A Window into Gucci's World
By now, Gucci's origin story is one of half-myth. As the tale goes, Guccio Gucci was working as a porter at the Savoy Hotel in London, ferrying the luggage of the rich and famous to and from their rooms. What might have been a strenuous and stressful job for most became a source of inspiration for Gucci, leading him to found his eponymous brand—specialising in baggage—in 1921. More than 100 years later, it remains one of Gucci's integral sources of inspiration. The Italian label’s new window concept, Endless Narratives, springs from that very idea: the stories that drive it.
Blue lacquered bookcases are stuffed with books and ephemera, and, really, all the odd bits and bobs that inform the brand’s codes and culture. While on closer examination none of the books actually exist—faux titles on display include Glamorous Dolce Vita, Art Bodies, and The Karmic Cookbook, all of which lend zero search results—it’s their vibe that speaks volumes. Objects, such as mini foot sculptures (is that why Dakota Johnson was shoeless in the Gucci Gift campaign?) and silvery horse head bookends (and no, not The Godfather kind), give insight into the materials that inform the label’s eclectic visual world. Bookshelves feature mirrored backings and are lined with lighting panels, allowing them to become portals into the Gucci universe.
The campaign features a collaboration with Italian artist Luca Pignatelli, who created 80 limited-edition artworks for the project using his signature sugar-lift and collage techniques. Drawing on historical and architectural references, Pignatelli’s work draws on the past and present to create something for the future, much like the installations. Gucci’s collaboration with Pignatelli especially hits home when considering the house’s recent string of forays into art collaborations.
Gucci’s year-long partnership with the Tate, Electric Dreams: Art and Technology Before the Internet, explores the optimism and anxieties surrounding digital art and AI. While perhaps a bit of a paradox when compared to Pignatelli’s crafty, hands-on approach, it speaks to the brand’s equal appreciation of traditions and tomorrow.