Let’s say it right away. Demna’s first Gucci show elicits strong emotion which hasn’t been the case in the past few years for this brand’s catwalk while Sabato De Sarno’s elevation project fell flat. Certainly, Demna didn’t elevate as he sent out a collection which mixed trashy Italo-disco with classicism in somewhat refined evening wear. There were muscle boys, crystallized ballet dancers for men and swagger and attitude for women with waist high slit dresses as model after model sashayed down the runway in murder weapon stilettos, holding up their arms and handbags and poured into skin-tight dresses and suits.

Fact is, nothing else out there from the big houses looks like this Gucci – which is a good thing. Kate Moss closed the show with a diamond encrusted logo G-string made famous by Tom Ford. If sex sells, then this collection will as well but if you expected the much-trumpeted newness Demna promised, you were disappointed. It was first season “La Famiglia” Italian classics with the 90‘s Tom Ford pre-collection vibes. Demna built a spectacular set which reminded one of being in a giant Florentine Museum with gigantic statues and geometric columns. His women will all need to sweat in the gym and in addition to the personal trainer need to employ a movement director who can teach them how to walk on heels like this. Of course, the show had one in Pat Boguslawski who rose to fame as John Galliano’s Margiela runway walk teacher. Remember Leon Dame? While we thought the period of showboating women in gowns or divas was over, Demna wants to bring it back. Would a female designer as well? The answer is no.

Body con?

In a recent New York Times story by Vanessa Friedman, Demna prior to his first show talks about shedding weight and feeling more comfortable in his skin, hence no more hiding in a hoodie but showing himself as he did when he took his bow. So, the Haute Couturier in him went to work and created completely seamless dresses as in the opening look to allow barely a differentiation between skin and white hosiery fabric.

When the front row matters?

Normally the front row celebrities aren’t really something ACHTUNG pays too much attention to. Unless it’s something we feel strongly about – like the late Udo Kier at Bottega Veneta last season. Especially when it came to Demna’s last employer, his choice of show-attending or campaign-starring media-valued social media super-spreaders felt a tad repetitive. And while we feel Demna wants to sort of re-assess Gucci and filter through all past creative periods – with a special favoritism for Tom Ford’s era – he felt his guest list needed an overhaul as well. British underground, on the brink of mainstream musicians Fakemink and EsDeeKid or US-Americans Steve Lacy and Nettspend sitting front row or even walking the show might just be the starting point of that. After all, Demna is a designer whose ambition is always to reach a broad audience with his messaging.

Was it desirable?

Stirring emotion is what fashion needs to do and that’s where this collection left a mixed message. A new generation who doesn’t know the Gucci shock factor of yesterday will embrace it, but to many fashion veterans it had a seen it all before feeling. Why bring back Tom Ford when there is still the brand? The production was impressive, showing off Gucci’s muscle and means in the set and on the catwalk with Kate Moss closing, Karlie Kloss strutting, Emily Ratajkowski pouting, and Mariacarla Boscono practically hovering over the runway.

The new Kering?

With Luca de Meo sitting front row next to Demi Moore, Demna seems to have embraced one of the demands of the new chief. A product driven approach to fashion with garments that can fulfill multiple purposes like the track suits which morphed into dresses and our prediction for best seller of the show: cross-body bags.