Behind the Seams #1: The Gucci Creative Directors Behind The Brand's Glow Ups and Glow Downs

How Gucci's Creative Directors Rewrote Fashion History (or Didn’t)

Creative Directors of fashion houses are like exes.

Some leave you romantically wistful, replaying memories of dreamy escapades and their unmistakable allure (hi, Alessandro Michele). Others? Well, you’re left wondering if they’ll ever live up to the hype (looking at you, Sabato De Sarno).

It’s wild how much power these creative leaders wield over the same brand. One vision fades, another takes centre stage, reshaping the aesthetic, the storytelling, the entire vibe. It’s a transformation that’s both fascinating and unpredictable, and nowhere is this more evident than at Gucci.

For decades, Gucci has been the ultimate chameleon—its identity shapeshifting under the influence of each new Creative Director. From maximalism to minimalism, whimsy to razor-sharp precision, the house has set the mood for generations, dictated by who’s steering the ship.

That’s why I want to dive into this—maybe even turn it into a series—exploring how these visionaries craft their brands’ identities and whether their choices really stick the landing. Let’s start with Gucci, the holy grail of reinvention, and unpack how its art direction and creative leadership have defined its soul.

Psst… paid subscribers, stick around until the end—I’m sharing my absolute favourite resources . You won’t want to miss it.

Tom Ford: The Era of Sex and Power

Before Tom Ford, honestly…Gucci was the dated uncle of the fashion realm. Ford arrived in 1994, swaggering in with a sleek, hypersexual vision that gave the brand a 180-degree makeover. His campaigns screamed opulence and confidence, with models dripping in barely-there satin with an unapologetic take.

The art direction? Simple, sharp, and stunning. Think stark backdrops, luxurious textures, and an emphasis on that 1990s sheen—sleek, polished, irresistible. Ford didn’t just revive Gucci; he turned it into a cultural phenomenon. This was a Gucci for the power players, the seducers, and the ones who walked into a room knowing every eye was on them.

Tom Ford really had zero chill.

His decision to anchor his art direction in unapologetic sexuality was a strategic and cultural masterstroke that aligned perfectly with the zeitgeist of the 1990s. Before Ford’s arrival, Gucci was teetering on irrelevance. The brand was bloated with uninspired designs and lacked a clear identity. Ford recognised that to make Gucci not just relevant but desirable, it needed a bold, visceral appeal that would capture attention and spark conversation. Sexuality—raw, seductive, and powerful—was his weapon of choice.

Ford wasn’t just selling clothes; he was selling a fantasy. His Gucci was where glamour met grit, where power and seduction intertwined. By tapping into the universal allure of sexuality, he made Gucci irresistible and unforgettable, leaving an indelible mark on fashion history.

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Frida Giannini: Softening the Edges

Ford’s Gucci was a tough act to follow, and Frida Giannini had a different vision when she took over in 2006. Her reign felt like a soft-focus filter after Ford’s razor-sharp clarity. Giannini leaned into heritage, floral motifs, and a more romanticised aesthetic.

The art direction shifted to something softer, almost dreamlike. Less power suit, more breezy kaftan. While her campaigns had their moments, they didn’t carry the same weight. Gucci was still luxurious, but it started to feel... comfortable, maybe too comfortable.

Frida Giannini’s art direction was like a love letter to Gucci’s roots, but with a softer, more romantic touch. Where Tom Ford had brought sex and sharpness, Giannini leaned into heritage and nostalgia, resurrecting archival prints and infusing them with a bohemian sensibility. Her campaigns often featured dreamy, sun-drenched settings and a palette that felt warm and approachable, with models radiating a kind of effortless, jet-set chic. While it didn’t pack the provocative punch of Ford’s era, her vision appealed to a different kind of elegance, one that whispered sophistication rather than shouting it from a rooftop.

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Alessandro Michele: Maximalism’s Kingpin

Then, like a ⚡️thunderclap⚡️ in 2015, Alessandro Michele waltzed in and threw Gucci into a psychedelic wonderland. Michele’s Gucci was for the misfits, the romantics, the ones who felt that fashion was their weird, glittering armour.

The art direction became a feast for the senses. Think vintage-inspired filters, fantastical settings, and models who looked like they belonged in a Wes Anderson fever dream. Michele’s Gucci wasn’t just fashion; it was a world. It invited you in with open arms, sequins, and possibly a tarot reading. Every campaign felt like an art piece, layered with stories, symbols, and vibes.

Michele didn’t just redefine Gucci—he made it feel personal. It wasn’t about perfection but about imperfection. Gucci suddenly belonged to everyone who had ever felt “too much” for the world, and that inclusivity was chef’s kiss.

And then there was the Gucci Vault. Michele’s influence on this was nothing short of revolutionary, transforming it from a concept into a treasure trove of eclectic creativity. The Vault wasn’t just an archive—it was a playground for Michele’s obsession with nostalgia, reinvention, and storytelling. He used it to breathe new life into Gucci’s past, curating vintage pieces, collaborations, and experimental designs that felt both timeless and ahead of their time. Michele turned the Vault into a living, breathing artefact of Gucci’s DNA, blending old-school glamour with a distinctly modern, almost whimsical edge. It became a symbol of his maximalist ethos—a place where the past collided with the present in a kaleidoscope of colour, chaos, and couture.

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Sabato De Sarno: Stripping It All Back

And now, here we are, in the Sabato De Sarno chapter. He’s new to the role, and I’ll give him this: following Michele is like being the artist who paints over a masterpiece—you’ll always be compared to what was there before.

De Sarno’s first collections feel like an extreme detox, almost as if he’s desperate to cleanse Gucci of its maximalist hangover. The art direction reflects this stark minimalism—clean lines, soft neutrals, and a sense of restraint that feels very… corporate.

Look, I get it. Fashion is cyclical, and maybe Sabato’s focus is on streamlining Gucci into the new Roaring Twenties of understated elegance. But does it have to feel so... beige? Right now, it’s missing the edge, the chaos, the magic.

Like the one below? It’s giving high street…

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Where Does Gucci Go From Here?

Gucci’s history proves that each creative director has their moment, their raison d’être. Ford gave us swagger, Giannini gave us sweetness, and Michele gave us soul. De Sarno might just need more time to find his footing, but in the meantime, I can’t help but miss the unapologetic sparkle of Michele’s Gucci.

For now, let’s call it what it is: a transition. Fashion loves a comeback story, and maybe Sabato will surprise us yet. But for now? My heart’s still living in a Gucci dreamscape filled with eccentricity, chaos, and sequins.

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People often ask me: how important is it to know the history of the big fashion houses as an art director? The truth? You could Google it in the moment if you really needed to, but there’s something undeniably magnetic about having this knowledge at your fingertips.

It’s the ultimate powerplay to back your opinions with sharp cultural references—it’s confident, eloquent, and effortlessly cool.

For those who don’t know, I didn’t study fashion at university. I wrote about how I broke into the industry here, and what paid short courses I took that built the foundations I needed to get my foot in the door—but the other thing I did? I transformed my online world into an educational haven.

The best move I ever made was curating my online platforms—what I listened to on my commute, watched while I was getting ready—to only include people and pages that could teach me something, not torment me.

So, for my paid subscribers, I’ve pulled together a curation of things to watch, read, follow and listen to—so easy and fun that you’ll want to do it when you’re getting ready, commuting, or cooking. Let’s get learning. ✨