THE HOUSE OF ACES
Written By: Khansaa Houlbi
Gucci steps onto the court and serves a masterclass in sport-coded luxury.
When you think of Italy and tennis, your mind might dart to Challengers – Luca Guadagnino’s lust-fueled cultural reset that had us all googling: ‘is tennis always this steamy?’ Zendaya delivered the fits, the film delivered the fever. And suddenly, tennis wasn’t just a sport; it was a style movement. But while Challengers may have reignited the flame, Gucci is here to make sure it stays burning all summer long.
Arriving in perfect sync with the holy trinity of summer tournaments – Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open – Gucci Tennis unveils a collection that moves beyond simple references to the sport, authentically embracing its codes. As a spiritual continuation of the house’s 1970s archives, when tennis first collided with high fashion under Gucci’s precise eye, the collection unfolds through a campaign that plays like a cinematic meditation on anticipation: sunlit courts, suspended moments, and silent glances exchanged before the serve. Amid this stillness, models glide with ease, embodying the collection’s polished rhythm.
Courtesy of Gucci
Courtesy of Gucci
Courtesy of Gucci
Courtesy of Gucci
The collection reads like a love letter to the sport’s timeless codes, meticulously Gucci-fied. For women, sharp pleats blend with crisp whites, elevated by the house’s signature Web strip – a direct nod to vintage tennis uniforms, imbued with a distinct layer of luxury. For men, ’70s-inspired polo shirts revive the kind of collars suited for both a forehand smash and an impromptu aperitivo in Rome. Accessories lean heavily into retro chicness, with thick headbands, mirrored aviators, and monogrammed duffles – each piece constructed with the precision of serve and the insouciance of effortless style.
With this collection, Gucci introduces the season’s ultimate heavy-hitter: the limited-edition Gucci x HEAD tennis racket. Decked out with the iconic Web stripe and finished with Gucci’s interlocking G emblem woven into the string bed, it’s a masterclass in blending sport and a winning ace. Building on the momentum of their earlier collaboration – the now-iconic custom duffles created for brand ambassador and tennis prodigy Jannik Sinner – this release pushes the partnership further, transforming athletic essentials into covetable fashion relics.
Courtesy of Gucci
Courtesy of Gucci
Courtesy of Gucci
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