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Gucci touts 'casual grandeur,' Tod's focuses on Artisanal Intelligence and Versace plays it safe

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Gucci touts 'casual grandeur,' Tod's focuses on Artisanal Intelligence and Versace plays it safe
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Gucci touts 'casual grandeur,' Tod's focuses on Artisanal Intelligence and Versace plays it safe

2024-09-21 14:09 Last Updated At:14:10

MILAN (AP) — The fashion palate cleanser of the season: white. Milan fashion houses, more often than not this season, are opening their runway preview shows for next spring and summer with all-white looks.

Tod’s put the emphasis on white with tables of artisans constructing white driving shoes inside the showroom, and followed by opening the show with a crisp white look, as did a host of other fashion houses this week, including Moschino, Alberta Ferretti, Del Core and Cavalli.

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A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Nicola Coughlan takes photographs with fans as she departs the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

Nicola Coughlan takes photographs with fans as she departs the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

Hanni departs the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

Hanni departs the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

Hanni departs the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

Hanni departs the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

Fans react as musician Jin departs the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

Fans react as musician Jin departs the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

Jannik Sinner, centre, departs the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

Jannik Sinner, centre, departs the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

Jessica Chastain departs the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

Jessica Chastain departs the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

Jessica Chastain departs the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

Jessica Chastain departs the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

Kirsten Dunst departs the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

Kirsten Dunst departs the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

Kirsten Dunst departs the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

Kirsten Dunst departs the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

Nicola Coughlan departs the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

Nicola Coughlan departs the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

Jin departs the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

Jin departs the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

Jin departs the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

Jin departs the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

Sabato De Sarno, creative director of Gucci, accepts applause after the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

Sabato De Sarno, creative director of Gucci, accepts applause after the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

A model wears a creation as part of the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

A model wears a creation as part of the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

A model wears a creation as part of the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

A model wears a creation as part of the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

A model wears a creation as part of the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

A model wears a creation as part of the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

A model wears a creation as part of the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

A model wears a creation as part of the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

A model wears a creation as part of the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

A model wears a creation as part of the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

A model wears a creation as part of the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

A model wears a creation as part of the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

A model wears a creation as part of the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

A model wears a creation as part of the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

The fashion crowd arriving at the highly anticipated Gucci show passed through a white tunnel that burst into the colors of a sunset along the length of the runway.

Highlights from mostly womenswear previews for next spring and summer on the fourth day of Milan Fashion Week on Friday:

Sabato De Sarno starts a new fashion cycle a year after debuting his first Gucci collection, focusing on some of his self-described obsessions: tailoring, lingerie, leather and a 1960s silhouette.

In its simplest form, a white tank with Gucci-stripe piping was paired with dark trousers with a hemline slit over sneakers, referencing menswear. In its most elaborate, Gucci-monogram overcoats dragged imperially on the runway, and lingerie peeked out of glossy, textured leather.

A blouse slinked insouciantly off the shoulder. Sequined dresses rustled. Crepe dresses were anchored with bamboo-shaped hardware. Mini-skirts bubbled slightly. Floral headscarves or big sunhats finished the looks.

De Sarno dubbed the collection “casual grandeur.”

“Moment after moment, I have built my ideas for Gucci,'' he said in notes. ”A casual grandeur that takes shape through my obsessions ... and always with an irreverent attitude."

Gucci's front-row glistened with Jessica Chastain, Kirsten Dunst, Nicola Coughlan — who stopped to take a selfie with fans — and Italy's own tennis hero, Jannick Sinner, a Gucci ambassador. A crowd of K-pop fans chanted in anticipation of the arrival of Jin from BTS, another brand ambassador.

The opening movement of Beethoven’s Fifth signaled the start of the Versace runway show inside a courtyard of the medieval Sforza Castle.

But as soon as the models hit the runway, the tempo shifted to contemporary house music as a drone recorded the scene from overhead.

The Spring-Summer 2025 collection was conservative by Donatella Versace standards, looks for good girls mixing and matching satiny pencil skirts, polos and demure cardigans, easily tied together by a car coat. The silhouette and the mod hairstyles suggested an inspiraiton at the cusp of the 1960s and 1970s.

The most daring ensembles comprised short-shorts with tights and platform heels, or a chiffony dress left open from the belly button to reveal a pair of wavy-patterned panties. Gigi Hadid modeled an off-shoulder floral midi dress, that was pretty without being in any way provocative. A metallic-finish dress with a plunging cowl projected the most sensuality.

