Culture, art and fashion: London Tate Modern to host Gucci's Cruise Collection 2025 this May

A Gucci SS24 ensemble as shown at the 2023
Gucci Cosmos exhibition in London.

Gucci, the renowned luxury Italian fashion house, has maintained a longstanding affinity with London, a connection set to deepen this May.  

Sabato De Sarno, its creative director, will unveil his inaugural Cruise 2025 collection at London's iconic Tate Modern museum, solidifying the bond between Florence and London.

A photo of Sabato De Sarno by David Sims and a catwalk photo by Gaspar Ruiz Lindberg showing the Gucci Ancora fashion show in Milan in 2023 were exhibited at the Gucci Cosmos exhibition in London in 2023.

As detailed in the 2023 Gucci Cosmos exhibition in London, the tale of Gucci commences with a journey from Florence to London.  In 1897, a young Florentine by the name of Guccio Gucci embarked on a career at The Savoy hotel, serving as a porter. Immersed in the refined culture of international high society and captivated by the luggage they carried, he returned to Florence in 1902, opening his inaugural boutique on Via della Vigna Nuova. Specializing in English-style luggage, Gucci's venture laid the foundation for the iconic brand we know today.

 Sabato de Sarno, as Gucci's creative director, shoulders the responsibility of steering the House's vision across its collections while upholding the tradition of reflecting and shaping contemporary trends. Gucci's unmistakable equestrian-inspired emblems have evolved into quintessential elements of the brand's identity, adorning bags, suitcases, clothing, and accessories, serving as both decorative motifs and integral components.

Scheduled for Monday, May 13 2024, Gucci Cruise 2025 coincides with its endorsement of the Tate's upcoming exhibition, "Electric Dreams," slated for autumn. The choice of the Tate is strategic, marking the commencement of Gucci's three-year partnership with the institution and its campaign to champion young creatives, a testament to the brand's dedication to nurturing emerging cultural voices.

Gucci's historical ties to London trace back to 1897 when its founder, Guccio Gucci, worked as a luggage porter at The Savoy hotel, drawing inspiration for his leather goods range before establishing his eponymous brand in Florence in 1921.

During the 2023 Gucci Cosmos exhibition at London's 180 The Strand, the magnificent clothes and accessories were strikingly complemented by the opulent set design by creative British artist Es Devlin.

Just a few months back, spanning from October to December 2023, Gucci unveiled its Cosmos exhibition in London, housed at 180 Studio in The Strand. With the creative set designed by the contemporary British artist Es Devlin, this itinerant archival exhibition offered an immersive journey into epoch-defining creativity.

Gucci Cosmos traced one of many conceivable constellations, linking the ideas and innovations catalyzed by the brand's creative directors and artisans over its 102-year history, spanning from its inception through the eras of Tom Ford, Frida Giannini, Alessandro Michele, and Sabato De Sarno. This exhibition led guests into a recreated Savoy Hotel lobby, where founder Guccio Gucci worked in the 1890s, before entering 11 sections focus on specialties of the house.

Renowned Italian fashion theorist and critic, Maria Luisa Frisa, meticulously curated a selection of treasures, many making their inaugural voyage from the archive, to illustrate how Gucci has not only mirrored the zeitgeist but also played a pivotal role in shaping it.

Fast forward to May 2024, undoubtedly, the Gucci Cruise 2025 showcase at London Tate Modern promises to be a captivating ode to the brand, and underscores Gucci's emphasis on the intersection of art, fashion, and heritage. "Tate Modern serves as a nexus of creativity and discourse, where diverse perspectives converge to ignite meaningful dialogues and cultivate cultural exchange," Gucci reportedly commented. "The synergy of art and architecture fosters an environment that stimulates innovation and pushes boundaries, mirroring the dynamism of the city itself."

Tate Modern now joins an esteemed list of venues of culturally significant site to host the brand.  Against the historic façade of Tate Modern, this promises to be a show that demands attention.  Gucci has previously showcased its Cruise collections in illustrious venues around the world, such as Seoul’s historic Gyeongbokgung Palace; London’s Westminster Abbey; Florence’s Palazzo Pitti and the Roman necropolis Alyscamps in Arles, France. 

However, recent developments within the luxury conglomerate Kering, Gucci's parent company alongside Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, and others, paint a more sobering picture. Kering issued an unusual profit warning, anticipating a 20% decline in Gucci sales for the first quarter of 2024.

