Gucci “takes over” Times Square: Demna turns New York into a giant runway and unveils a new GucciCore era
21:24 18 May, 2026Gucci staged an unprecedented Cruise 2027 show in the very heart of New York City, effectively “taking over” the iconic Crossroads of the World intersection in Times Square. More than 70 years after opening its first international boutique in New York, the Italian house symbolically returned to its origins — and did so in a highly theatrical way.
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The new collection, titled GucciCore, became both a large-scale performance and a presentation of a “permanent wardrobe,” which creative director Demna positions as the foundation of the brand’s future. Times Square itself was fully transformed: massive digital billboards became part of the runway and functioned as an integral element of the show.
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According to the designer’s concept, the presentation is the fourth chapter in his ongoing series of “character studies,” with each collection focusing on different archetypes of modern society. This time, inspiration came from New York in all its social diversity — from Wall Street to Brooklyn, from SoHo to Harlem.
The runway featured stylized “city characters”: Wall Street brokers in tailored pinstripe suits, relaxed skaters in loose denim, and Manhattan elites wrapped in soft leather capes evoking the “ladies who lunch” aesthetic.
Before the show, Demna amplified the spectacle: Times Square screens displayed a series of fictional Gucci sub-brands — from Gucci Pets and Gucci Gym to the conceptual Palazzo Gucci — turning the house into a full lifestyle universe.
Invitations also became part of the concept, designed as brass keys in aged leather cases, referencing the archival Gucci Galleria space that once existed above the Fifth Avenue boutique in the 1980s.
The collection itself blended utility and luxury: the iconic green-red Web stripe was reworked into a bandeau top, while signature Horsebit hardware was reimagined as part of footwear design. Leather, fur, and technical fabrics were mixed with crocodile-effect sequins, alongside practical outerwear, transformable coats, and oversized bags.
The front row also became part of the show: among the guests were Paris Hilton and Candice Swanepoel, but the biggest attention went to Tom Brady, who appeared on the runway in a full leather look, becoming one of the most talked-about figures of the night.
Overall, Demna positioned GucciCore not as a seasonal collection, but as a “new basic language” for the brand — an attempt to build a universal wardrobe reflecting the layered reality of New York and its inhabitants.
