Are you planning to be in London during the December holidays? Why not seize the last opportunity to explore the intriguing connection between the city and the Gucci fashion house? Delve into the treasures concealed within the brand’s 102-year history at the immersive Gucci Cosmos exhibition held at 180 Studios in London.
This exhibit is noteworthy not only because it showcases never-before-seen items from the Gucci archive and some of their most iconic pieces but also for providing insights into the pivotal role that the UK capital has played in the history of the Italian luxury brand.
As you step into the Gucci Cosmos, you will be transported back to 1897, where you’ll find yourself in the lobby of The Savoy hotel, just 500 meters from 180 The Strand—an exclusive crossroads of the international jet set. This is where the dream of a young man named Guccio Gucci began. Gucci migrated from Florence to London to work as a luggage porter and lift boy at the hotel.
London likely marked the inception of Gucci’s business journey, sparking the curiosity of a visionary man drawn to the elite realm of luxury leather luggage and goods, which eventually propelled him into fashion industry.
Through the eyes of IM London Fashion Styling students, we explored how Gucci’s creativity, ideas, inspiration, and Italian heritage have influenced society and aesthetic taste for more than a century.
‘The Ascending Room’ at the Gucci Cosmos exhibition in London. Courtesy of Gucci
“I found immersing myself in the Gucci Cosmos exhibition incredibly valuable,” stated Harini Nittala, a second-year student in Fashion Styling & Creative Direction at Istituto Marangoni London. “It provided an insightful step into the history of the Gucci house. Discovering that London served as the inspiration for Guccio Gucci added a unique perspective to the brand’s narrative. The immersive display unveiled the context behind objects, which resonated with my creative work.”
‘Portals’ at the Gucci Cosmos exhibition in London. Courtesy of Gucci
Stepping into a reproduction of ‘The Savoy Lobby’ and entering a replica of the famous red elevator of The Savoy, known as ‘The Ascending Room,’ you will find yourself in one of the worlds within the Gucci Cosmos, called ‘Portals.’ This area consists of three interconnected, circular, all-white spaces linked by a series of revolving doors reminiscent of the hotel’s original entrance. Within these spaces, you will encounter moving circular conveyor belts showcasing examples of the finest Gucci luggage and bags produced over the decades. Here, iconic bags named after celebrities come to life, each with its own fascinating story. Examples include the Grace Kelly flower suitcase and the Gucci G1244, later renamed ‘Jackie 1961’ after the first lady Jackie Kennedy, who was immortalised wearing various versions of the bag by the paparazzi, solidifying its status as a classic.
The narratives of the display also focused on the relevance of the manufacturing industry behind luxury, highlighting the impact of material availability that guided design choices. For instance, the scarcity of leather in Italy during wartime led to Gucci’s innovative use of bamboo for bag handles. Additionally, the transition from hard to soft luggage, driven by the demand for affordable travel, underscored the intersection of fashion and societal development.
Gucci Cosmos’s ‘Zoetrope’ world. Courtesy of Gucci
The ‘Zoetrope’ room reveals the special significance of various equestrian icons referenced in Gucci’s universe and shoes—a world evoked with sounds and visuals of galloping hooves. On display, you will find the iconic Gucci Horsebit loafers with their double ring and bar, a distinctive element introduced by Aldo Gucci in 1953. The shoes also feature the signature green-red-green Web stripe, inspired by the strap that holds a horse’s saddle in place.
The ‘Eden’ room at the Gucci Cosmos exhibition in London. Courtesy of Gucci
You’ll be amazed by how particularly fascinating the ‘Eden’ space is. “I was immersed in a paper-cutting installation inspired by Flora, an exquisite and delicately naturalistic image of flora and fauna that dates back to 1966,” commented Harini Nittala. Commissioned by Rodolfo Gucci to the famous artist and illustrator Vittorio Accornero de Testa for a silk scarf made for Princess Grace of Monaco, the pattern became the leitmotif of Gucci’s 1981 ready-to-wear collection, presented in the Sala Bianca, at Palazzo Pitti in Florence, and has since inspired the creativity of creative directors Tom Ford, Frida Giannini, Alessandro Michele, and Sabato De Sarno. “Breathless is Alessandro Michele’s flower suit,” added Nittala.
The ‘Archivio’ room at the Gucci Cosmos exhibition in London. Courtesy of Gucci
In terms of branding, the exhibition provides a comprehensive view of the formation and evolution of the Gucci logo and the fashion house’s signature codes and items, focusing on its impact on the brand’s identity and its reinterpretation over the years. This visual journey unfolds in the marvellous ‘Archivio’ room, where you will explore the origins of the most famous Gucci bags. This maze-like world is reminiscent of the Archivio Gucci in Florence, with walls lined with countless cabinets and drawers. The display features a variety of bags that have now become timeless modern classics, including the Bamboo 1947, the Jackie 1961, the Horsebit 1955, the Gucci Diana, and the Dionysus.
The ‘Cabinet of Wonders’ world at the Gucci Cosmos exhibition in London. Courtesy of Gucci
“My takeaway from the experience at Gucci Cosmos is the visual evolution of a century-old luxury brand—symbolised in the ‘Cabinet of Wonders’ room with a massive red lacquer rotating cube containing a set of drawers and compartments that slide in and out mechanically,” explained Harini Nittala. “This allowed me to embark on an excursion through diverse approaches of different Gucci creative directors over the years, influencing brand perception, interpretation, and the aesthetics of the fashion house. It’s an exhibition worth experiencing before it closes!”
The ‘Carousel’ room at the Gucci Cosmos exhibition in London. Courtesy of Gucci
And how can one forget the ‘Carousel’ room? There, 25 mannequins dressed in Gucci garments from the 1970s to the present day slowly flow like models on a constantly moving catwalk, accompanied by an evocative soundtrack of sewing machines and atelier sounds.
With ‘Gucci Ancora’, visitors enter a room inspired by Creative Director Sabato De Sarno’s debut collection. Courtesy of Gucci
If you are curious to learn more about the new era of Gucci, this is the place for you. As soon as you enter ‘Gucci Ancora,’ you will find yourself in a room directly inspired by the debut collection and runway show of the new creative director, Sabato De Sarno. Naturally, the room is entirely painted in the newly exclusive Rosso Ancora shade.
The enchantment of the themed rooms was designed by the artist Es Devlin, a genuine Londoner who interpreted the Gucci universe with the role of the London cosmos itself. “As a creative endeavour and expression of the times, the house and its history over the past century can be mapped through an ability to evolve and, more broadly, to expand on the mutability of our own consciousness and ability to make cognitive shifts,” Es Devlin said in a statement. “For the exhibition’s iteration in London, I wanted to draw on the city’s pivotal role in the house’s origin myth in which a young Guccio Gucci rode up and down the red lacquered ‘Ascending Room’ at The Savoy, where his interactions with guests and their exquisite luggage would go on to forge his future.”
Credit also goes to the curator Maria Luisa Frisa, an Italian fashion theorist and critic. “I was able to tell its story through the clothes, objects, elements, people, and contexts that made this brand iconic and a trailblazer within the fashion and collective visual culture for over a century,” Frisa reported to the press, referring to how she has curated an exhibition spanning from classics to recent creative directors such as Tom Ford, Frida Giannini, Alessandro Michele, and now Sabato De Sarno.
Inaugurated in Shanghai last April, this captivating Gucci archival exhibition is now travelling across the globe and is set to reach various destinations soon. London is currently hosting this exclusive experience, but the clock is ticking, fashion fans! Don’t miss out on the opportunity to experience this unique exhibition before it leaves the city.
Silvia De Vecchi
University Librarian, London