Demna’s Times Square Spectacle

What a spectacle that was! on Saturday night in the middle of America’s most famous displays of consumerism—New York City’s Times Square—Demna’s debut Cruise 2027 show for Gucci unfolded under entirely synced billboards. Before the show, the billboards advertised faux Gucci products within the lifestyle space: water, airlines, life itself. But once the music began and models (interspersed with models for the day) began to emerge, the screens turned full attention on the show for the hoards of onlookers to enjoy.

There were plenty of things, besides the clothes, that grabbed attention, so we’ll start there. Foremostly was the casting, which featured returning celebrity Gucci models like Alex Consani, Amelia Gray, and campaign face Emily Ratajkowski; with some blockbuster celebrity runway guests including a brunette Paris Hilton, a leather-clad Tom Brady, and Cindy Crawford, who emerged as the final exit in a feather floor-length gown. Then the location. As more luxury brands look to the Western market amidst a luxury slowdown in both China and Europe, Demna’s decision to shut down the entirety of Times Square was certainly a bold choice, and one that no doubt drove plenty of visibility for the average consumer. 

Last season, for Fall/Winter 2026 in Milan, Demna’s Uffizi-inspired set was held in a more private setting, save for the mobs of fans gathered outside the entrance, and went viral for the shrink-wrapped silhouettes and referential nods to Tom Ford’s era at the house. For Cruise 2027, Demna stuck to some of these ideas while evolving others. Titled GucciCore, the collection was about fundamentals. Something Demna has always championed at his time at Balenciaga. Yes, there were always moments for streetwear and overt expressions of couture, but one thing Demna has always also had a knack for is classic suiting and wardrobe basics that the average consumer would be drawn to, and after all, Gucci is in a position where the most important thing right now is to sell clothes. 

Will this collection do that? In many ways there is a compelling case. From a clothing perspective, there were plenty of moments that will likely breed desire: slouchy denim, well-cut suiting (the second exit was a perfectly Tom Ford-esque shiny fuschia single breasted suit), classic trench coats and burgeoning it-accessories like monogrammed hobo bags, emblazoned neckties, and near-naked stiletto pumps with interlocking GG logos crafted into the pin-thin heels. Demna is famously a fan of a prop, so the looks were accompanied by “life” accessories carried along the runway. A bitten apple, a stack of books, iPhones, car keys, a bouquet of flowers…as if to say, “these are all the kinds of people who fit into Demna’s Gucci universe”, which felt well placed for a show like Cruise with its always slightly more loose format and room to play on archetypes, ideas, and destinations.

From an influence perspective, Demna certainly casted the net far and wide with a range of front row American influencers (some, like Meredith Duxbury and Gabbriette were also in the show), model icons (Anok Yai and Consani amongst them), and celebrities and non-models plucked seemingly at random: Tom Brady, Paris Hilton, gallerist Jeanne Greenberg and more, all who made for a spectacle that couldn’t be ignored. Demna will rarely shy away from a collection that creates noise, and right now, this is surely what Gucci needs.