In a statement, Kering acknowledged the persisting challenges in trading throughout the first half of 2024, projecting a comparable decline in consolidated revenue of approximately 10% for the first quarter of 2024 compared to the previous year's first quarter.

Photos at Gucci Cosmos by Lucia Carpio.

Gucci X adidas launching in June

 Gucci has collaborated with adidas on a kaleidoscopic aesthetics collection. 

Image: adidas by Carlijn Jacobs

Combining their heritage and creative codes, the adidas x Gucci collection will be available on 7 June at adidas.co.uk, and notably at select Gucci stores, Gucci.com, the Adidas Confirmed app and at dedicated pop-ups.

Expect to find the signature three stripe and trefoil motifs of adidas being worked into the designs of Alessandro Michele, Gucci's fashion director.

The collection encompasses a wide range of products, from ready-to-wear, track pants and sporty polos to bags, footwear and accessories, including a golf bag.  Gucci recently revealed the collection on the catwalk during Milan Fashion Week in February.  The signature tracksuit is deemed to be worn in multiple mix-and-match options, featuring shorts and jogger pants for women, while men will be sporting flared pants and a bowling shirt.

Gucci to join Milan Digital Fashion Week in July; announcing two catwalk shows per year.

During lockdowns in cities around the world, non-essential retail outlets, fashion shops, department stores, boutiques and chain stores have to be closed, and public shows and events have to be cancelled or postponed to curtail the spread of Covid-19.

Consumers stuck at home are more concerned about meeting their basic necessities and essentials and do not necessarily want to look for new fashion items to buy.  Where will they go show off that new purchase when all public venues, restaurants, bars and clubs are closed.  Although many have been proficient with on-line purchasing and can still share their news on social media, not all companies are geared up for online sales.

Now many European fashion houses are starting to think and reflect on the way they sell, from staging catwalk shows to participating in major trade fairs.  Not to mention the endless cycle of producing new ranges every few weeks to compete on the crowded and competitive retail market.  Some big names have openly declared that the current catwalk schedule of showing fashion cannot be sustained (such as Gucci and Armani), others are thinking about the impact of over-production on the environment while staying relevant in the new-normal.

The big news this week in the fashion world, apart from the fact that many countries have announced the gradual reopening of non-essential shops and retail outlets following the lockdown easing, is that Gucci would in the future only do two shows a year, not the 5 currently stipulated in the runway show calendar, while calling for a reformulation of the fashion calendar. 


After revealing on Instagram of the two-show plan instead of five, Alessandro Michele, creative director of Gucci, revealed from his studio in Rome, addressing some 20 international editors via the Converse software in a virtual conference on Monday, May 25, that his next collection will be called “Epilogue” and will be shown during Milan Digital Fashion Week on July 17 – in a digital format.

During the lockdown in Italy, Michele of Gucci said he had spent his time at home reflecting on the way the fashion calendar works before the pandemic. His thoughts led him to believe that multiple types of collections in the present calendar: pre-fall, capsule or cruise, should not be maintained and each sector should in the future carry different names. Hence the new title – Epilogue for his July digital event, predicting multi-disciplinary shows spanning elements of theatre, catwalk shows and digital technology.  Not surprisingly coming from a designer who has showed in a series of iconic venues in his five years at Gucci, staging epic and artistic shows in such diverse locations as Westminster Abbey; an ancient Roman cemetery in Arles; or a Greek temple in Sicily.

As reported in Fashion Network, Carlo Capasa, president of the Camera della Moda, Italy’s  governing body of the runway season, said: “I think Alessandro’s spirit contributes immensely to our community. He has indicated he will do something in our first digital season in July, which is great. However, this a moment where nobody is sure exactly what will happen next. So, here at the Camera, our rule is to try to give and create the best opportunity for designers to express themselves."

However Capasa added he still expects to have four Fashion Weeks per year in the future, keeping to the existing calendar.

Talking to Fashion Network, he said: “I continue to believe we should have separate menswear and women’s weeks twice a year, as they are different industries. Generally speaking, I think that this is the best way to keep the proper balance for these two divisions. They are two different industries, with different buyers, retailers, manufacturers. That’s true even if some specific brands may want to be different and stage co-ed shows, which is fine for them,” explained Capasa to FashionNetwork.com.

