Gucci wipes the slate clean as Demna debuts La Famiglia
Few moments in fashion feel genuinely pivotal_ but the winds of change swept through Gucci on Monday_ when the Florentine fashion house erased its social media and presented 37 looks for the season. It was a bold debut by Demna_ who_ instead of staging a catwalk show_ unveiled the collection within a short film by directors Spike Jonze and Halina Reijn on Tuesday.
The story of The Tiger follows Barbara Gucci_ played by Demi Moore_ as Head of Gucci International and Chairman of California_ as she gathers her children and a special guest at the family home to celebrate her birthday. The film premiere became the launchpad for a new era under artistic director Demna.
A reset_ again
What we saw was a determined reset_ one built on the foundations of Tom Ford and Alessandro Michele but erasing the murkiness of any previous identity crisis. The collection_ called La Famiglia_ drops into stores on September 25th_ and hopes to shift the dial for the long-in-limbo luxury brand. Based on a trope of Italian characters_ La Famiglia is clever_ self-aware fashion and_ probably_ a source of relief for Kering_s executives and Gucci_s incoming chief_ Francesca Bellettini. Demna retains the house_s essential codes but reframes them_ all without the overly subversive point of view he cultivated at Balenciaga and Vetements.
The looks_ tongue-in-cheek christened with Italian stereotypes such as La Star_ La Contessa and Miss Aperitivo_ play directly into this narrative. In the film_ the latter has Kendall Jenner in a silver cocktail dress_ purring about how “great it feels on her body.” Demi Moore is resplendent in a Flora-print gown and all business in a sharp red coat dress. Giant double-G logos punctuate buttons_ earrings and footwear. As the story unfolds_ Barbara Gucci struggles to hold everything together_ upholding the company_s reputation_ impressing a guest of honour_ being a mother_ while desperately trying to stay in control. When the night takes an unexpected turn_ her carefully crafted façade cracks_ teetering on collapse as the family attempts to find a new way forward. An echo_ perhaps_ of the house_s own struggles.
Gucci_s reset comes at a moment of particular crisis for Kering. In the second quarter of 2025_ the group reported revenue of 3.7 billion euros_ down 18 per cent as reported and 15 per cent on a comparable basis. Gucci itself saw Q2 sales plunge by 25 per cent to about 1.46 bn euros. Over the first half of 2025_ Gucci_s reported revenue slid 26 per cent (25 per cent on a comparable basis) year-on-year_ bringing in 3 bn euros. The new aesthetic therefore arrives not just as a creative intervention but as a commercial imperative.
By timing the release of the collection during Milan Fashion Week_ Gucci is unleashing momentum and bypassing traditional luxury production cycles and designer debuts. This capsule strategy does more than showcase speed and a rebrand; it aims to generate immediate revenue and_ crucially_ brand momentum in a period when both are under pressure. Lessons from the Sabato De Sarno era have been firmly learned_ when it took “forever” for ranges seen on the catwalk to be merchandised in stores.
Bypassing traditional luxury production cycles
Tellingly_ Demna does not attempt to erase what made Gucci great. The horsebit_ the Flora print_ the sex appeal_ they are preserved yet rerouted through a fresh if ironic lens. The capsule_s early store presence suggests Gucci can_t afford to wait for the traditional runway-to-store pipeline. With wholesale sales having fallen by around 50 per cent in recent quarters_ delaying product launches further is a liability. Instead_ Gucci is aiming to shorten the lag between runway and retail_ betting that immediacy will rekindle consumer interest and shore up revenues.
The collection also arrives in the wake of internal change. Francesca Bellettini has recently been appointed chief executive of Gucci_ reporting to Kering_s new group chief executive_ Luca de Meo. Their mandate is to sharpen product coherence_ rein in costs_ and reconnect with consumers. The fashion industry will look at La Famiglia as “collection zero” rather than a finale_ an early barometer of whether the new leadership_s recalibration can translate into market share and margin recovery.
What are the risks?
After several seasons of what many considered creativity without direction_ overly eclectic_ sometimes incoherent_ Gucci has lost some clarity. The new aesthetic must not just grab attention but deliver both desirability and proof in purchase behaviour. With recurring operating margin already down to around 16 per cent_ a drop of nearly nine points year-on-year_ cost control is necessary but difficult. Meanwhile_ the collapse of wholesale revenue means reliance on direct retail and new channels is more acute than ever.
For a hopeful industry_ the debuts of La Famiglia and The Tiger may finally reset the conversation and delight shoppers in its stores. In a luxury climate where heritage matters but so do surprise and agility_ Demna_s first season could re-energise Gucci_s desirability.