Gucci Cruise 2017. Getty
Update on April 4, 2017::
WWD has confirmed that Gucci will be staging its Cruise 2018 show at the Palatina Gallery at Pitti Palace in Florence on May 29 as a part of a cultural project with the Uffizi Gallery. Gucci will donate 2 million euros to help restore the Boboli Gardens in the Italian city. The news comes shortly after the addition of Prada to the Cruise calendar.
Published on March 21, 2017:
After showing his first two cruise collections for the Italian house in New York and London, does Gucci’s Alessandro Michele plan to go back to the brand’s roots? Rumors swirled last month that the Greek government had rejected Gucci’s proposal to show its cruise collection at the Parthenon in Athens. Right after that, the Sicilian city of Agrigento made an unsolicited bid to the brand, offering the spectacular Valley of the Temples as the backdrop to the show. The new location for Cruise 2018 is hotly anticipated news. Considering Michele’s innate understanding of his customer, where will he point the Gucci compass to next?
In June 2016, the cloisters of Westminster Abbey in London played host to the Cruise 2017 show. The lofty 13th Century building—with its resplendent stone archways and stained glass windows—was the cool backdrop for the opulence of the cruise offering. The soft greys of the historic setting served as the ideal backdrop to the kaleidoscopic vision that is Gucci today. The silk headscarves, Victoriana punk pieces, build-up of badges, frilly bibs, and natty black panther emblems made for a collection that was relevant the world over. The house of Gucci riffed off the British cultural smorgasbord, with every bit of eccentricity that has made creative director Alessandro Michele one of the most important designers in the industry.
These key pieces work in Riyadh, Rome, Muscat, and Milan.
He knows what we want. Case in point? The Spring 2017 season sunglasses sold out within hours on Net-a-Porter when it launched them last week exclusively. Click fast or miss out on those outsized, jewel-encrusted optics.
Florence is the brand’s hometown and its fashion flair is a vital part of the Gucci signature. It would indeed by the perfect location to showcase Michele’s deft hand at celebrating the Gucci heritage as he evolves the house DNA season after season with fluidity and confidence. Stay tuned for more updates.
