For as much as the fashion industry is about new ideas, the way collections are first introduced has scarcely changed, with biannual shows still the most popular option. But every now and again, a designer will offer up something different by debuting a collection in a new way. Over the weekend, Gucci’s creative director Sabato De Sarno did just that.

A few weeks after the reveal of his vision for the storied Italian house, De Sarno opted to display his concentrated eveningwear options at the 2023 LACMA Art+Film Gala on Saturday night. In lieu of a classic show, he instead dressed a cast of models, many of whom made their debut at the Gucci show in September, to walk the red carpet alongside well-established models Mariacarla Boscono, Vittoria Ceretti, Kirsty Hume and Abbey Lee.

Those attending the gala and therefore privy to seeing the collection up close and personal were an A-list turnout including Jennifer Lopez, Kim Kardashian, Jodie Comer, Jodie Turner-Smith, A$AP Rocky and Billie Eilish.

Titled Gucci Ancora Notte, a statement from the brand revealed that the pieces debuted on Saturday night were imbued with the same attitude as the ready-to-wear collection seen on the Milan Fashion Week catwalk and are ‘anchored to reality and made of joy and humanity.’

This translated to clothes that brought the Gucci archive back into focus. The subtle hints of sparkle we saw in the original Ancora collection were expanded upon with dresses trussed up in the all-over embellishment we first saw across Jackie bags, which was inspired by a detail seen on minaudière bags from its 1950s era. But it’s not just the mid-century that’s been looked at and reconfigured.

The collection also championed the return of mirco-shorts as a veritable eveningwear option, intended to be worn under sinuous crepe dresses making 1990s comparisons entirely unavoidable. Other details worth noting included plenty of lace inserts and delicate beaded fringes.

While it was labelled an eveningwear collection, there was also room left for interpretation with the option to wear these glittering, spliced and lace-trimmed pieces for any occasion encouraged. ‘It just depends on how you wear them,’ the notes explained. ‘Boundaries are blurred as evening becomes night and everyone feels free to express themselves through clothes.’

Gucci remains one of the industry’s leading brands with an influence that transcends its fashion to encompass its business and retail models. It showing unconventionally offers up the opportunity for others to do the same.

As the fashion world tries to find solutions for both economic and environmental problems, seeing designers try different models outside of the expensive, elaborate show season are likely to become more commonplace. With Gucci ushering this in, it encourages other smaller brands to try new avenues of presentation that could prove more economically and environmentally wise. A top-down trickle is as likely as seeing these clothes on the red carpet again soon.