Gucci Garden Is Your New Fashion Destination in Florence
In tandem with the beginning of Pitti Uomo in Florence, Gucci has unveiled the Gucci Garden, an interactive space that explores the aesthetic and archival history of the brand. Like a beacon to the fashion obsessed, a giant pink neon eye, a symbol with a rich history of its own, hangs outside the Palazzo della Mercanzia. Formerly, the space housed the Gucci Museo, but like everything Alessandro Michele has done since taking the helm, it’s been completely reinvented.
Within the Palazzo walls, on the ground floor, a Gucci boutique sells pieces from the collections and the brand’s décor collections, as well as selling a curated selection of international magazines, publications, and books. The entry-level floor also houses the Gucci Osteria, with the three-Michelin-starred chef Massimo Bottura leading the culinary charge.
There is also a Gucci Galleria, which examines and spotlights the history of the brand, much like a museum. Curator Maria Luisa Frisa has purposefully chosen not to present the archival pieces in chronological order, opting instead for experimentation. “‘We decided to make the space a laboratory where you have all the elements with which to creatively experiment,’ she explains.
Further, ‘The past is very much part of the present at Gucci, which is perfectly in keeping with Alessandro’s idea of the brand, and indeed his attitude to Florence, Gucci’s home, which he sees as a city where history is still vibrantly alive.’
The entry fee to Gucci Garden is 8 euros, with half of proceeds going to restoration projects in Florence.
