Today, in Milan, Gucci’s nascent creative director Sabato De Sarno unveiled his first men’s collection for the brand. Similarly to his simplified, modern, and sleek take on womenswear, De Sarno delivered a volte face from previous designer Alessandro Michele’s reign and defenestrated the flowery and foppish elements that permeated the brand under his predecessor.

Photo courtesy of Gucci.

That’s not to say that De Sarno dove headfirst into hardcore butch realness (there were lime-green leather bags with matching gloves, after all), but the romance was more universal and wearable for a broader swath of gentlemen, many of whom could never connect to the fluid and floral vision of Michele’s menswear.

“It’s a story of movies, of my beloved Italy, of intellectuals and travels around the world but still feeling at home wherever you are,” De Sarno said in a statement. “A story of objects—shiny, tactile, and cold to the touch but warm to the heart and soul.”

Photo courtesy of Gucci.

The standout pieces were the voluminous, broad-shouldered overcoats, ranging in tones from neutrals to bold lime and cobalt, as well as side-fastening suits with button-hiding plackets. If the show was a study of a newfound Gucci sedateness, the skew could be found in the details and proportions, luxuriously long ties, and the aforementioned overcoats with hems that scraped the runway imperiously.

Luke Jerram, “Museum of the Moon”, Piscina Cozzi, Milano, 2019. Foto / photo © Andrea Cherchi. Courtesy of Gucci.

Accompanying the collection is an arts publication that reveals some of the esoteric art and architectural ideas that inspired De Sarno (each runway show will come with this limited-edition behind-the-scenes look and this is the second volume). Gucci Prospettive 2: Ancora Milano was made in conjunction with MoMa’s Senior Curator in the Department of Architecture & Design, Paola Antonelli. “We were inspired by the idea of frictions and attritions, contrasting flashes of brutalism with visions of commercial, entrepreneurial and industrial refinement,” explained Antonelli.

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