Gucci’s Demna Era Comes to Life With a Surreal, Star-Studded Film

Demna has always been one for doing things differently. The former Balenciaga creative director turned newly appointed Gucci artistic director has taken the industry on a fast-paced, wild ride via fashion shows inside mud pits, gimp masks worn by models at the New York Stock Exchange and the transformation of everyday objects into high luxury—potato chip packaging and Ikea bags included. So it’s no surprise that the designer’s Gucci debut at Milan Fashion Week on September 23 was as unconventional as his own fashion history. In lieu of a traditional runway show, Demna signaled the new era of the Italian brand by putting out a look book titled “La Famiglia,” on September 22, then releasing a film called The Tiger, which premiered in Milan on the opening night of the city’s fashion week. Written and directed by Spike Jonze and Halina Reijn, the event brought iconoclastic characters to life, right from the look book to the screen.

The cast of the film—Alex Consani, Demi Moore, Elliot Page, and a few other stars like Gwyneth Paltrow and Lila Moss—attended the screening, wearing the newly released looks from the spring 2026 collection. As they entered the venue to watch the new short flick, they created their own sort of fashion show, posing for the cameras before ducking inside.

The Tiger featured the archetypal fantasies from the look book, including “L’influencer” and “La Principessa.” The film opens with Moore, who plays iconic heiress Barbara Gucci (otherwise known as Head of Gucci International and Chairman of the State of California). We first see Moore glitching to the tune of Doechii’s “Nosebleeds,” setting the scene for a dark comedy that melds surreality with reality. Moore’s character wants to celebrate her birthday surrounded by her family, including her two sardonic fashion-editor twin cousins from Milan, and an important Vanity Fair writer who is doing a profile on her. When one guest’s wellness tincture mixes with alcohol, all hell breaks loose. At its heart, the near-30-minute film is about a powerful matriarch and her family—and the never-ending quest for perfection.

Each character in The Tiger wears at least one look from the new collection, which the label describes as “a study of the ‘Gucciness’ of Gucci, an expression of the brand as a mind-set and a shared aesthetic language.” There were sumptuous, knee-length faux furs belted with gold chains; flowing silk dresses in shades of rich burgundy; and one sleeveless, charcoal-hue sequin mermaid gown with waves of ruffled tulle.

White dresses covered in sprays of rainbow florals were dramatized with Medici-style collars. Sequin tube dresses looked like they were plucked straight off the starlets at Studio 54.

In its collection statement, the brand said “La Famiglia” marks Gucci’s return to storytelling. The film serves as a definite companion to that ethos. We’re still in the very early days of Demna’s Gucci, but it’s clear the industry is waiting to see this story’s next theatrical chapter.