申し訳ありません。このコンテンツはただ今、英語のみとなります。 For the sake of viewer convenience, the content is shown below in the alternative language. You may click the link to switch the active language.

“Gucci Visions”

To celebrate the one-hundred-and-second year of the foundation of Gucci, the Italian fashion house launched an event paying homage to iconic motifs, artisans and creative directors who have contributed to its fame.

The event in the Ginza store - inaugurated in the autumn of 2023 and open until the spring of 2024 - is spread over two levels and divided into six rooms.

Photo @Lamberto Rubino

Once crossed the threshold of the sixth floor of the building, the first "TRAVEL" room welcomes the visitor. The room, which recalls a train wagon, is illuminated by colored neon with scrolling text and embellished with pieces of luggage and images from the advertising campaign of the 1950s and 2022.

Photo @Lamberto Rubino

The train carriage opens onto the track to three other rooms: ICONS, STARS and CRAFTSMANSHIP.

“ICONS” displays Gucci's iconic bags, such as Bamboo, Horsebit, Jackie and Diana.

An emblem of creativity and craftsmanship, the bags are shown in a giant glass case. The room is also enhanced by the ceiling and the mirrored floor, which gives a feeling of infinity.

Let's explore the history of these bags!

The BAMBOO bag, created by Guccio Gucci in 1947, is one of the most representative models of the Florentine fashion house. It is a bag inspired by a horse saddle with a Japanese bamboo handle. This detail is an essential part of the Gucci Maison’s identity.

Created by Aldo Gucci in 1955, the HORSEBIT bag features a specific detail: using the "HORSEBIT" double ring clamp for riding bridles as a bag closure.

Born in the 60s with the name "HOBO BAG", the bag recalls the shape of the one used by vagabonds. The "JAKIE" bag pays homage to Jacqueline Kennedy, one of her biggest fans, having become part of the international jet set.

Initially called "TOTE BAG" - with linear and simple lines and a bamboo handle - the bag changed its name to "DIANA" to pay tribute to one of its most passionate users, the unforgettable Princess Diana, who wore it on different occasions.

Photo @Lamberto Rubino

Photo @Lamberto Rubino

Once you cross the entrance of the "STARS" room, mirrored panels and a soft carpet frame some clothes worn by famous people such as the singers Bjork and Lady Gaga, and the actresses Fumino Kimura and Naomi Watts.

Photo @Lamberto Rubino

Photo @Lamberto Rubino

The "CRAFTSMANSHIP” section tells, through a video, how the bamboo handle is made. Natural, durable and delicate, bamboo is shaped and colored through the use of a flame. Artisans are essential to Italian history; luxury brands know their potential perfectly and make the most of it. In 2018, the Maison created “Gucci ArtLab,” an industrial and experimental craftsmanship center for leather and footwear products, to mark this critical work. Marco Bizzarri, President and CEO of Gucci, explains:

“Gucci ArtLab is the perfect expression of the corporate culture we are building and developing: a place to learn and develop skills, a laboratory of ideas.”

Photo @Lamberto Rubino

Photo @Lamberto Rubino

Passing through a "historical staircase," we reach the exhibition's second floor. From the year of its foundation in 1921 to the opening of the first shop in Ginza in 1964; from the arrival of Tom Ford as creative director in 1994 to the Maison's entry into the world of jewelers in 2019. Until 2023, which marks the entrance of the “creative director” Sabato De Sarno in the Gucci family.

Photo @Tokyo Art Beat

In a strictly white setting, giant trunks used as displays host the “CODES” chapter. A real "Gucci Archive", where some clothes, shoes, and bags created over the years by the Italian fashion house are exhibited. We find the JACKIE bag, the "HORSEBIT" moccasin - presented for the first time in 1953 - and some garments and objects from the "FLORA" collection.

Photo @Lamberto Rubino

Photo @Lamberto Rubino

The last chapter “FLORA” takes its name from the collection “Flora,” created in 1966. The motif was printed on a silk scarf, depicting the four seasons – in thirty-seven colors – with flowers, plants and insects. Reproduced on ready-to-wear garments, bags, accessories, and jewelry, the delicate and naturalistic pattern gives the brand freshness in the Italian fashion house.

The exhibition ends with a pleasant walk among enormous flowers that lead to the terrace, where a floor printed with the "FLORA" motif brightens the view of Ginza.

Photo @Lamberto Rubino

Photo @Lamberto Rubino

Photo @Lamberto Rubino

There are some points of the design that I allow myself to criticize and others to praise. Here are some observations about the exhibition.

The first two rooms, "TRAVEL" and "ICONS," stunning and of significant impact, seem to repeat the same environments from the "GUCCI GARDEN ARCHETYPES" event, made in 2021.

“CRAFTSMANSHIP”, which tells the story of the work of craftsmen, in my opinion, should have been one of the essential points of the exhibition, as craftsmen play a primary role in manufacturing and designing individual products.

In the “STARS” room, the choice of mirrored panels is interesting. However, using white writing on the mirrors in a bright environment made the texts arduous to read.

The laudable idea was to use the staircase - usually left undecorated - as a sort of "history staircase" sign of Gucci's growing history.

The use of giant trunks in the “CODES” room as displays is attention-grabbing. The trunks, customarily used to store memories, were used as a historical archive. Furthermore, they recall the brand's origins in this specific case, which began in 1920 as a luggage atelier.

Courtesy of Gucci

Courtesy of Gucci

Art and fashion exhibitions can be subjective experiences, and personal preferences significantly determine enjoyment. Overall, the “GUCCI VISIONS” exhibition is good-looking and worth visiting.