What is your first memory of Gucci?

A red blazer with a black collar from the early 2000s. Actually, I bought it and it was my first fashion piece. I still have it and love it.

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Is there something you discovered about the brand that surprised you?

I spent my first days at Gucci in the archives in Florence, discovering the greatness of the Gucci world. There are many pieces that have entered the common imagination, but there is also a lesser known, less repurposed archive that provided me with so much information about the brand before I even sat down at my desk.

There’s a lot of lifestyle in Gucci’s past, for example – something I’m very interested in and look forward to exploring. And then some pieces inspired my early ones, like the Marina chain jewellery from the 1970s, the silhouette of which served as the starting point for those worn by Daria in my first ad campaign.

How did you come up with the idea of bringing back model Daria Werbowy for the first campaign?

Daria was the first super model I met during my first professional experience, at Prada. Daria, Sasha (Pivovarova), Élise (Crombez) … They are “my” supermodels. So when we started working on the first ideas, I thought, as in other cases, I wanted to start with those whom I loved. Working with her felt very emotional to me.

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What was your starting point when you created your first collection?

Gucci Ancora, as this first chapter is called, is intended to be a proposal for a new fashion idea. “Ancora” represents something that was not enough for you, that you want more of, like a kiss from the person you love. This collection is like that. There are the elements of fashion that I love, that I would never get tired of, combined with the incredible history of Gucci.

The same idea of “ancora” is reflected in many aspects of the show, from the choice of location, the Brera district with its history of artistic expressiveness, to the casting made up of many new faces whose professional journey has only just begun.

What elements of Gucci’s heritage did you want to revisit in this collection, if any?

Can you tell us more about the location of the show: the historic neighbourhood of Brera in Milan?

Brera is the heart of Milan, a meeting point of creativity and artistic expression. That is why I chose it as the setting for my first fashion show – and to give young talents the opportunity to make themselves known. With Accademia di Brera, we selected four former students whose works will be exhibited for the duration of Milan Fashion Week in a contemporary art gallery right among the streets of the neighbourhood. They are part of a selection of my references and inspirations that gave birth to Gucci Perspectives 1, a volume published by Contrasto and edited by Stefano Collicelli Cagol.