Gucci’s new campaign wants you to look closer—not at the clothes, but at the people wearing them
Gucci’s Fall/Winter 2025 campaign doesn’t try to impress you with spectacle. That was the first thing I noticed. Instead, it invites you in—slowly, deliberately—with a simple idea: let’s just look at people, wearing clothes, as they are. The Gucci Portrait Series, as the campaign is called, brings together 42 individuals, all photographed by Catherine Opie. There’s no big narrative, no fashion fantasy—just honest portraits of people in pieces from the new collection. And of course, that’s exactly what makes it so compelling.
The shots are stripped back in the best way. No props beyond sometimes a simple seat, no drama. Just the clothes, the person, and the space between them. It’s in that space that you start to notice the details: the way a blazer opens slightly at the chest, how someone holds their bag without thinking, the softness in how a scarf moves with the body. Nothing looks overly styled, but everything feels intentional. You can tell beloved stylist Suzanne Koller’s hand is behind it—there’s a sense of precision that doesn’t overpower.
As we've already seen, the collection itself leans into this feeling. It’s smart, tailored, and built to be worn. There are moments of structure—a sharp shoulder, a crisp pleat—but they’re balanced with pieces that move and fall in a more relaxed way. It’s the kind of clothing that doesn’t shout for attention, but earns it through craft and cut. You could imagine actually wearing these pieces, which, let’s be honest, isn’t always the case in a fashion campaign.
And so for me, what makes this series stick is the way it celebrates variation without needing to say so. The same jacket shows up again and again, styled differently each time, worn by people of different ages, backgrounds, energies. Nothing is forced. Everyone looks like themselves—not like they’re trying to become someone else. There’s something refreshing about that, especially in a space that often leans into uniformity.
The videos that go alongside the portraits, directed by Lisa Rovner, are worth watching. They’re short, loose, and don’t try too hard. Cast members are asked open questions and respond however they want—sometimes funny, sometimes thoughtful, sometimes just shrugging and smiling. There’s no big reveal, no emotional arc. But you do feel like you’ve met someone, even briefly. And that almost feels enough.
And when it comes down to it, The Gucci Portrait Series doesn’t feel like a reset, but more like a reminder—of what Gucci’s always been good at: character, ease, an understanding of self. The clothes aren’t trying to do all the talking. They’re just part of the conversation. And in a season where everything is competing for your shortening span of attention, there’s something more enduring about that.
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