Gucci Cosmos Is On Display Now In London And It's A Fashion Connoisseur’s Dream
The roving exhibition started out in Shanghai in April and this month landed at London’s 180 Studios at 180 The Strand, and will be on display until December 31, 2023.
Gucci Cosmos encapsulates the House’s 102-year history where visitors can explore its rich Florentine roots. In the words of the House, “Gucci Cosmos is an experiential incarnation of the Gucci soul, from its origins in 19th- century London to its foundation in Florence and its fruitful growth around the world.”
Curated by Maria Luisa Frisa, and conceptualized and designed by Es Devlin, both knew that had to get the House’s story just right in an ten-phase exhibition. The idea of the Gucci brand was born in London when Guccio Gucci took a job in the city’s luxury hotel, The Savoy as a porter. Seeing all the leather bags coming in and out of the hotel inspired him to return to Florence in 1921 and launch his own brand.
The exhibition details the House’s iconic designs over time, giving praise to the power of creativity that’s rooted in true Italian craftsmanship- as Gucci defines the times, and influences society and its aesthetic tastes. Both Frisa and Devlin dove into the Gucci archives while working with the House’s creative teams. “For the exhibition’s iteration in London, I wanted draw on the city’s pivotal role in the House’s origin myth in which a young Guccio Gucci rode up and down the red lacquered ‘Ascending Room’ at The Savoy where his interactions with guests and their exquisite luggage would go on to forge his future,” says Devlin in exhibition notes.
“It is a challenge to work on an exhibition that evolves based on different spaces and the atmosphere of the cities that host it, and therefore demands reflection on the special connection between London and fashion, to reconfigure the relationship between the elements and the selection of objects,” says Frisa. “Gucci Cosmos is an immersive expository experience in which the origin story and history itself are continuously put to the test by the imagination of the future.”
The Portals phase shows Gucci through the decades | Photo Credit: Gucci
Divided into ten stages, the exhibition gives people a deep yet clear understanding of the history of the brand. Duomo is a type of beginning, signifying where Guccio Gucci came from through Florence’s own famed il Duomo. The Gucci x The Savoy Lobby is a recreation of the lobby of The Savoy, when it first opened. It’s here you find a café with vintage wallpaper and snacks in the garden of 180 The Strand. The Ascending Room is a recreation of the red elevator that’s found in The Savoy, that Guccio transported hotel guest’s luggage. Portals is a three, all-white, interlocking circular installation space that’s linked by revolving doors, like The Savoy’s revolving doors. Conveyor belts with Guccio’s first designs that expand through decades are on display. Aldo Gucci’s renowned GG print canvas is also on display. And, inspiration pieces inspired by notable women like Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Princess Grace of Monaco, and Diana, Princess of Wales are in display.
Zoetrope pays homage to the world of horses, and the House’s connection to all things equestrian. The Housebit, which became a distinct part of the House in 1953 when Aldo Gucci put it on the House’s iconic loafer. “Visitors follow the Horsebit hardware from the original loafer presented in a version from the early 1960s, a 1960s belt, a 1970s wool and suede dress, and a new platform loafer worn with an all-over web precious leather jacket and culottes from Sabato De Sarno’s debut Spring Summer 2024 collection,” states notes. Tom Ford’s riding crop and Alessandro Michele’s leather corset are also pieces on display.
If you know the Gucci brand, you know that flowers play a big part. Just go to Gucci Garden museum in Florence and you’ll find out all about it. Since 1966 florals have played a big part. Visitors will see how over time in Eden, from their 1981 ready-to-wear collection, to the work of various creative directors like Frida Giannini’s floral print dresses, how flora and fauna is a big part of the brand. Two is an ode to suits, like the famous red velvet suit for men and women, created by Tom Ford in 1996. This part of the exhibition plays a soundtrack of a poem written and recited by Devlin that explores the concept of our bodies at multitude. Archivo is a wanderlust through the ever and ongoing sea of Gucci bags over time.
Cabinets of Wonders shows the eclectic side of Gucci garments | Photo Credit: Gucci
Cabinet of Wonders is sound as a type of visual with cabinets in mechanical movements, revealing an eclectic collection of Gucci garments, accessories, and curios. It’s here you find Tom Ford’s black leather bustier from 2001, and Frida Gianni’s 2006 golden evening gown and GG velvet bag with metal rhinestone handle. It’s here you find Harry Style’s 2022 Coachella look and Sinéad Burke’s Met Gala red carpet look. Carousel is comprised of twenty-five mannequins wearing Gucci and organized by color from the 1970s to present day, under the sounds of sewing machines whistling away and models walking the runway. And the last stage, Gucci Ancora is creative director Sabato De Sarno’s first collection for the House on display.
Gucci Ancora shows Sabato De Sarno’s inaugural collection | Photo Credit: Gucci
Overall, it’s an exhibition worth seeing, paying tribute to the art of fashion design and the exceptional talent of its past and present creative directors and their teams. From its inception to today- and Gucci Cosmos shows this- we see how the House is committed to luxury, iconic designs, and ideas that transcend time.