Gucci Cruise 2026: A return to roots in the Renaissance city

"...This season, Gucci turns the page with a reverent gaze towards its past, and a confident step into its future. For Cruise 2026, the House retraces its origins to Florence, the storied cradle of Renaissance beauty, where the first Gucci boutique opened in 1921. Fittingly, the city’s name, “Florentia”, Latin for “blossoming,” sets the tone for a collection as much about renewal as it is about heritage..."

The show unfolds within the opulent walls of Palazzo Settimanni, a 15th-century treasure nestled in the heart of Florence’s Oltrarno district. Once a production hub, it now serves as Gucci’s beating archival heart, home to tens of thousands of pieces chronicling every creative chapter of the Maison. This season, those archives breathe anew. With the studio team at the helm, the Cruise 2026 collection pays homage to a century of house codes, interweaving the elegance of the past with the edge of contemporary desire.

As models drift through frescoed halls and beneath timbered ceilings, a cinematic narrative unfolds. Set to a meticulous soundtrack by Frédéric Sanchez, each look conjures a character who feels at once like a muse and a memory, evoking visions of Gucci through the decades.

The silhouettes span a spectrum, from restrained minimalism to unapologetic maximalism. A ruched silk dress flows with understated drama, cinched at the waist with a sleek belt featuring the reimagined single-G buckle. A vintage-inflected white lace midi dress, when paired with feathered heels and oversized aviators, exudes the charm of a bygone era with a distinctly modern finish.

There are echoes everywhere: Tom Ford’s sensual opulence in glistening gowns and sweeping fur coats. Alessandro Michele’s poetic maximalism in richly hued brocade bombers and pussy-bow blouses. Sabato De Sarno’s clean-lined clarity in crystal-studded tights and precise tailoring. Even a whisper of Demna, whose debut for the House looms on the horizon, can be seen in bold-shouldered jackets and architectural silhouettes, offering a glimpse of what lies ahead.

But this is no mere retrospective. Gucci Cruise 2026 stands resolutely on its own, layered, luxurious, and abundant in texture. The GG monogram serves as a golden thread throughout, while leather, the Maison’s enduring métier, is reimagined anew: archival shapes are revived in supple forms, accompanied by future icons in the making. 

Among them, the debut of the Gucci Giglio, a tribute to Florence and its symbolic lily, stands out. The monogrammed tote, immediately available following the show, is poised to become a modern classic. Meanwhile, in an inspired expression of craftsmanship, Gucci partners with fine jeweller Pomellato on Monili, a capsule collection of high jewellery. Inspired by Pomellato’s 1984 archive, the line fuses leather, gold, and pavé diamonds into sculptural expressions of elegance and ingenuity.

At its core, this collection is defined by sprezzatura, the Italian art of studied nonchalance, a philosophy that has long underscored the Gucci aesthetic. With its cinematic undertone, reverence for craftsmanship, and fearless mix of house codes, Cruise 2026 reminds us that Gucci is more than a brand. It is a universe. A narrative. And Florence remains its soul.

Because always, Gucci is Florence. And Florence is Gucci.

Also See: Silk Stories Woven in Art: Gucci partners with visionary artists for the 90x90 project