Celebrating a ten-year anniversary is a monumental milestone. Keeping a brand afloat through today’s turbulent economy is no small feat, so when the time finally comes to celebrate, the pressure is on. A designer can look ahead—using the occasion as a springboard for the next decade—or pause for reflection, likely for the first time in years.
For Giuliano Calza, GCDS’ SS26 collection marked a moment of introspection. It reclaimed the brand’s original codes while revisiting some of its most iconic pieces. Titled “What’s in My Bag”—a playful nod to the viral internet trend—Calza used the phrase to unpack something deeper than a wallet and some chewing gum: ten years of work, culture, design, humour, and the irreverent energy that defines GCDS today. After a year-long hiatus, the brand returned with a see-now-buy-now format, a nod to its renewed momentum.
Models emerged from an oversized GCDS shopping bag, and the retrospective began. Mini dresses hugged the body, ruffled at the hem or cut out at the sides. They appeared in animal prints, florals, lace, and polka dots—bright and bold, with even the leopard spots rendered in hot pink. Longer chainmail dresses featured thigh-high slits, styled with glossy red knee-high boots. Pannier bodysuits came in pink and purple snakeskin, while airy, low-cut blouses in the same fabric floated down the runway with matching skirts.
Billowing shirts were paired with briefs in coordinating prints, while silk blouses met vinyl snakeskin trousers. Polka dots reappeared on structured dresses and jackets, and elsewhere in semi-sheer form. The collection also introduced a collaboration with former motorcycle racer Valentino Rossi—an icon of the ’90s and a lasting emblem of Italian style. Biker boots and racing-inspired jackets flashed throughout, as Rossi himself took pride of place in the front row.
Tailoring was sharply executed, layered over ultra low-cut silk tops or reimagined entirely in structured silk with raw hems, paired with leather trousers.
Casual moments paced the collection, emerging through college-inspired silhouettes: varsity and track jackets teamed with denim or pleated skirts in acid-washed pastels, alongside graphic tees and zip-up hoodies.
Accessories drove the nostalgia home. Embossed crocodile leather bags, the return of the Morso “sharp teeth” shoe, and even a plush Hello Kitty mascot proved that, as the show notes put it, “Made in Italy” design can still be fun.
A vivid mix of prints, palettes, silhouettes, and textures, the collection was a joyous look back at a decade of GCDS.
