Gucci Cruise 2020 show at Musei Capitolini blends ancient Rome with feminist messages

Gucci presented its Cruise 2020 collection at the Musei Capitolini in Rome, drawing inspiration from the museum's ancient Roman sculptures. Creative director Alessandro Michele, a native Roman, described the show as a return to his roots, recalling childhood visits to the museum with his father. The collection featured togas, peplums, and tunics alongside contemporary sociopolitical references. A standout white dress embroidered with a uterus and flowers was intended to affirm women's freedom, including the right to abortion. Michele stated that fashion allows him to express messages of liberty, and that Rome's chaotic, free, and anarchic spirit matched the show's aesthetic. The event also marked a collaboration between Gucci and the Musei Capitolini: over the next two years, Gucci will fund the restoration of the Rupe Tarpea, a cliff on the southern side of the Capitoline Hill from which traitors were thrown in ancient times. The Musei Capitolini, founded in 1471 by Pope Sixtus IV, is one of the world's oldest public museum collections, housing bronzes such as the Capitoline Wolf, Spinario, Camillo, and fragments of the Colossus of Constantine.