Gucci Cruise 2024: 6 A+ Looks
Disruption was the order of the evening at Gucci's cruise 2024 runway show in Seoul.
Given South Korea’s rising reputation as both an entertainment and fashion powerhouse, it comes as no surprise that Gucci was the second luxury fashion house to stage a runway show in Seoul. Louis Vuitton showed its pre-autumn 2023 womenswear collection less than three weeks earlier.
Much like Louis Vuitton, Gucci’s cruise 2024 collection resisted any obvious cultural inspiration. Instead, the in-house team of designers and artisans—newly appointed creative director Sabato de Sarno’s first collection is scheduled for September—continued to dig back into Gucci’s archives to refresh and remix a number of icons and and key silhouettes.
The runway show took place within the ceremonial courtyard of the 14th century Gyeongbokgung Palace, and despite a venue that’s steeped in history, the Gucci cruise 2024 collection had nothing of the sort. It was a parade of 1990s energy mashed with the colours of the noughties for a disruptive collection that blurred time periods and dress codes.
Aspects of everyday life in Seoul were interspersed throughout the collection in a hybrid sense of styling heavily popularised by K-pop idols. A constant juxtaposition between formal and casual—an embroidered pencil skirt worn with a body-hugging cycling-inspired top for example—reflects a high-low, magpie-ish dressing favoured among the TikTok generation. Yet, at the same time, the embellishments are kept quite minimal and often restricted to just one element.
The street was mostly the where the collection lived. Skate decks were seen on a number of models (looks 19, 22 and 25), where they appeared to be accessories on their own right. A rebellious, youthful spirit permeated through deconstructed ready-to-wear pieces slashed at certain points to reveal outré ways of wearing what would’ve easily been a typical piece of garment. Nothing was too precious.
There was a collaboration with South Korean artist Ram Han. Her Biomorphic graphic prints added further energy to the entire collection. Once again, they’re not done in a heavy-handed manner and tastefully so to add much needed levity to a collection that at times, could feel a bit too serious.
The disorder continued in the bags. The Horsebit messenger bags are warped with one side significantly larger (or smaller) than the other, giving it a decidedly twisted appearance. The trapezoid Horsebit bag introduced by the in-house design team for the autumn/winter 2023 runway show made its return with new treatments including a fully embellished version complete with tassels (look 58).
View the full Gucci cruise 2024 collection in the gallery below.