The menswear was very much a companion to the women’s looks: the same wavy knits in a trio of colors, and satiny floral prints as shirts or pajama suiting. That is, many pieces to mix and match, light on the attitude.

In a world abuzz over artificial intelligence, Tod’s highlighted artisanal intelligence.

Dozens of craftspeople flanked the showroom, hand-stitching the brand’s trademark Gommino driving shoe. Models emerged from beneath a pair of sculptor Lorenzo Quinn’s oversized white hands, grasping a spiral of leather.

“Artisanal intelligence goes against what everyone is talking about,’’ creative director Matteo Tamburini said before the show. “The focus is on a very elevated product, which is the cornerstone of Made in Italy.”

The Spring-Summer 2025 collection started with crisp cotton pairings: trousers or skirts with oversized shirts. The looks were reproduced in a soft leather, intentionally fluid for the warmer months, while a leather overcoat was more sturdily vintage. Asymmetrical cuts and wraps gave the collection a touch of casual elegance. Looks were finished with barely there criss-cross sandals, the new Gommino in glove leather or a clog version.

Tamburini said the only thing he uses AI for is to craft talking points for journalists. “I am not a writer,’’ he said, laughing.

The Sunnei fashion brand marked its 10th anniversary questioning the very notion of “growing up,” and casting aspersions on the idea of “maturing.”

With a dose of irony and fob for diversity, brand founders Simone Rizzo and Loris Messina, both in their mid-30s, cast only older models, mostly graying, and most probably falling into a demographic of over 65s that the show notes say make up a quarter of Milan’s population.

The pace of the show, spanning two floors, was kept slow, which the notes suggested was due to the stairs, but could also have been in consideration of the colorful platform flip-flops the brand has created in collaboration with Camper.

In any case, the collection retained the brand’s winning, youthful jubilance, depicted in oversized garb like billowing bubble tops gathered at the waist, a striped T-shirt so big it became a tunic, and a blouse that tented over an A-line pleated leather skirt.

The trouser of the season for men and women gathered at the ankle with fanning pleats. A more simply tailored pant has a built-in apron, over which to layer a utility belt full of zippered pockets.

The designers candidly acknowledged an Artificial Intelligence fail, falling back on the human design team for the collection's prints of six faces that appeared on dresses and tops, and which were available for purchase immediately after the show on Sunnei’s website.

Backstage, brand founders Rizzo and Messina celebrated their team with hugs, tears and shouts of, “Bravissimi!"

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Nicola Coughlan takes photographs with fans as she departs the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

Nicola Coughlan takes photographs with fans as she departs the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

Hanni departs the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

Hanni departs the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

Hanni departs the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

Hanni departs the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

Fans react as musician Jin departs the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

Fans react as musician Jin departs the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

Jannik Sinner, centre, departs the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

Jannik Sinner, centre, departs the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

Jessica Chastain departs the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

Jessica Chastain departs the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

Jessica Chastain departs the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

Jessica Chastain departs the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

Kirsten Dunst departs the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

Kirsten Dunst departs the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

Kirsten Dunst departs the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

Kirsten Dunst departs the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

Nicola Coughlan departs the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

Nicola Coughlan departs the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

Jin departs the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

Jin departs the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

Jin departs the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

Jin departs the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

Sabato De Sarno, creative director of Gucci, accepts applause after the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

Sabato De Sarno, creative director of Gucci, accepts applause after the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

A model wears a creation as part of the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

A model wears a creation as part of the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

A model wears a creation as part of the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

A model wears a creation as part of the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

A model wears a creation as part of the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

A model wears a creation as part of the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

A model wears a creation as part of the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

A model wears a creation as part of the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

A model wears a creation as part of the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

A model wears a creation as part of the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

A model wears a creation as part of the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

A model wears a creation as part of the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

A model wears a creation as part of the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

A model wears a creation as part of the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

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2025-01-20 23:49 Last Updated At:23:52

WASHINGTON (AP) — The price of bitcoin surged to over $109,000 early Monday, just hours ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, as a pumped up cryptocurrency industry bets he'll take action soon after returning to the White House.

Once a skeptic who said a few years ago that bitcoin “ seems like a scam,” Trump has embraced digital currencies with a convert’s zeal. He's launched a new cryptocurrency venture and vowed on the campaign trail to take steps early in his presidency to make the U.S. into the “crypto capital” of the world.

