Although he chose to show his women’s and men’s collections separately, Sabato De Sarno’s design handwriting for both arms of Gucci’s ready-to-wear is united under one sleek vision. Opening up Milan Fashion Week on Friday with his first menswear outing, the designer mirrored the defining pillars of his debut back in September – from the soundtrack and the set design to the clothes on the catwalk.
There was a shared dialogue between both collections, one that felt quietly sensual and rooted in real life. Worn entirely by a cast of newly discovered models – also a component of the women’s show – De Sarno joyously offered his spin on menswear classics. Like the suit, for instance, here with a double-breasted jacket that came creased at the ribcage. Or shirting worn open to the naval and draped elegantly off the shoulder.
It seemed as though De Sarno was questioning what is deemed “masculine” dress in a contemporary context. (Over the Mark Ronson-produced score, French artist Lucky Love asked “Do I walk like a boy? Do I talk like a boy?”). Amongst carpenter jeans, duster coats and buttery leather car coats were cardigans with bedazzled collars, as well as fringed, beaded jackets, glistening tote bags and roomy iterations of house icon, the Jackie.
Alongside having a deft understanding of what makes a covetable wardrobe today, the designer also has a terrific eye for colour. A muted palette was punctuated by flashes of neon green, powdery blue, caramel and that brand’s Ancora red. All while leather gloves and skinny ties worn over bare, chiseled abs were subtly sexy without being overt. De Sarno’s Gucci is in full swing, watch him bloom.
Photography courtesy of Gucci.
