The Spring/Summer 2024 season buzzes with anticipation for the unveiling of Sabato de Sarno’s first collection for Gucci. Set for Friday, September 22nd in Milan, de Sarno teased the forthcoming designs on his personal Instagram, showcasing a recognizable visage from yesteryears.
Daria Werbowy, the enchanting chameleon of the fashion cosmos who bid adieu in 2016, is now gracefully pirouetting back into the limelight. Fashion aficionados can barely contain their exhilaration since the revelation that she’s the shimmering star in Sabato de Sarno’s inaugural orchestration for the revered Gucci brand. This mesmerizing imagery, a juxtaposition of elegance and audacity, was masterfully lensed in the City of Angels by the illustrious David Sims and brought to life by Alastair McKimm’s iconic touch.
Despite the enigmatic quietude surrounding de Sarno post his ascension as the Gucci torchbearer after Alessandro Michele, this revelation is tantamount to a silent roar in the fashion wilderness. The haunting familiarity of Werbowy, who once illuminated Tom Ford’s Gucci universe in 2004 and subsequently embodied Phoebe Philo’s Céline, perfectly resonates with Gucci’s aspirations to reign supreme in the haute couture echelons. As Kering delineates, it’s an evolution from fashion’s metamorphosis to a splendid zenith of “sustainable elevation“.
Whispers of Werbowy’s resurgence were invariably interlinked with Philo’s impending re-entrance into the realm of fashion. Philo, in her majestic renaissance, heralded the inception of her namesake line in 2021, with her virtual portal’s inauguration further fueling the anticipation. Long before this, the iconic Werbowy was a force majeure, leaving indelible imprints on runways, global campaigns, and venerated magazine facades.
In a heartfelt ode on Instagram, de Sarno reminisced, “Daria, we started together in this business in 2003, and here you are with me at the beginning of this new adventure”. This is a poignant homage to their shared legacy; Werbowy’s dazzling debut with Prada’s Fall/Winter 2003, under Steven Meisel’s watchful gaze, coincided with de Sarno’s maiden voyage at Prada. Such harmonious synchronicities are the fabric of fashion folklore.
Although the unveiled glimpse, christened as “High Jewelry“, portrays Werbowy in a moment of repose by a pool, adorned merely in a bikini with a resplendent golden earring as its pièce de résistance, it encapsulates an ambiance of infinite promise. This is more than just an advertisement; it’s an epochal narrative promising riveting tales in the days to come.
Read more: Kering appoints Sabato de Sarno as Gucci creative director
