Crowd Interviews at Gucci's Times Square Show

Everyday peoples' assessment of the brand

On Saturday evening, Gucci’s first Cruise collection with Demna at the helm debuted on a runway in the middle of Times Square. We asked the fans in the crowd for their honest assessment of where the brand is at, and where it might be headed.

Interviews by @dannycoleee and @maddiestockunas

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Bach, 25 - Student

This collection feels like it’s about the stock bros in New York.

Kyra, 20 - Student

Their target audience is someone who can afford to have Gucci. I don't own anything Gucci and I don't really plan on owning anything Gucci until I'm able to.

If I could afford to wear it, then yes, I would. Gucci is coming full circle. It’s becoming something to align with again. It’s getting there.

Miles, 18 - Student

I don’t actually like Gucci. I think if it was more radicalized, like if we dropped this whole—but I don’t give a fuck anymore. It’s just: how long can we draw from the past to make things new?

I think Demna is a very interesting person and I’m excited to see the direction that he would take any brand in general. But I don’t like high fashion brands. I think all the people here are either workers or people who spend 10s of thousdans of dollars on these brands every year. So I don’t love it. I want to observe from an outside standpoint.

Jazmine, 32 - Product care for Gucci

I know a lot of fashion is cyclical, so I'm hoping like this will be something that can add to the cycle that people can reference maybe in like 10, 20 years.

Peter, 74 - Retired employee benefit program employee

I’m not crazy over it, you know, but I know the quality. But wearing Gucci is more about adopting an identity as opposed to just the quality. It's the character that they created over the years. The longevity of the product, and the brand.

Zach, 36 - Finance

I love the brand. Always have. Old Italian, like, you know, old school. Yeah, I love it.

What do you think of the new stuff?

The dumbest thing. I'm mostly here to support my boyfriend. He's been working on this for 5 months and I don't think people realize how much goes into like something like this. What do you guys do? What is this for?

Levana (twin), 30 - Student

A few years ago, people were saying “oh, that's so Gucci.” Then, Gucci went through a bit of a slump.

Now Gucci’s a little too mainstream. So they’re trying to like elevate it up again. I’m curious to see how they're going to revive themselves to be Gucci again. I think that’s why they’re trying to bring in new designers from Demna.

I've always been following Demna throughout his career, so I wanted to see how he would take what he did at his Balanciaga and translate it to Gucci.

Lena (twin) 30 - Student

I think Gucci is trying to make themselves cool again, more urban. And the 1st place I would think of is New York City.

Eva, 21 - Student

The brand is in a weird place right now. I think Demna is following the whole Balenciaga shtick where everything is ironic and, um, kind of flashy.

Maybe that might work for Gucci, but it might not. I think there are a lot of polarizing ideas he’s doing. Some people are really for it and, others are just not for it. But I think that he will pay tribute to Tom Ford's Gucci era, and it'll be great.

Paul, 27 - Artist and founder

Oh, Demna... Innovator. I feel like he has some of the best stage design out of any other designers in high fashion.

It seems to be like an exploration of what’s beyond late stage capitalism and techno-feudalism.

Julia, 26 - Frame maker

I've never been to a fashion show before. So it's a different experience for me. I love clothes. I don't follow fashion, really. People outside of fashion... I don’t think they’re really following it. It feels like a very niche world to me.I know some people who work in fashion. For them, having a new creative director is really exciting.

Zane, 22 - Media and music industry

Gucci was lit when I was in high school. Everyone had on Gucci backpacks because Chief Keef was wearing it. Like, Migos back in 2016, the Gucci stripe with the Balenciaga Triple S, and all that. That was a crazy era.

Nothing can even come close to that anymore. And, like, people are trying. Like... try, but, unless you really do some crazy studying, you're not going to really unite with the people that felt the same with Gucci back then.

I don’t care about the brands. I have self-confidence. A lot of people don't have self-confidence. I'm like very privileged in the sense that I like how I look, and I think that reflects in my confidence and what I wear, and I don't need an expensive brand to kind of show my wealth.

But of Gucci wanted to do some cool shit, let Chief Keef walk the runway. If Demna makes a crackhead look, like if he makes someone walk down a street like a crackhead, I will buy Gucci.

Stephanie, 28 - Brand production

We took a creative director from Balenciaga and we brought him to Gucci. Gucci is old money. Balenciaga is a 21st century brand that blew up by focusing on trends and hyper maximalism.

You bring this creative director that's very alternative to Gucci. Honestly, it was a shocker. Maybe it's going to make this brand more fun because right now Gucci is very old money, antique, very flashy in their branding.

Right now, I'm bored. I'm very bored with Gucci. I’m excited to see where they're going, and if they're leading towards something that's monumental, because Gucci is supposed to be a quote unquote monumental brand, right? So I would like to see something monumental.

Kayla, 22 - Student

The only Gucci I am surrounded by is, like, my mom's vintage. Honestly, it's not as interesting as old designer.

When you see somebody wearing Gucci, what’s your read on them?

Obnoxious maybe, depending how they wear it. Especially just logos in general with any designer. Just flashy.

Jamie, 22 - Garment construction

I think Demna is probably one of the smartest people in fashion right now. I think in general, his play on irony on satiricalness, his provocativeness, I think, is something that nobody else is really doing. And his willingness to fuck with people, especially the fake ads going before the show started. Demna’s just making fun of New York culture, especially doing his show in Times Square.

He's showing what the actual Gucci customer looks like.And I think that the Gucci customer is gonna be purchasing more, even more, because they're making products that is specifically for them. What Demna does is really prioritize his customer. You see it in the last show, you saw it on this. It's things that these people are gonna be buying. Which I think is such a smart business move. It solidifies himself as a businessman, but also a creative.

Sophia, 20 - Sales associate

I previously would never buy a modern Gucci piece. I mean, I still can't afford to. But if I could, I absolutely would now.

I feel like in the past years, it was kind of dated or just not really for me. And now I'm really liking how edgy it is.

Yiyi, 20 - Student

Nobody I know wears Gucci. I feel neutral about it. I don't pay attention to a lot of luxury brands. Maybe like in a few years, I'll feel differently.

Jason, 37 - Gucci employee

I remember seeing those businessmen wearing Gucci in the city and I wanted to look like those men. And then seeing where it is now, I feel like because it's taking on more of like this edgier type of vibe and it has like a very young feel to it, I think it's the best way to really captivate new audiences.

Addison, 19 - Student

I mean, who doesn’t want to see all the newest fashion right now? I really am enjoying the newer collection. I thought Gucci was tacky before.

It’s feeling accessible now. Even doing the show in Times Square where everyone can see the work they have done. It’s special.