Like its autumn/winter 2023 menswear collection, Gucci’s womenswear offerings were once again designed in-house by its group of craftsmen. This is set to be one of the final in-house collections before newly appointed creative director Sabato de Sarno takes over and makes his debut in September.
That only meant that the autumn/winter 2023 womenswear collection felt chaotic, and not necessarily in a good way. The concept of the in-house collections thus far, have been to explore the house’s heritage in a fairly free manner—an exchange of ideas between the craftsmen who have been working for the house and have seen through multiple creative directors. The preceding menswear collection, while the product of the same concept, felt more cohesive than the autumn/winter 2023 womenswear collection.
Perhaps it could be due to the more restrictive nature of menswear; women’s fashion has always been rather boundary-less with little to no parameters. And left with no creative director to speak of, little was done to rein it all in.
Yes, it could be said that former creative director Alessandro Michele’s collections were a hodgepodge of ideas. But at the same time, there was a running thread that tied them altogether and served an overarching narrative purpose.
That’s not to say that the filler collection of sorts unnecessary. It did have some bright sparks. A trapezoid-shaped handbag—first seen in 2003—was revived as the collection’s key accessory. Adorned with an oversized Horsebit (allowing it to also function as a clutch), it was rendered in a range of treatments from shearling to padded leather, as well as in rich, bold colours. There was also a new take on the Jackie bag, softened and crafted from two contrasting pieces of leather.
There’s no telling if these pieces would be carried over once de Sarno takes over, so don’t get too attached to them yet.
What’s very telling of this collection and its menswear counterpart was in the obvious proposition of a more sexually charged Gucci. The opening look of the autumn/winter 2023 womenswear collection was a barely-there, crystal-encrusted GG metal bra paired with a black midi skirt—a look that would have felt at home during Gucci’s Tom Ford era. Sheer constructions and lace too allude to this overt sense of sexuality that had been missing before.
It will be interesting to see if de Sarno decides to completely head into a new direction or build upon that that had been conceptualised collectively by the people working under him. But until then, wait we must.
View the full Gucci autumn/winter 2023 womenswear collection in the gallery below.
