By Dara Clariza Evangelista
The countdown is over, and Demna’s vision for Gucci is finally here. The Spring/Summer 2026 lineup, introduced through a striking lookbook ahead of its Milan reveal, reimagines the house’s legacy by merging classic roots with bold new ideas. Called La Famiglia, the collection shifts focus from traditional design to character-driven storytelling, presenting fashion as a series of distinct personalities. Through Catherine Opie’s lens, 37 unique portraits unfold like a whimsical family archive, each one redefining what “the Gucciness of Gucci” means under the brand’s new creative direction.
But what if we took these looks a step further, imagining them not just as outfits, but as living, breathing characters? Each piece tells a story, hinting at the worlds these personas might inhabit. Here’s our reimagined Gucci narrative, where couture becomes character.
1. La Snob (The Snob)
She’s the enigmatic heiress no one dares approach first. Dressed in a sculptural black velvet column with a dramatic, fan-like collar, she’s elegance personified, and possibly plotting her next museum acquisition. You’d find her at an exclusive gallery opening, standing still as a statue, letting the world orbit around her.
2. La Contessa (The Countess)
Photos: Courtesy of Gucci
A figure of old-world power, she moves through palatial halls in a floral-embroidered gown with strong shoulders and a regal waistline. Her wardrobe speaks of inherited estates and whispered secrets, a woman who still writes letters on heavy stationery and never forgives a slight.
3. La Diva (The Diva)
You’ll hear her before you see her, a trail of cobalt feathers and camera flashes follows everywhere she goes. Wrapped in plush texture and unapologetic volume, she’s the starlet who commands center stage even when she’s only stepping out for dinner.
4. La Principessa (The Princess)
A confection of blush chiffon, bows, and feathers, she’s a daydream come to life. Perhaps she’s sneaking out of a palace for a forbidden walk in the city, or twirling under moonlight at a spring garden ball. Either way, she’s proof that fairytales aren’t just for children.
5. La Bomba (The Bombshell)
Photos: Courtesy of Gucci
In tiger-stripe faux fur and sky-high stilettos, she’s the femme fatale of this story, the one who makes headlines and breaks hearts. You’d spot her stepping out of a vintage car in Milan, every flashbulb chasing her stride.
6. L’Influencer (The Influencer)
Her oversized bomber and matching skirt were made for the algorithm. She knows the best angles, the hottest restaurants, and the next big trend, and she’s probably livestreaming the whole thing as it happens. Fashion is her language, and Gucci is her filter.
7. Ragazza (The Girl)
Photos: Courtesy of Gucci
Effortlessly cool in a black turtleneck and croc mini, she’s the embodiment of downtown youth. Think 3 p.m. espresso runs, record store afternoons, and late-night conversations that last until sunrise. She doesn’t try too hard, and that’s exactly why she’s magnetic.
8. La Cattiva (The Villainess)
Photos: Courtesy of Gucci
Every great story needs an antagonist, and she’s dressed for the part. Clad in head-to-toe black leather with sunglasses that hide her thoughts, she’s a CEO, a heartbreaker, and a queenpin rolled into one. If power had a uniform, this would be it.
9. Sciura (The Lady)
A timeless Milanese matron, she wears pale blue shearling with puffed sleeves and structured polish. She lunches at the same café every day, carries the same top-handle bag her mother once did, and still manages to look more modern than anyone else in the room.
10. Nerd (The Nerd)
Photos: Courtesy of Gucci
With a ribbon-tied knit and leather blazer, he’s the bookish romantic of this cast, the one who quotes poetry and accidentally changes the course of the plot. He’s as much a nod to Gucci’s past as he is a bridge to its future.
11. Flora (The Flower)
Photos: Courtesy of Gucci
Wrapped in an explosion of blooms from head to train, she’s a walking garden, delicate, poetic, and fiercely alive. You’d meet her wandering through a greenhouse or hosting a spring soirée in a sunlit villa.
12. La Mecenate (The Patron)
Sequins and metallic threads shimmer with every move she makes. She’s the art collector who funds entire exhibitions, the benefactor behind a cultural renaissance. Her gown speaks of wealth, but also of purpose, luxury used to shape history.
13. La Star (The Star)
Photos: Courtesy of Gucci
In a strapless mermaid gown dripping in sequins and tulle, she’s destined for the spotlight. Cameras love her, crowds cheer for her, and she knows it. Every gesture is a performance, every entrance a premiere.
14. The It Girl
Every story needs a wildcard, and she’s it. In a sheer, GG-mesh column gown trimmed with feathered edges, she’s the face of a thousand social media moodboards and the muse of designers she’s never met. She’s the one who knows everyone and everything, but never says a word. Whether she’s heading to a rooftop afterparty or leaving someone’s penthouse unannounced, her life is one long, whispered headline.
In Demna’s Gucci universe, fashion is more than clothes, it’s character. Each look is a carefully crafted persona, a chapter in a sprawling cinematic saga where couture and storytelling collide. And if this debut is the “aesthetic base” for what’s to come, Gucci’s next era won’t just be worn, it will be lived.
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Jasmine Curtis-Smith is on the cover of STYLISH Magazine right now, as she shares her thoughts on good storytelling in films, as she’s set to star in upcoming movies Open Night, a 2025 Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival sapphic film entry; and Manila’s Finest, an upcoming 2025 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) crime drama movie.
Read the Stylish Magazine September-October 2025 cover story here.
Watch out for a new #StylishPodcast episode featuring our cover girl Jasmine Curtis-Smith, dropping soon on Facebook and YouTube.
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