Photographed by Young Chul Kim
The storied palace in South Korea’s capital served as the location for the Gucci Cruise 2024 fashion show.
South Korea has been steadily growing as a luxury fashion hub, being the destination of choice for fashion brands to showcase their latest collections. The latest brand to choose a historic spot in the country’s capital for their showcase is Gucci, which recently held its Gucci Cruise 2024 fashion show in the storied Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul.
The choice to hold the show at the historic walled palace holds meaning: Gucci is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its first store in Seoul. It also marks the brand’s first show in the country. The red pillars of Gyeongbokgung Palace’s ceremonial courtyard served as the backdrop for the fashion show, which Gucci describes as the coming together of the culture and heritage of Italy and South Korea.
The 2024 cruise collection is the final collection handled by Gucci’s design team before new creative director Sabato de Sarno takes the helm. The collection featured both subtle and outright nods to local South Korean street style, from silhouettes and the skateboard-inspired purses to a shirt that outright says Gyeongbokgung on it. The pieces are a mix of streetwear and sportswear, with pops of color and touches of the Gucci monogram pattern. The models walked to music directed by French musician and composer Wladimir Schall, who has previously provided music for the Jacquemus Spring/Summer 2021 fashion show.
Both local Korean stars and international figures were seen at the event: global brand ambassadors Hanni of NewJeans, singer KAI, actress Mina Shin, and singer-songwriter IU were all in attendance, as well as aespa’s Winter, Elizabeth Olsen, and Dakota Johnson. Both the choice to hold the show in one of South Korea’s most important historical sites and the presence of the who’s who of K-Pop in the show are testament to the country’s growing influence not only in fashion, but also in culture worldwide.
View the full show here:
