To my mind one of the most innovative and dynamic designers in fashion today is Alessandro Michele, Creative Director for Gucci. Continuing to expand the boundaries in re-imagining what is Gucci, Alessandro stamps Gucci Garden in the Gucci Museo with his maximimalist sensibility, originally inaugurated by his predecessor Frida Giannini in 2011.
As Alessandro explains "The garden is real, but it belongs above all to the mind, populated with plants and animals: like the snakes which slips in everywhere and in a sense symbolizes a perpetual beginning and a perpetual return."
Inside the Museo, The Gucci Galleria exhibition rooms are curated by art critic Maria Luisa Frisa who sees the spaces she conceived "as a poetic reactivation." Exclusive clothing and accessories are set amongst archival pieces dating back to Gucci's Florentine origins of 1921. For interior design fans there's also a selection of luxurious home-goods in whimsical designs that have already become collectors' items.
Osteria da Massimo Bottura, the 50 seat 3-Michelin-star restaurant run by Chef Massimo Bottura is also housed in the Gucci Museo that's situated in the grand Palazzo della Mercanzia. Chef Bottura has created an entirely new menu, that includes classical Italian dishes such as Parmigiano Reggiano tortellini, risotto and Taka pork buns named for his sous-chef Kondo Takahiko.
Looking forward to checking it out firsthand over the summer...
The Gucci Garden facade - photography by Gucci
The Gucci Garden Galleria - photography by Gucci
Full-on Gucci glamour - Photography by Gucci
A display at the Gucci Garden in the Palazzo della Mercanzia. Credit Clara Vannucci for The New York Times
Photography from Habitually Chic
The multifloor space retains elements of the museum, with galleries displaying clothing, accessories and objects from Gucci’s extensive archive. Credit Clara Vannucci for The New York Times
Photography by Gucci
Photography by Gucci
Alessandro Michele in the midst of it all