Gucci Cosmos takes visitors back in time, revisiting some of the brand’s most iconic looks over the last hundred years.
They say the universe is full of infinite possibilities—and in the case of the Gucci universe, that is certainly the case. Founded in Florence, Italy, in 1921, Gucci has become one of the world’s leading luxury brands, creating new trends and setting the tone for over a century now. And following the house’s centenary, Gucci celebrates its historied legacy with a new traveling exhibition, aptly titled Gucci Cosmos. Filled with never-before-seen photographs and celebrated timepieces, it is certainly a feast for the senses.
Following the exhibition’s debut in Shanghai earlier this year, Gucci Cosmos finally arrives in London—but with several added surprises. While the exhibition traces one of many possible constellations connecting the ideas and inventions set in motion by the creative directors and artisans over the last century, it also highlights how London as a city and culture has impacted the house. Contemporary artist Es Devlin, who designed the exhibition, created a dedicated set-up for the space at 180 Studios with additional elements that pay homage to London and its pivotal role in inspiring Guccio Gucci to establish his artisanal luggage atelier in the early twentieth century. One of these additions includes a red-lacquered elevator, which recreates London’s Savoy Hotel elevator where founder Guccio Gucci worked as a teenager.
Elsewhere in the exhibition, Italian fashion theorist and critic Maria Luisa Frisa has pieced together treasures, many of which take their first trip outside of the archive. On display are some of the Italian house’s most popular pieces (like the Jackie 1961 Shoulder Bag and Vittorio Accornero-illustrated silk scarves). And with its elaborate design and archive, the exhibition transports visitors 102 years back in time to show how Gucci became the brand they are today.
“The archive of a brand is not only a place of conservation, but of imagination, continually questioned, tested, and reactivated by the expectations and gazes of those who pass through it,” the exhibition notes read. “In addition to containing the clothes, accessories, and objects that define the identity of the house, the Gucci Archive also preserves a repertoire of materials and documents of various kinds, from precious illustrations to catalogues, photographs, records and notebooks.”
““The archive of a brand is not only a place of conservation, but of imagination, continually questioned, tested, and reactivated by the expectations and gazes of those who pass through it.”
These items, crucial to Gucci’s history, are woven in with designs by past and present Gucci creative directors—Tom Ford, Frida Giannini, Alessandro Michele, and today’s Sabato De Sarno. This delineation of past and present highlights how house codes have been re-interpreted by creative directors over the years while also showcasing the house’s timelessness all these years later.
“A fashion show that neither portrays a collection nor a season, but rather how Gucci has managed to mark the rhythm of the times and to craft its image throughout a long and storied history,” writes the introduction for the exhibition.
And just as the exhibition traveled from Shanghai to be with us here in London, the exhibition will continue its tour around the world into the new year. In 2024, Gucci Cosmos will be exhibited in Paris and then Kyoto. With each stop imbuing some essence from its host city, through dedicated narratives and elements, it opens up the Italian house to the world in a unique way that will hopefully resonate with each place. As for London’s exhibition, it closes with one final word from Gucci’s current creative director, which perhaps perfectly sums up the Gucci ethos: “This is a story about being alive. And I want all of you with me.”
Gucci Cosmos is on view at 180 Studios until December 31, 2023. For more information or to buy tickets, click here. All images courtesy of Gucci.
