Alia Bhatt attends Gucci show in Seoul sporting a transparent bag

Alia is now on her to the global conquest and the Gucci Cruise 2024 Collection explored this exchange in a dialogue between the House’s own heritage and the electrifying South Korean impact that influences it today. The collection reflected the global community at the heart of Gucci itself: a century-old creative legacy now evolved by designers and artisans of different backgrounds – who each interpreted the House’s codes through their own individual and cultural gazes.

The show is the first of its kind to take place within the ceremonial courtyard of the 14th century Gyeongbokgung Palace, located in the heart of Seoul. With the capital’s futuristic skyline on the horizon, an interchange between times and traditions unfolded to a score including pieces by the Seoulite composer Jung Jae-il, presented on a cast of familiar faces from the recent eras of the House, from South Korea and around the world. The constellations illuminated a study of the global urban wardrobe invigorated by the inimitable instinct for fashion expressed on the streets of Seoul and echoed across the globe, and the customs of South Korean dress.

In silhouettes evocative of Gucci in the late 1990s – but expressed in the colour palette of the 2010s – the generational code switched inherent to metropolitan dressing manifest: the materials and techniques of formal wardrobes swapped places with those of sports- and casualwear. Every garment and look reflected a form of hybridisation. Bourgeois ‘streetwear’ – the bouclé skirt suit, the silk blouse, the kitten heel – splices with sportswear informed by everyday life in Seoul: the scuba wetsuits worn by the fervent windsurfers and jet-skiers of the Han River. The body-conscious lines were contrasted against the voluminous dress codes of skateboarding as surfing’s terrestrial boardsport equivalent.

The hybridisation inspired a study of deconstruction. Detachable sleeves became accessories while zips enabled trousers to expand in shape. The bomber jacket transmuted into an evening skirt, and the biker jacket elongated into a coat. Sculptural lines informed A-line dresses and diverse styles featured silk bands with bows, drawing inspiration from traditional local garments.