The recent turbulence at Kering—the French luxury conglomerate that owns Gucci—may have found its turning point with Demna’s appointment as the brand’s new artistic director.

At Balenciaga, Demna reshaped the luxury fashion landscape, marrying craftsmanship with irony and pop culture. His viral creations, including the pantashoe and the infamous Ikea bag, challenged traditional notions of approachability and accessibility. His collaborations with celebrities Kim Kardashian and Rihanna helped to cement his influence in both luxury and mainstream markets. Beyond these subversive initiatives, Demna’s sculpted, form-hugging silhouettes, distorted proportions, and styles showed us how fashion can be pushed, pulled, and plunged into new territory.

Demna’s take on Gucci is highly anticipated, especially given the stark contrast between the two houses’ aesthetics. Unlike Balenciaga, which tends to adhere to defined house codes, rooted in founder Cristóbal Balenciaga’s legacy, Gucci evolves with each artistic director. Tom Ford’s simpler and sleeker Gucci and Alessandro Michele’s maximalist approach were entirely distinct. Without rigid codes or a fixed identity, Gucci offers its artistic directors creative freedom. This freedom could allow Demna to refine his creative vision while delivering notable collections with Kering’s support. While many may hope for this ideal outcome, there’s growing concern that Demna’s appointment could lead to overly gimmicky, logo-driven designs.

That’s not to say Gucci novelties are unwelcome. I have no objection to a pair of bug-eye sunglasses, and a fresh reinvention of the Gucci horsebit loafer is long overdue. But gimmicks are not Demna’s only drawcard; the start of his Balenciaga days underscores his design skills. His debut during Fall/Winter 2016 set the tone for the rest of his tenure, displaying a synthesis of Cristobal Balenciaga’s signature shapes: exaggerated hips, pronounced shoulder pads, and balloon jackets, all infused with the spark of the streetwear aesthetic of Vetements, the label he owns and had previously run with his brother Guram Gvasalia.

Gucci has seen major shifts since CEO Marco Bizarri left in 2023. Jean-François Palus sat as an interim CEO after Bizarri, before Kering eventually promoted deputy CEO Stefano Cantino in 2024. Following previous artistic director Alessandro Michele’s departure in 2022, Sabato De Sarno took over. De Sarno showed six collections in two years, all of which exuded minimalism, and demonstrated a distinct divergence from his predecessor. However, in his aim to bring Gucci into the realm of quiet luxury, the house's financial performance gradually regressed. Since Michele’s departure, financial reports showed a 23% decline from 2024 to 2023, urging Kering to seek a new face and vision for the brand. Enter Demna.

For Demna, this is not only a significant artistic shift from the Balenciaga house codes, but also a substantial increase in financial demand. Even in its weaker years, Gucci's scale vastly exceeds Balenciaga's, generating 7.65 billion euros in 2024, compared to Balenciaga's peak revenue of 2.3 billion euros in 2022.

Considering Gucci's Fall/Winter 2025 ready-to-wear show, the studio-designed collection nodded to a more eccentric style of dressing. Models donned the iconic double G-shaped runway, sporting sensual looks, reminiscent of the Tom Ford era. Models wore lace bodysuits and sparkling double-G velvet catsuits accompanied by horsebit belts. Although chic, some felt the show was trend-heavy and didn’t have an explicit consumer or aesthetic in mind. With Demna’s arrival, we can only hope that he brings a clear image to the runway, one that customers relate to or aspire to.

While Demna excels in driving commercial sales, the question remains whether he can align with Gucci’s formula and create products the Gucci customers want to buy. Some predict a more maximalist approach, akin to Michele’s era, while others anticipate a more subdued debut, echoing Ford’s refinement. One thing is certain: the Spring/Summer 2026 season will be historic.