Gucci Spring 2026 Ready-to-Wear: Inside the Start of a New Era

Gucci didn’t wait for Milan to catch its breath. Instead of a grand runway moment or a cinematic reveal, the house quietly dropped its Spring 2026 collection through a surprise lookbook, catching the industry off guard in the best possible way. This is the first full expression of Demna’s vision for Gucci, and it’s already rewriting the rules of what a new chapter should look like.

Titled La Famiglia, the collection arrives as a portrait of identity. It’s not a spectacle, but a study. Captured by Los Angeles fine-art photographer Catherine Opie, the 37 looks form a family album of characters who define what Demna calls “the Gucciness of Gucci.” These portraits are social archetypes, each embodying an attitude, an era, a type of elegance.

There’s Miss Aperitivo, glimmering in a sequin minidress that channels Milan’s after-hours spirit. La VIC, drenched in GG monogram from head to toe, feels like the heir to the house’s logomania legacy. Then comes The Narcisista, with his shirt unbuttoned almost to his GG belt buckle, a self-aware nod to Gucci’s sensual Tom Ford era.

The lookbook begins with L’Archetipo, a newly constructed Gucci trunk that honors the house’s origins. It’s a quiet reminder of Guccio Gucci’s early days as a luggage maker in Florence, crafting for travelers who equated luxury with lifestyle. From there, Demna starts telling his own story. L’Incazzata (“the furious one”), worn by Maria Carla Boscono, embodies a poised kind of rebellion in a scarlet mid-length coat, gloves, and a bamboo-handled bag. She’s not mean—she’s in control.

As the collection unfolds, you can feel the collision of Gucci’s past and Demna’s point of view. There’s L’Influencer, dressed in a brown lizard-finish leather bomber and wraparound sunglasses that practically scream “don’t talk to me.” A menswear look called Nerd recalls Alessandro Michele’s softer, romantic era, while La Contessa glides in a floral gown that feels pure old-world Gucci with a cinematic twist.

Gucci’s press note calls La Famiglia “the aesthetic base” of what Demna will build leading up to his first live show in February. That’s fashion’s polite way of saying: this is the blueprint.

Demna’s Gucci feels instantly familiar yet refreshingly restrained. Gone is the densely layered opulence of Michele’s maximalism; in its place, a renewed sense of ease. Think sprezzatura: the Italian art of looking effortlessly elegant. Tailored bombers, monogram knitwear, sequined tanks, and jeans detailed with horsebit pockets bring together tradition and youth in a way that feels quietly confident.

Still, Demna’s fingerprints are unmistakable. There’s the bare chest under a structured jacket, the exaggerated proportion play, the occasional flash of satire that reminds you this is a designer who enjoys bending the rules while smiling at them. But unlike his work at Balenciaga, here the provocation feels warmer, more introspective.

Each character in the lookbook represents a story he intends to expand on a living world built from humor, nostalgia, and instinct. The Primadonna looks like she’s been dressing for attention her whole life. The Merchant is the Milanese matriarch, polished but pragmatic. The Incazzata wears her temper like couture. Together, they paint a picture of a house that knows who it is and where it wants to go next.

This isn’t Gucci as performance art; it’s Gucci as portraiture. Every look feels composed but alive, balancing irony with intimacy. Demna isn’t trying to outshine Gucci’s legacy, he’s conversing with it, letting heritage and innovation meet halfway.

When the brand’s film presentation premieres in Milan tomorrow, the fashion world will get to see these characters move for the first time. For now, La Famiglia stands as a prelude, a quiet disruption that marks the start of something intriguing.

Gucci’s new era has arrived, and it doesn’t shout—it whispers, smirks, and then steals the room.