What it was really like at the Gucci Cruise show

All the gossip from the catwalk

gucci cruise
(Image credit: ©DAN & CORINA LECCA)

All the gossip from the catwalk

After a Louis Vuitton show in Kyoto, a Chanel presentation in Paris and a Dior runway in California, we were whisked to romantic Florence for the Gucci 2018 Cruise Collection presentation.

Here’s how it all went down…

The venue

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Photo courtesy of Gucci by Ronan Gallagher

There was nothing demure about the venue, the Palazzo Pitti in florence, and that’s how we like it. Considering the opulence of the collection, it was quite fitting that it was shown in a beautiful palace surrounded by works of art by the Italian greats.

The collection

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Photo courtesy of Gucci (shot by Dan Lecca)

Showing the ‘heart and soul of Gucci’s origins’, the 2018 Cruise Collection was nothing if not flamboyant and fabulous. Renaissance-inspired gowns embellished with pearls and jewels clashed with colourful 70s paisley prints and modern graphic tees and sweatshirts for a show that was a veritable feast for the eyes.

The vibe

Our Editor-in-Chief Trish Halpin was in the middle of all the action, and here’s what happened: ‘What an incredible evening of fashion, art and music. As Gucci's guests, we arrived at the Uffizi Gallery for a private tour of rooms filled with Botticellis and Caravaggio masterpieces, then walked via the Medici's private corridor across the river above the Ponte Vecchio to the Boboli Gardens and the Palazzo Pitti for roof top cocktails before the show.’

A photo posted by on

‘Inside the palace we were seated in beautiful salons and among the Renaissance masterpieces, to the sound of harpists, Alessandro Michele's models walked the bright yellow carpet decked in his signature flamboyant mash up of colours, flowers, frills and flounce,’ she added.

The after-party

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Trish says, ‘When the show ended we were chauffeured to Serre Tarrigani, a beautiful private garden for cocktails canapés and dancing under the stars to Beth Ditto, who played her live set, dressed of course in a Gucci turban.’

Also at the party were Dakota Johnson, Kirsten Dunst, Sir Elton John and Jared Leto to name but a few. It was a night to remember to say the least.

Penny Goldstone

Penny Goldstone is the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire, covering everything from catwalk trends to royal fashion and the latest high street and Instagram must-haves.

Penny grew up in France and studied languages and law at the Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris before moving to the UK for her MA in multimedia journalism at Bournemouth University. She moved to the UK permanently and has never looked back (though she does go back regularly to stock up on cheese and wine).

Although she's always loved fashion - she used to create scrapbooks of her favourite trends and looks, including Sienna Miller and Kate Moss' boho phase - her first job was at MoneySavingExpert.com, sourcing the best deals for everything from restaurants to designer sales.

However she quit after two years to follow her true passion, fashion journalism, and after many years of internships and freelance stints at magazines including Red, Cosmopolitan, Stylist and Good Housekeeping, landed her dream job as the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK.

Her favourite part of the job is discovering new brands and meeting designers, and travelling the world to attend events and fashion shows. Seeing her first Chanel runway IRL at Paris Fashion Week was a true pinch-me moment.