Gucci is turning Times Square into a runway as the label debuts a new Cruise collection
Gucci creative director Demna presented his first Cruise collection for the Italian luxury brand on Saturday night in New York, turning Times Square into a runway as owner Kering looks to revive the struggling luxury label.
The splashy show, broadcast live on billboards in one of the world’s most visited destinations, was a nod to Gucci’s ties to Manhattan – the birthplace of its global expansion and where the Italian house opened its first store outside of Italy in 1953.
The “GucciCore” collection unveiled Saturday “feels like a homecoming for the brand,” Demna said in a statement.
“I wanted to do the impossible and put Gucci in the center of this city,” he added.
Cindy Crawford and former football quarterback Tom Brady were among the models wearing a variety of Demna styles, from business suits and trench coats to long sleeves, in front of an audience of celebrities including Anna Wintour and Mariah Carey.
The range of the collection reflects “the multitude of styles that intersect like city streets,” says Demna.
Cruise collections, once limited to travel clothing, are now often presented in locations that allow brands to link their designs to the local story. They are staged in addition to the biannual fashion calendar.
Gucci’s decision to host the show in New York comes as many European brands are turning to the North American market to boost growth.
French fashion house Christian Dior launched its Cruise collection in Los Angeles this month.
The program followed Demna’s first home game in Milan in February. The Georgian designer spent ten years at Kering’s Balenciaga before taking over as Gucci’s creative director in July last year, stepping into a role held for two years by designer Sabato De Sarno.
The Gucci brand makes a big chunk of profits at French conglomerate Kering, which sought a creative reset when it appointed Demna to Gucci’s top design role.
Gucci’s sales fell 8% in the first quarter from a year earlier, the luxury fashion group said in April, as the war in Iran hurt spending by Middle Eastern shoppers and reduced international travel. Kering called the quarterly results the “first step” in its recovery.
Kering, which also owns Yves Saint Laurent and jeweler Boucheron, appointed Luca De Meo as CEO last September to lead change – particularly at Gucci. He promised to double the luxury group’s operating profit and increase Gucci’s appeal.
