This is not a drill: Demna’s first Gucci collection is here

Good morning fashion fans, we come bearing great news (at least for those among us who worship at the altar of Demna). The Georgian designer, who ditched Balenciaga for Gucci earlier this year, just debuted his first collection for the legendary Italian house. The offering consists of just under 40 looks and gives a seductive glimpse into what we can expect come February 2026, when his first show is officially scheduled to take place. 

So what does it look like? Demna may have changed house, but he has not changed his spots. The designer has leaned hard into exploring Gucci archetypes, as he did throughout his ten-year tenure at Balenciaga. Across the La Famiglia offering, he’s catered for the It girl, the influencer, the party boy, the princess, and the snob, as well as the diva, the nerd, and the glam Milanese nonna, with tacky-fab tiger fur coats with big shoulders, floor-length, feather-trimmed gowns, and chic little leather skirt suits all on the line-up.

There’s even a flamboyant bikini bottom for the guy Demna’s calling ‘The Bastardo’, which, even if your Italian isn’t up to scratch, you can probably figure out his vibe. 

The whole thing leans into out-and-out, outré glamour, with Demna explaining his vision is all about getting Gucci back to a place that’s “unapologetically sexy, extravagant, and daring.” Though fans thought he might strip it back and channel the Tom Ford era as he kick starts his own Gucci tenure – not helped by an Instagram post featuring his husband Loïk Gomez decked out in a look from the Ford archives earlier this summer – our actual first look confirms Demna is heading in his own direction. 

Where some designers flounder when it comes to balancing their aesthetic with that of their new home, Demna has translated his proclivity for dressing characters, first seen at Vetements and later at Balenciaga, over to Gucci, while still respecting Gucci’s established house codes. Overall, it’s fun and offbeat, devoid of the darkness that sometimes underpinned his Balenciaga offerings – in our opinion, a strong and pretty exciting start from the designer that’s whet our appetites for the main course coming in February. Click through the gallery above for a closer look at all 38 looks, featuring our new AW25 cover star Alex Consani.