With this year’s appointment as its new creative director, Gucci has firmly shut the door of the hugely successful, and mind you, tremendously influential Alessandro Michele era. Following new creative director Sabato de Sarno‘s first collection for the revered fashion house, a bold retail statement has manifested in Milan where its historic flagship store on swanky Via Montenapoleone has seen a remarkable makeover. First opened in 1951 by Rodolfo Gucci, one of the sons of Gucci founder Guccio Gucci, the retail space measures no less than 1,800 sqm. (19,375 sq.ft.) spread over two floors, and has been designed by Gucci‘s in-house design team. Oozing contemporary luxury, the various settings aim to emphasise the city’s stature as Italy’s undisputed centre of fashion, design, art and luxury, and obviously, the excellent craftsmanship that can be found across the city. But at the same time, the various settings are designed to highlight Gucci‘s collections, incorporating a variety of Milanese elements.
Clean lines and understated tones harmonise with carefully selected materials and furnishings, highlighting the ‘Made in Italy’ values of quality, authenticity and individual style. Gucci has pulled out all the stops, using lavish Cipollino and Bardiglio marble to create intricate geometric patterns on the floors which evoke the interiors of some of Milan‘s most emblematic buildings and palazzi. As an additional homage to traditional Italian craftsmanship, Venetian glass made with the Pulegoso technique is used for the shelves and installation details. A myriad of design furnishings by renowned Italian brands dot the premises, including Cassina, B&B Italia, Living Divani, and Minotti, but also Gerrit Rietveld‘s iconic Utrecht chairs. Elevating the shopping experience even further is a selection of modern and contemporary artworks by top artists, all cherry picked by curator Truls Blaasmo who did the same job for the recently revamped Gucci flagship store in London, an event we talked about in a previous post.
Part of the selected artists have a bond with Milan, such as Lucio Fontana, Getulio Alviani, Franco Mazzucchelli, and Liliana Moro, but foreign artists are also well represented, such as Nathlie Provosty, Jamie Poblete, Adji Dieye, and Augustas Serapinas. The ground floor of the renewed Gucci flagship store presents leather goods centred around the brand’s signature line of handbags. The protagonists of this space are the new Jackie Notte bag from the Gucci Ancora collection and the Gucci Signoria slingback, backlit by the white alabaster wall. On another white wall, precious silk scarves are displayed, punctuated by the floral print that has brought a romantic feel to Gucci‘s collections since the 1960s. Also on the ground floor is an immersive and ever-changing exhibition room called Rosso Ancora, where the entire space is dipped in a deep red hue, from the carpet to the glossy lacquered walls and ceilings. Here, 150 objects in the shape of Jackie Notte bags will be exhibited. In celebration of the grand opening, the basement floor features a preview of the Gucci Ancora collection.
Gucci
Via Montenapoleone 7 (Duomo)
20121 Milan
Telephone +39 02 77127
Mon-Fri 10am-7pm
Sat 10am-7.30pm
Sun 10am-7pm
Publishers Note
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