FOR GUCCI’S CRUISE 2024 SHOW THE BRAND HELD THEIR RUNWAY COLLECTION IN SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA. THERE WAS A BLEND OF BOURGEOIS STREETWEAR AND SPORTSWEAR, SUCH AS THE BOUCLÉ BIKE SHORTS WITH THE LADIES-WHO-LUNCH JACKET, CROPPED TO FLASH THE MIDRIFF, AS WELL AS A STANDOUT PALE PINK CHIFFON DRESS WITH TIERED RUFFLES THAT FLUTTERED DOWN THE RUNWAY, WHICH WAS WORN OVER A BLACK SCUBA SUIT. NEOPRENE WAS SEEN AS LAYERED TURTLENECKS THAT ZIPPED UP TO THE CHIN, AND PAIRED WITH TWEED MIDI SKIRTS EMBELLISHED WITH DIAMANTÉ CRYSTALS RACING UP THE SIDES.

AS THE LAST SHOW TO BE HANDLED BY THE DESIGN TEAM BEFORE NEW CREATIVE DIRECTOR SABATO DE SARNO TAKES THE HELM, THE COLLECTION HAD THAT SLIGHT MOODBOARD FEEL. BUT THE REFERENTIAL MIX DID NICELY CAPTURE THE LOOK AND FEEL OF THE CITY’S STREETS. YOU COULD SEE SEOUL YOUTH IN THE LONG LOOSE SILHOUETTES, PANTS WORN LOW ON THE WAIST TO BAG AROUND THE ANKLES, THE PARACHUTE MAXI SKIRT, AND THE PLETHORA OF CINCHING CORDS. THESE SUBTLE REFERENCES TO LOCAL STREET STYLE FELT SMARTER THAN THE MORE OBVIOUS NODS, LIKE THE WORD GYEONGBOKGUNG EMBLAZONED ON THE BACK OF A T-SHIRT. INSTEAD OF PIGEONHOLING KOREAN STYLE WITH STEREOTYPES, IT MAKES MORE SENSE TO ADDRESS IT AS A FASHION-CONSCIOUS CITY LIKE ANY OTHER.

A SATEEN LILAC COAT WORN BY KAREN ELSON THAT CLOSED WITH A RED BOW RESEMBLING THE ONE WHICH CLOSES A TRADITIONAL JEOGORI JACKET WAS AN ELEGANT NOD, AS WERE THE SURREALIST ILLUSTRATIONS OF PINK JELLO AND CAT’S PAWS BY LOCAL ARTIST RAM HAN. MOST EFFECTIVE OF ALL: THE SHEER SCALE AND SPECTACLE OF THE SHOW. LIGHTS WENT SPARKLING ACROSS THE 14TH CENTURY STONE COURTYARD, TIMED TO THE THUDDING OF WOOD MALLETS AND DRUMS. THOUGH THE FINALE LOOK WAS SURPRISINGLY SIMPLE—A BOXY BLACK SUIT—IT READ AS THE QUIET CLOSING OF ONE CHAPTER AND ONTO THE NEXT, WHILE STILL HONORING SEOUL WITH THE SORT OF GRAND FASHION FETE IT UNDOUBTEDLY DESERVES.