Gucci's Game

Two women face each other on the tennis court: One in a pleated skirt and a zip-up collared jacket, the other in a ribbed tank top and skirt set. Both are dressed in all white, save for Gucci’s signature red and green stripe that lines the edge of every garment. In the brand’s campaign for its just-launched tennis collection, the players are filmed expertly swinging their arms, sprinting across the court, and serving—however neither are holding rackets or balls. Smiling, they rhythmically bounce and dive with their invisible equipment as four Gucci-clad onlookers stand by, hooked to the scene. This is not a stage for sport, but rather one for craftsmanship.

The Italian luxury house was one of the first to fuse fashion and athletics in the late 1970s with the release of its influential Gucci Tennis 1977 sneaker. Over the years, it has introduced aviator sunglasses, over-the-forehead headbands, and crisp popped collars of polos that embody the retro glamour of the fashion house. In one scene for the new campaign, a model is photographed crossing the court in a tight white dress with a GG-monogrammed tote tucked under her arm, as a Gucci keychain dangles from her bag. In another, a pair of pristine sneakers marked with the classic Gucci stripe dangle from their laces on a tennis net. 

With the fashionable side of the collection covered, Gucci returns to the American-Austrian sports brand Head to cover the technological side. The pioneer in tennis technology invented the first computerized racket in 1997—and now it’s designed the new Speed MP racket for Gucci. In a blend of fashion and function, the racket is marked with a “GG” at its center and equipped with vibration dampener technology to reduce the shock a player feels when they whack a ball. This follows a monogrammed duffle bag that the two brands launched in collaboration last year in Paris, which first debuted at Wimbledon in 2023, custom-made for the Italian brand ambassador and tennis champion Jannik Sinner. Now, Gucci’s tennis collection welcomes everyone to join its sportswear legacy, with or without a racket.