Chups, Bialetti, Moleskine, Pongo, Polaroid, Post-it, Rollerblade and Scotch. While the artists involved with their works are Francesca Casale, Serafin Gerber, Agostino Iacurci, Koo Jeong-A, Eva Jospin, Masha Leonenko, Tomáš Libertíny, Andrea Magnani, Emiliano Ponzi, Luisa Rabbia, Leanne Shapton, Patricia Urquiola and Olimpia Zagnoli.
Described as “an in-depth cultural study that will take the public on an exciting journey, exploring the evolution of timeless brands and offering an authentic and engaging view of their cultural and commercial impact,” the exhibition “In Y/Our Life,” curated by NovaExpress and Gianluigi Ricuperati, opened on Feb. 25 at the Museo della Permanente in Milan, where it will remain for the duration of Fashion Week. In the following months, it will continue its journey at some of the most significant art events on the global cultural scene: Photo London in May, Frieze Seoul in September, and Art Basel Paris in October.
K-Way, a glimpse of the exhibition
“In Y/Our Life” is divided into three sections. The first, “Happy When It Rains,” celebrates K-Way’s 60th anniversary. It presents a journey through the brand’s historical archive, where original objects and iconic pieces recount decades of innovation and change, from the first raincoats to more recent evolutions.
The second section, “Everyday Icons,” explores the archives of partner brands, showcasing prototypes, advertisements, historical objects, videos, and tangible evidence of their creativity.
The third section, also titled “In Y/Our Life,” is the heart of the project. Through works, installations, inventions, and stories inspired by the values and DNA of these iconic brands, 13 artists from around the world reinterpret the hidden side of everyday life, offering a fresh perspective on their most symbolic objects.
“To give continuity to this journey and project, the fashion show for our R&D FW25 collection will also take place at the Museo della Permanente and will feature an installation on the runway by one of the artists involved in the exhibition, Agostino Iacurci,” Boglione pointed out.
The co-ed fashion show pays homage to the brand’s roots, innovative spirit, and timeless icon: the Le Vrai rain jacket, first introduced in 1965, serves as the primary inspiration for the entire collection.
An offering that primarily focuses on K-Way’s signature three-layer nylon fabric, with layering techniques that complete the look while keeping padding to a minimum. The pocket, traditionally placed inside the jacket, is now moved to the exterior, while the iconic white zipper is reimagined in black.
One standout piece is the cape, designed to be worn over the jacket or as an additional sleeve. For AW 2025, K-Way slightly diverges from its unisex approach by introducing designs with nylon paired with wool or satin for a more feminine touch.
The collection’s color palette features burgundy, orange, lime, blue-black, and bluette, with the latter shades lending a more masculine aesthetic to select garments.
But K-Way’s AW 2025 collection extends beyond outerwear, featuring soft knitwear, wool and nylon skirts that create striking textural contrasts, elegantly tailored cargo pants, and Scuba dresses.
Completing the lineup is a capsule collection in collaboration with Parisian brand Cahu, introducing PVC bags and designs crafted in Le Vrai 4.0 nylon.
The CBI has released its assessment of retail sales during February and while doesn’t provide a lot of detail about what happened across the wider industry, it’s a very useful early clue to what went on before the more detailed reports come out.
So what did go on? The CBI’s Distributive Trade Survey said “poor sentiment among retailers lingers as sales continue to fall”.
Year-on-year retail sales volumes declined in February for the fifth consecutive month, and retailers expect sales to fall at a somewhat faster pace in March.
They also remain downbeat about their future business situation, and this sentiment was reflected in their expectations to cut back on headcount and capital expenditure going forward. In particular, investment intentions worsened to the greatest extent since May 2019.
First some caveats. The survey doesn’t use actual sales figures. Instead, it’s data is all about the weighted balance of those saying retail sales fell or rose to some degree or another.
So, for February, the weighted balance of those saying retail sales fell was broadly similar to last month (a weighted balance of -23% from -24% in January). And the balance tips towards more expecting that sales will fall in March (-30%).
February sales were judged to be “poor”, to a greater extent than last month (-34% from -24% in January). Retailers expect that March sales will also disappoint compared to seasonal norms, but to a modestly lesser degree (-27%).
Sentiment among retailers remained poor in February, with firms expecting their business situation to deteriorate over the coming quarter (-19% from -21% in November).
As mentioned, retailers also expect to reduce investment in the next 12 months (compared to the past 12 months) to the greatest extent since May 2019 (-56% from -27% in November).
Headcount in retail also declined at a moderate pace in the year to February (-13% from -18% in November). Employment is expected to fall at a broadly similar rate in March (-15%).
Martin Sartorius, Principal Economist, CBI, said: “February marked another month of falling annual sales in the retail sector. Looking ahead, retailers expect a sharper sales downturn in March, partly due to the later timing of Easter compared to last year.
“Persistently weak demand conditions and the impact of the Autumn Budget have dampened retailers’ sentiment, contributing to the steepest deterioration in investment intentions in nearly six years. These worrying data make it clear that the government’s plan to kickstart growth is now more important than ever.
“Businesses need a boost in confidence after a tough period that has seen their overheads increase and headroom for investment squeezed. Reforming business rates and the Apprenticeship Levy would go a long way to support firms as they work alongside government to create the jobs, investment, and growth that we all want.”