Gucci’s latest campaign, “We Will Always Have London,” was launched worldwide this week. It includes images and films by Nan Goldin portraying positive figures, such as Debbie Harry, the co-founder of the Punk/Pop band Blondie; Kelsey Lu, a singer, cellist, and composer; Alaato Jazyper, the face of Gucci’s fall 2024; and Yanan Wan, who opened the Cruise 2025 show. Harry and Lu also attended Gucci’s spring 2025 show just last week.
One year after his first Gucci show as creative director, Sabato De Sarno says he’s “as happy as the first day.” Appointed in January 2023, De Sarno sat down with WWD to discuss his latest Cruise 2025 ad campaign. The designer looked energised, particularly when talking about photographer Nan Goldin’s participation.
De Sarno’s decision to host Cruise at London’s Tate Modern Tanks is rooted in the brand’s long history with the city: Gucci’s founder, Guccio Gucci, while working at the Savoy in 1897, was inspired to create his line of luxury bags by the guests’ luggage. But to De Sarno, London is much more than that- the city teeming with music, culture, and art. “London is where different cultures collide,” he said, citing the Tate’s Brutalist architecture, the Rivoli Ballroom, and the surrounding countryside as some of his favourite aspects of the city.
De Sarno said he was particularly excited to work with Goldin, whose art has been a long source of inspiration for him. “I have admired her work for many years. She shoots real life. It is never not real, he says. Goldin, nominated for a 2023 Academy Award for her documentary All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, approaches her work in a way that parallels De Sarno’s: “She has to meet and connect with the people she works with,” he said. “She spent time with the models and me to understand the aesthetics. It felt like real life on set, intimate and authentic.
Working with familiar faces stabilises De Sarno, and he admires Debbie Harry. “What I love about Debbie is her irreverence. She’s always been a free spirit and still an icon,” he said. Blondie’s music marked critical moments, and Harry’s connection to London only deepened his appreciation.
For the future, De Sarno is tight-lipped but hinted at events to come, such as this year’s Gucci-sponsored LACMA gala in Los Angeles on November 2; “Cosmos,” opening in Kyoto this coming October; and “Gucci Cultural Month,” launching in Seoul for the appreciation of Korean culture.
Nan Goldin is an influential American photographer known for her deeply personal and raw images that explore themes of identity, intimacy, and the human experience. Born in Washington, D.C., in 1953, Goldin grew up in a tumultuous family environment, which would later influence much of her work. She picked up a camera in her late teens and quickly developed a distinctive style, capturing the underground cultures of New York City during the 1970s and ’80s.
Goldin’s most famous work, The Ballad of Sexual Dependency (1986), is a slideshow of photographs documenting her friends, lovers, and the LGBTQ+ community at a time of social upheaval and the AIDS crisis. Her candid images of love, addiction, and loss broke new ground in the art world by blurring the line between public and private life.
Throughout her career, Goldin has continued to use her art to challenge societal norms and confront complex issues, including domestic violence, drug addiction, and, more recently, the opioid epidemic. In 2023, she was nominated for an Academy Award for her documentary All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, chronicling her battle against the pharmaceutical company Purdue Pharma.
Nan Goldin’s work is celebrated for its emotional honesty and for giving marginalised communities a voice. Her influence can be seen in photography, film, and contemporary art.
Top Photo Debbie Harry by Nan Goldin Courtesy GUCCI Via WWD