During Milan Men's Fashion Week, the Italian fashion house hosted a multi-faceted exhibition filled with art, fashion, and history.

On Friday &mdash; also the first day of Milan Men's Fashion Week for the <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion-week/valentino-mens-spring-summer-2024-show-collection-every-look" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spring/Summer 2024 season</a> &mdash; <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/gucci-allegoria-high-jewelry-collection" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gucci</a> took a different route than presenting an expected menswear collection. The Italian fashion house unveiled an expansive exhibition in celebration of the 70 years since the creation of the <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/halle-bailey-hanni-julia-garner-gucci-horsebit-1955-bag-new-faces" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gucci Horsebit Loafer</a>. Cleverly titled "Gucci Horsebeat Society," the multifaceted showcase was curated by Alessio Ascari, the Milan-based creative director and curator of Spazio Maiocchi, and brought to life through installations from 10 international artists and creatives.

The exhibition transports visitors through the long legacy of the Horsebit, as reinterpreted iconography in the form of art, fashion, and audio-visual elements fill the space. The origins of the Horsebit date back to 1953, when Aldo Gucci first conceived the ingenious loafer embellishment, and it has since become a signifier for the luxury fashion house.
Tieing back to its equestrian roots, the "Gucci Horsebeat Society" is a reimagined take on the traditional country club, where each room is occupied by custom artwork from the previously mentioned international artists. Expanding into the courtyard of the Spazio Maiocchi is a conceptual "patio" &mdash; created by Brooklyn-based Russian architect and multi-media artist Harry Nuriev &mdash; with the Horsebit in furniture design. Further inside is the "dining room" located in the main gallery, featuring a surrealist table and curated artifacts from the <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/gucci-cruise-2024-collection-seoul-south-korea" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gucci</a> archives. In the cinema room, guests look back at the traced history of the Horsebit through a film by British&nbsp;photographer and filmmaker&nbsp;Bolade Banjo. While being immersed in the film experience, "light sculptures" designed by South Korean designer Gyuhan Lee punctuate the space, standing out with the Horsebit motif that decorates the outer casing.

Since its inception, the Horsebit has become a signifier of freedom among conventional dress codes, from its youthful allure of '70s fashion to its symbol of sophistication for the '80s career woman. Today, the Horsebit Loafer has come to represent opulence and ease.
Finishing out the exhibition is the static unveiling of the Men's Spring/Summer 2024 collection located in the "closet" &mdash; a space covered&nbsp;floor-to-ceiling&nbsp;in a collage&nbsp;wallpaper created&nbsp;by Australian&nbsp;image-maker&nbsp;Ed Davis. The collection was designed by <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/guccio-gucci-designer-biography" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gucci</a>'s in-house team ahead of <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/sabato-de-sarno-new-gucci-creative-director-fashion-designer-valentino" target="_blank" rel="noopener">newly-titled Creative Director Sabato De Sarno</a>&rsquo;s collection for the brand in September.

All photos courtesy of Gucci.

Gucci Celebrates 70th Anniversary of Horsebit Loafer With Special Exhibition

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