MILAN — He has been creative director of musical chairs at some of Italy’s leading fashion houses and the pressure is noticeable, at least on social media.
Gucci’s Sabato De Sarno presented his third collection in Milan on Monday, still the most anticipated show of the week as Gucci undergoes a major style transition.
Hours earlier, Valentino, the fashion house that acquired his predecessor Alessandro Michele, released images on social media of Michele’s first resort collection for Rome-based Valentino, which presents its collections in Paris. Commenters couldn’t help but notice the similarities to his years at Gucci.
Anyone with a complicated family dynamic can understand how complicated the time was. Gucci is owned by the French conglomerate Kering, which has a 30 percent stake in Valentino, a significant but not decisive stake. On top of that, De Sarno is a Valentino alum, whose recent resort collection included a bow that was one of the codes Michele brought to Gucci.
Michele is expected to debut on the Valentino runway in Paris for the women’s fashion previews in September.
Some highlights from the fourth and final day of Milan Fashion Week, mostly menswear previews for spring-summer 2025:
Sabato De Sarno’s second menswear collection for Gucci revolved around precise, color-saturated silhouettes. A long acid green leather coat over thigh-baring shorts and a fishnet shirt set the tone for an outing that was both rigorous and daring.
The models walked through the atrium of Milan’s Triennale design museum, paying homage to De Sarno’s vision of museums as “nurturing” spaces. In that sense, she invited 400 fashion students to see the show and met with them afterwards. Part of the brand’s relaunch has been to move into spaces away from the sprawling Gucci Hub on the outskirts of Milan, as De Sarno stakes claim to Italy’s fashion capital, one location at a time.
Her Spring-Summer 2025 collection featured wearable elements easily composed according to one’s desire, reflecting De Sarno’s desire “for people to feel free and welcome in my clothes.”
Amidst the structure of bonded leather jackets and crisp poplin suits, there was plenty of movement, in vivid repeating wavy prints of surfers and dolphins on boxy bowling shirts, jackets with bright rhinestone fringes in shades of lemon or lime, and long sleeve shirts. Hand-woven polo shirts with sparkling sequins embedded. A subtle jacquard was an unusual sign of the Gucci logo.
New style ideas included thick sunglasses that, when not worn, could be tied back around the neck with a brightly colored Gucci cord. The highly constructed bags were inspired by archival luggage and include detachable pieces. Running shoes and diving shoes featured molded soles.
The media-shy De Sarno said in press releases that the collection “speaks of freedom.”
“I feel free when there is no distance between my words and my thoughts, between my actions and my heart,” he wrote.
De Sarno has the full backing of Serena Williams, who sat in the front row between Kering boss Francois-Henri Pinault and her sister Venus.
”It was a beautiful collection. I think Sabato is a great designer,” Serena Williams said backstage. “Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. I must say I really enjoyed it.”
Speaking of the versatility of the looks, Williams said she saw many on the runway aimed at menswear that she liked. “Honestly, in the end I loved that light blue suit. It wasn’t really for me, but I could vibe like that,’ she said. “A lot of the bags were pretty. Those purple shoes were really cool.”
Williams, dressed in a pretty peach suit with a sparkly knit top, was accompanied by his sister Venus, who wore a Gucci Pantone red leather coat. Venus also appeared on the JW Anderson show on Sunday night. Also present was Irish actor Paul Mescal, who kept it cool in striped shorts and a blue GG-monogrammed dress shirt.
There has been one constant at the Giorgio Armani fashion house for the past 49 years, and that is Giorgio Armani.
His looks are a constant evolution of the relaxed tailoring that has characterized his fashion empire.
Relaxing tones set the mood for the Spring-Summer 2024 collection, where loose-fitting, often pleated, pants were the star. Jackets were worn open and shirts were often collarless or had informal shawl collars. The silk pants featured large side pleats that billowed with each step. Small slit pockets provided utility. The vests added a ruffian style, with or without a shirt. Sun hats could be packed.
Models walked slowly and deliberately on a catwalk surrounded by video images of tropical plants, a motif of the season. Some smiled, as the designer has urged in recent seasons.
Armani, who turns 90 next month, remains firmly at the center of his fashion group, founded in 1975, and is always available to say hello after his shows.
In this round, he was accompanied by his right-hand man Leo Dell’Orco, who heads the group’s men’s style office, and Gianluca Dell’Orco, head of Giorgio Armani’s men’s style office.
Russell Crowe was front row at the show at the Armani Theater in Milan. Dressed in jeans, the actor said he was jet-lagged and wanted to be comfortable. He may have seen something on the track that fits that profile.
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