Due to the Covid-19, Capasa took the executive decision in April to cancel this June’s menswear season, partly replacing it with Milan Digital Fashion Week, which will take place from July 14 to 17.

While giving multiple reason to support maintaining the status quo of the traditional Fashion Weeks seasons, he did think markdowns were having a very negative effect on fashion, a point raised by many designers.   

“Yes, stores were anticipating the season too much. There were too many markdowns. Look at what happened to Neiman Marcus. We need to reestablish the idea that our product has a value. Maybe, yes, there was too much overproduction in fast fashion. And, in our high quality world, we have unfortunately followed fast fashion too much,” he told FashionNetwork.  
Besides Gucci, Zegna has also reported that it will present a “phygital” show in in Milan in July. Capasa expects there to be “probably between 30 and 40 brands” participating in the summer season. Looking ahead, he expects September to be a mix of physical and digital presentations in varying lengths and formats.

Milan Digital Fashion Week will take place 14-17 July, covering Spring/Summer 2021 men’s collections and Spring/Summer 2021 men’s and women’s pre-collections, along with a platform designed to give access to showrooms. The digital offerings will include photo and video content, backstage interviews, as well as webinars and live streaming of keynote speeches.

The French Federation of Haute Couture and Fashion also announced an online presentation of spring/summer 2021 during Paris Fashion Week men’s, to take place prior to Milan, from 9-13 July, during which fashion houses will be showing their collections via film and video.

Sportswear and Outdoor brands championing transparency

According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a charity launched to accelerate the transition to a circular economy, the apparel industry is one of the culprits in causing our environmental and pollution problems, as globally a mind-boggling 73% of materials used for clothing are being sent to landfill or incinerated every year, with less than 1% being recycled to make new clothing.

Designs by Christopher Raeburn at the Jackets Required London trade show in January 2019.
The designer , a pioneer in recycling and upcycling, set up RÆBURN, a collaborative, creative fashion studio where daily design meets painstaking production, alongside monthly events, discussions and workshops.
Photo by Lucia Carpio.

Thus it is welcomed news that Fashion Revolution’s Fashion Transparency Index 2019 reveals today that three sportswear and outdoor brands are leading the way on transparency among the world’s 200 largest fashion brands and retailers by disclosing a wide range of human rights policies, commitments and outcomes, as well as who their suppliers are.

Adidas, Reebok and Patagonia each score a total 64% out of 250 possible points, followed by Esprit and H&M in the 61-70%. C&A, ASOS, Puma, Nike, Converse, Jordan, The North Face, Timberland, Wrangler, Vans and Marks & Spencer rank at the top end of the 51-60% range.

This is the first year since the Fashion Transparency Index’s inception that brands will score over 60%, showing that progressive brands are now taking real, tangible steps to disclose more about their social and environmental policies, practices and impacts.

However no brands score above the 70% range showing that there is still a long way to go towards transparency amongst all major fashion brands.

Since 2016, Fashion Revolution has tracked global brands and benchmarked their performance against five key areas: policy and commitments, governance, traceability, supplier assessment and remediation, and spotlight issues, which this year focus on the Sustainable Development Goals.

Sarah Ditty, Policy Director and report author says: “The progress we are seeing this year, coupled with the feedback Fashion Revolution has received from brands, suggests that inclusion in the Fashion Transparency Index has motivated major fashion brands to be more transparent. We are seeing many brands publishing their supplier lists and improving their scores year on year.”

Amongst the 98 brands reviewed in 2017, 2018 and again in 2019 there has been an 8.9% increase in the average score since they were first included in the Index.

11 brands have increased their scores by over 10% this year, showing significant efforts to be more transparent, and data shows that more brands are embarking on their journey towards greater transparency.

The report shows the following findings:

·         Brands are disclosing very little about their efforts to empower women and girls and achieve gender equality, despite the fact that women make up the majority of the workforce in the fashion industry from factory to shop floor.

·         Some progress has been made on disclosing equal pay policies and the gender pay gap by major fashion brands, but little is published about how brands are addressing gender-based labour violations in garment factories.

·         55% out of the 200 brands are publishing the annual carbon footprint in the company's own sites, although only 19.5% disclose carbon emissions in the supply chain – where over 50% of the industry’s emissions occur.

·         Given that major brands are expecting trust and transparency from suppliers, they too should share more information publicly about their own commitments and efforts to be responsible business partners. Only 9% of brands disclose a formal process for gathering supplier feedback on the company's purchasing practices and just 6.5% of brands publish a policy of paying their suppliers within 60 days. 

