Arushi Sakhuja
Cruise shows are continuing on trend, with luxury brands extending their horizons to far-flung destinations around the world. Gucci and Korea have had a long association for over two decades after the luxury brand opened its first flagship store in Seoul in 1998. Since then, the House’s presence in the country has grown consistently. Hence, for the Gucci Cruise Collection 2024, the brand picked the city of Seoul, South Korea.
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Gucci’s show took place at the 14th Century Gyeongbokgung Palace, which is one of Seoul’s most iconic locations and symbols of its storied history. It was also the first time that a production of its kind had been staged at the venue bringing together the culture and heritage of Italy and South Korea under one roof. From fashion and beauty to music and art, the collection pays homage to the wide impact of K-culture and the way our wardrobes interact across continents today.
Emphasizing the concept of cosmopolitan dress codes, the Gucci Cruise 2024 Collection explores this exchange in a dialogue between the House’s own heritage and the electrifying South Korean impact that influences it today.
Taking place in the ceremonial courtyard of the 14th century Gyeongbokgung Palace, with the capital’s futuristic skyline on the horizon, the silhouettes were evocative of Gucci in the late 1990s – but expressed in the colour palette of the 2010s. Carrying forward the idea of multicultural dressing, much of the collection was influenced by Seoul-inspired silhouettes, as well as the style that is found on the street in cities around the globe, with nods to both surf and skatewear. The collection merged the Bourgeois ‘streetwear’ – the bouclé skirt suit, the silk blouse, the kitten heel – spliced with sportswear informed by everyday life in Seoul: the scuba wetsuits worn by the fervent windsurfers and jet-skiers of the Han River. The body-conscious lines are contrasted against the voluminous dress codes of skateboarding as surfing’s terrestrial boardsport equivalent.
The Gucci Cruise Collection 2024 also introduced us to a new concept of hybrid clothing. Think detachable sleeves that become accessories while zips enable trousers to expand in shape. The bomber jacket can translate into an evening skirt, and the biker jacket elongates into a coat.
Borrowing a little from the house’s classic style and Korean culture, the couture is dramatized with silk bands with bows, drawing inspiration from traditional local garments, and is adorned with the House’s signature triband in super-magnified form. Hypersensory motifs by the South Korean artist Ram Han also gave a fresh look to the Gucci Cruise Collection 2024.
In true Gucci spirit, the leather Gucci Horsebit Chain bags made an appearance but were narrower in shape. Minimalist Gucci bags from the archive were reinterpreted in colourful scuba to mimic Korea’s kitschy culture. The rounded trapezoid Horsebit Chain bag re-emerged in iridescent and precious leather.
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Overall, the collection was a refreshing mix of traditional styles and Korean-inspired culture.
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