His promises including creating a U.S. crypto stockpile, enacting industry-friendly regulation and event appointing a crypto “czar” for his administration.

“You’re going to be very happy with me,” Trump told crypto-enthusiasts at a bitcoin conference last summer.

Bitcoin is the world’s most popular cryptocurrency and was created in 2009 as a kind of electronic cash uncontrolled by banks or governments. It and newer forms of cryptocurrencies have moved from the financial fringes to the mainstream in wild fits and starts.

The highly volatile nature of cryptocurrencies as well as their use by criminals, scammers and rogue nations, has attracted plenty of critics, who say the digital currencies have limited utility and often are just Ponzi schemes.

But crypto has so far defied naysayers and survived multiple prolonged price drops in its short lifespan. Wealthy players in the crypto industry, which felt unfairly targeted by the Biden administration, spent heavily to help Trump win November’s election. Bitcoin has surged in price since Trump's victory, topping $100,000 for the first time last month before briefly sliding down to about $90,000. On Friday, it rose about 5%. It jumped more than $9,000 early Monday, according to CoinDesk.

Two years ago, bitcoin was trading at about $20,000.

Trump’s picks for key cabinet and regulatory positions are stocked with crypto supporters, including his choice to lead the Treasury and Commerce departments and the head of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Key industry players held a first ever "Crypto Ball” on Friday to celebrate the first “crypto president." The event was sold out, with tickets costing several thousand dollars.

Here’s a look at some detailed action Trump might take in the early days of his administration:

As a candidate Trump promised that he would create a special advisory council to provide guidance on creating “clear” and “straightforward” regulations on crypto within the first 100 days of his presidency.

Details about the council and its membership are still unclear, but after winning November’s election, Trump named tech executive and venture capitalist David Sacks to be the administration’s crypto “czar.” Trump also announced in late December that former North Carolina congressional candidate Bo Hines will be the executive director of the “Presidential Council of Advisers for Digital Assets.”

At last year’s bitcoin conference, Trump told crypto supporters that new regulations “will be written by people who love your industry, not hate your industry.” Trump's pick to lead the SEC, Paul Atkins, has been a strong advocate for cryptocurrencies.

Crypto investors and companies chafed as what they said was a hostile Biden administration that went overboard in unfair enforcement actions and accounting policies that have stifled innovation in the industry — particularly at the hands of outgoing SEC Chairman Gary Gensler.

“As far as general expectations from the Trump Administration, I think one of the best things to bet on is a tone change at the SEC,” said Peter Van Valkenburgh, the executive director of the advocacy group Coin Center.

Gensler, who is set to leave as Trump takes office, said in a recent interview with Bloomberg that he’s proud of his office’s actions to police the crypto industry, which he said is “rife with bad actors.”

Trump also promised that as president he’ll ensure the U.S. government stockpiles bitcoin, much like it already does with gold. At the bitcoin conference earlier this summer, Trump said it the U.S. government would keep, rather than auction off, the billions of dollars in bitcoin it has seized through law enforcement actions.

Crypto advocates have posted a draft executive order online that would establish a “Strategic Bitcoin Reserve” as a “permanent national asset” to be administered by the Treasury Department through its Exchange Stabilization Fund. The draft order calls for the Treasury Department to eventually hold at least $21 billion in bitcoin.

Republican Sen. Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming has proposed legislation mandating the U.S. government stockpile bitcoin, which advocates said would help diversify government holdings and hedge against financial risks. Critics say bitcoin’s volatility make it a poor choice as a reserve asset.

Creating such a stockpile would also be a “giant step in the direction of bitcoin becoming normalized, becoming legitimatized in the eyes of people who don’t yet see it as legitimate,” said Zack Shapiro, an attorney who is head of policy at the Bitcoin Policy Institute.

At the bitcoin conference earlier this year, Trump received loud cheers when he reiterated a promise to commute the life sentence of Ross Ulbricht, the convicted founder of the drug-selling website Silk Road that used crypto for payments.

Ulbricht’s case has energized some crypto advocates and Libertarian activists, who believe government investigators overreached in building their case against Silk Road.

FILE - Donald Trump speaks at the Bitcoin 2024 Conference July 27, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)

FILE - Donald Trump speaks at the Bitcoin 2024 Conference July 27, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)

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