The highest scoring brands in the Spotlight Issues section this year are H&M, Adidas and Reebok, Patagonia as well as Bershka, Massimo Dutti, Pull&Bear, Stradivarius and Zara (all owned by Inditex), ASOS and C&A, respectively.

Google, Lego and Gucci among the top brands in the world according to study

Google has taken over from Apple as the world's most valuable brand according to the latest ranking study published by Brand Finance Global 500.

Gucci Timepieces & Jewelry will unveil their new addition to its
Le Marché des Merveilles collection at the Baselworld 2017
March 27 - 30.
The hallmark features of the bee, the tiger and the snake
are elegantly embroidered on a nylon dial against the famed Gucci stripe.
On the sportier versions, this stripe continues into a woven
strap which bears Gucci's expression, "L’Aveugle par Amour". 

In the annual study by Brand Finance which calculates the most valuable and powerful brands in the world,  it claims that Apple's fall after five years at the top comes as its brand value dropped 27% to US$107/1bn over 2016, while Google's rose by 24% to $109.5bn.

In third place was Amazon, while Facebook moved up from 17th last year to ninth. The highest ranked British brand is Vodafone, which came in at 50th, 20 places down from 2016.

Technology brands aside, toy brand Lego - spurred by the Lego Batman Movie - has replaced Disney as the world's most powerful brand, according to the ranking.
When looking at the top 20th retail brands, two luxury watch brands - Rolex and Cartier have been listed  respectively at 18th and 20th place, with fashion brand Gucci squeezed in the middle.  The only other brands with a watch and jewellery retail offering in the top 40 strongest firms are Tiffany & Co (38th place) and Burberry (40th place).

Meanwhile, according to David Haigh, CEO of Brand Finance, in an interview on the Telegraph.co.uk, there is also a growing dissatisfaction across the globe with American brands, when commenting on why global fast food chains McDonald’s, KFC and Domino’s Pizza continue to drop down the rankings of the world’s most valuable brands, saying the election of Donald Trump could impact a company’s international standing.“There was a period when American brands were considered to be very aspirational. Gradually goodwill towards American brands has been eroded,” he said.“One of the interesting dimensions at the moment is the extent to which Trumpism is actually going to accelerate this negative view about American brands.”

CABANA - unique magazine for those who love beautiful things

While there is so much information out there constantly available to entice us on the internet, or on the streets of great cities, in retail shops and book stores everywhere, I was pleasantly surprised to be drawn to a unique magazine that has given me much food for thought; so much pleasure by simply touching it and flipping through its pages.
After strolling through the aisles of the London Print Design Fair looking for print trends and inspiration, I came upon one unique magazine under the title Cabana displayed by Chelsea-based exhibitor Potterton Books London.

One of the four limited edition covers designed by Gucci for the Spring-Summer 2016 issue of Cabana magazine.

Beautifully printed in Milan, the current Spring-Summer 2016 edition features four different limited edition fabric covers which were designed by the luxury fashion house Gucci.

"It's like being part of a tribe.  A tribe of those who love beautiful things."

As editor-in-chief and founder Martina Mondadori Sartogo explained in her foreword, the ethos of Gucci is reflected through the pages of Cabana.

She quoted Gucci's creative director Alessandro Michele's thoughts on the very new and very striking brand identity he is moulding: "It's like being part of a tribe.  A tribe of those who love beautiful things."
Alessandro Michele of Gucci had not only done the covers of this Spring-Summer 2016 edition of Cabana, but also helped to shape and conceive one of the portfolios on Roman architectural history.
Potterton Books explained that Cabana was a rare find for them: they had got word of it through an interior designer in New York.  Like a coveted commodity, Cabana is stylishly elegant, and my personal copy (shown in picture above) shall be treated as a coffee-table objet d'art rather than just a magazine.  The pages are like art galleries showcasing the homes and work places of art collectors themselves, or historial architecture that have provided inspiration for contemporary styles.
The photographs don't just show interior designs but present details of houses and buildings in artistic intimacy.

But don't expect to find exhaustive information on every detail as one would in conventional magazines.  The editors want readers "to be inspired, to start travelling with your mind to that place, like visual storytelling."

Cabana is published twice a year in English.

Photos: Lucia Carpio for My Fashion Connect Global.