In his first men’s collection for the Italian fashion house, Gucci’s newly anointed designer Sabato De Sarno articulated a clear vision for the brand’s footwear direction.
Unveiled on Friday as part of Milan Fashion Week Men’s, De Sarno decided to pare down what we’ve come to expect from Gucci’s footwear over past seasons. There were no sneakers, massive logos or casual styles in sight. Instead, the creative director decided to focus on just one singular silhouette – the platform Horsebit loafer.
While the men’s Gucci Horsebit loafer has long been an historic staple of the brand, De Sarno evolved the style this season with the same approach as in his first women’s fashion show – by adding a platform.
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Literally taking the loafer to new heights, this season’s men’s iteration features a creeper-inspired platform sole made of crepe rubber, silver horsebit hardware and a silver nameplate at the front of the sole. The shoe can be seen on the runway in the brand’s classic beige and brown GG monogram, black and the label’s new red color, first adopted in September.
This approach echoes his first women’s collection of shoes. De Sarno showed heavy platforms for its spring 2024 women’s collection, done in a flatform style on a series of Gucci’s traditional Horsebit loafer. They came in the new Gucci red but also in the brand’s classic monogram canvas, as well as its signature green-and-red stripe.
It’s this “mirroring” of his debut women’s collection shown in September that was central to his men’s debut. According to show notes, the company stated that its Gucci Ancora narrative that begun in September to reset the house’s wardrobe and aesthetic is “mirrored “in this new collection. “From the collection to the set design, the soundtrack to the casting, each element mirrors what was seen and reflects the emotions that were felt, this time through the perspective of menswear,” the notes said.
In a preview with FN sister publication WWD, De Sarno insisted he feels free to follow his own heart in shaping the new direction of Gucci — whatever opinion critics may have — and he believes many “are clamoring for novelty while at the same time are wary of major changes.”
De Sarno said that the two debut collections are to mirror each other in order to establish “a continuation and confirmation” of his previous choices, he said.
