2023/11 Gucci – Gucci Gift
Details:
Gucci
Gucci Gift
Fall-Winter Capsule 2023
Bahnhofstrasse 39, Zürich, Switzerland
Review:
by Peter Hamer
november 18, 2023
After months following the announcement of Alessandro Michele’s successor, can we finally say this is Sabato De Sarno’s first retail vision for Gucci? I’m guessing yes, as the Gucci Gift campaign is signed by him, and the display you’re looking at is red, that same shade of red introduced by De Sarno during the SS24 show, which you can read about here.
Now, I’m not going to go where you think I’m going to go. Instead, I’m going to rephrase a concept I mentioned during a previous review, of Wolford’s St. Valentine’s Day concept. In it, I discuss the contrast between superficial expressions of love, like words and emojis, and the deeper, more authentic feelings of love, highlighting that genuine connections require more than just superficial symbols. As a VM, I reflect on the role we have in creating displays that evoke real emotions and criticize displays that rely on clichéd symbols of love, arguing for more meaningful and deeper connections.
But what happens when the input to help you create a magical display is just not there? Or what happens if that creative vision is not clear? How do you, as a VM, work with something that simply lacks depth? Background info for non-VMs, concepts are developed with creative direction and, in some cases, top management; it is their input that trickles down to the VM creative so they can then develop the VM concept.
Saying “I love you” is not enough. Saying you feel the love is not enough. Talking about your friends and family is not enough. Yes, change takes time, yes, we need to plant a seed to grow. But think of the last two cases of rebranding: Ferragamo and Burberry. After failed attempts (the cash ain’t coming), they’re now relying on their most recognizable visual asset to create differentiation in an incredibly competitive landscape where they’ve not only lost a lot of customers, they’ve also failed to get new ones. These visual assets are for Ferragamo the gancino, or Burberry it’s the check, and after having seen Gucci’s 70 Years of an Icon: The Horsebit Loafer I said to myself; I get it, morsetto it will be, and a few months later: here it is, the morsetto is in everything they do.
Playing at the level these brands are playing, I don’t think there will be a gancino, check or morsetto that will make the cash. I don’t want to get spiritual, but we’re all made of energy, and the energy you emit, is the energy you attract. Let’s just say these codes cannot emit enough energy on their own to keep a previous customer and yet alone, attract a new one.
I’m going to say it again: Innovation in the fashion landscape isn’t just about turning out jaw-dropping ensembles or setting styling trends. The real game-changer? Reimagining the business of fashion itself, not doing the same thing ancora.
I can’t imagine what the teams are going through, especially after such blooming years for the brand. Maybe I’m completely wrong and there’s a clear plan that I’m unaware of. But if there’s one thing I’ve become good at over these last couple of years, it’s listening, and what I’m hearing is full of fear. And isn’t that the opposite of love?
