Supermodel Kate Moss Headlines Designer’s Debut Gucci Collection in Milan

Fashion designer Demna unveiled his inaugural collection for luxury brand Gucci during Milan Fashion Week, featuring supermodel Kate Moss as the finale model. The show emphasized sensuality and accessibility over high fashion intellectualism, with pieces available for immediate purchase.

MILAN (AP) — Against a backdrop of classical sculptures, designer Demna unveiled his debut collection for Gucci during Milan Fashion Week on Friday, launching with form-fitting white mini-dresses and sleek muscle tees that highlighted the human physique.

The designer described these pieces as “palette cleansers,” while models strutted with confident, casual attitudes. The body-hugging designs evolved into fitted pants and tops for men, plus leggings and form-fitting long dresses for women — clearly drawing inspiration from Tom Ford’s sensually-charged era at Gucci.

Several homages appeared to former Gucci designer Alessandro Michele, now Valentino’s creative director who watched from the front row and previously worked with Demna during his Balenciaga tenure. These acknowledgments featured a flower-printed dress, a day outfit with a bow-tie collar, and fuzzy slip-on footwear.

Demna fully embraced archetypal designs, and his interpretation of timeless sensuality emerged through an off-balance white dress that flowed and opened with a dramatic side split. Traditional Gucci staples like overcoats and formal suits were notably absent. The line also featured minimal Gucci logo placement.

Additional character types referenced included the “sciura” — affluent Milanese society women wearing elegant dresses with eco-fur wraps — contrasted against the “maranza,” working-class suburban men recognized by their distinctive haircuts (long on top, buzzed sides), baggy pants, and relaxed posture — all represented on Gucci’s catwalk.

Kate Moss concluded the presentation wearing a sparkling evening dress with a dramatic back cutout that revealed designer logo underwear. Moss walked seductively along the extended, dimly-lit runway, savoring the experience.

Demna named his inaugural Gucci runway presentation “Primavera,” the Italian word for “spring,” indicating both a fresh beginning while drawing from Sandro Botticelli’s famous artwork displayed in Florence’s Uffizi gallery, which inspired Gucci’s floral designs — most prominently featured in the Gucci evening wear.

The designer immediately rejected any academic interpretation of his creative message and severed connections between Gucci and haute couture.

In his designer notes, Demna stated the collection “is built around a sense of pragmatism.” He expressed wanting his Gucci “to become lighter, softer, more refined, more elaborate, more emotional, even senseless sometimes. I don’t want Gucci to be intellectual, but I want Gucci to be a feeling.”

This translates to: Gucci targets mainstream consumers — at least those with purchasing power — rather than the exclusive couture market. Accordingly, Gucci announced immediate availability of select collection pieces through their see-now, buy-now approach.

“My vision of Gucci is about the coexistence of heritage and fashion … Gucci only exists when both are in sync,” Demna explained. “This first Gucci show introduces a universe of people, archetypes, consumers and dress codes that will shape my design language moving forward.”

Notable front-row attendees included Paris Hilton, Nicky Hilton, Donatella Versace and Demi Moore — who appeared in a tailored leather outfit while carrying her dog Pilaf.