To celebrate its centenary, luxury fashion house Gucci has announced the opening of the Gucci Archive, a collection of its historical heritage housed within the restored Palazzo Settimanni in Florence. Spanning 3,000 square meters, this new brand space joins Gucci’s existing attractions, the Gucci Garden and Gucci ArtLab, in offering visitors a deeper understanding of the label’s past, present, and future.
The Gucci Archive is located within a 15th-century Italian palace that has been owned by Gucci since 1953. The space has been fully restored and divided into five levels, providing a dedicated area for the display and preservation of iconic Gucci silhouettes, accessories, sketches, and illustrations spanning the decades. By bringing together these pieces, the archive presents a curated journey through Gucci’s evolving style.
The exhibition, titled Archetypes, was recently unveiled by Gucci and showcased the brand’s advertising campaigns. However, the opening of the Gucci Archive provides an additional focus on the historical significance and cultural heritage of the fashion house. The aim is not merely nostalgic, but a desire to trace the evolution of styles over time. Valerie Steele, director and curator of the Fashion Institute of Technology museum in New York, collaborated on the exhibition layout with Gucci’s artistic director, Alessandro Michele. Steele explains, “This relationship with time explains the desire, for a century-old brand like Gucci, to take care of its archives. The goal is to keep a tangible cultural heritage alive, for our contemporaries as well as future generations.”
Although the Gucci Archive is currently not open to the general public, it is expected to play a significant role in Gucci’s Education program. This program aims to train Gucci’s teams in the brand’s specific knowledge and skills, solidifying its commitment to craftsmanship and innovation.
Useful Links:
1. Gucci Official Website – Archive Section
2. Vogue – Gucci Careers Education Programs
