As the Milan Design Week starts off, Gucci opens its first temporary store in via Santo Spirito 19, right at the heart of the city’s fashion district. The venue is dedicated to the furniture and ornaments featured in the Gucci Décor interior collection.
Running until the end of June, the two-storied unit presents wallpapers adorned with Gucci’s classic patterns, restored antiques, decorated paneled doors, a paneled ceiling and a marble fireplace.
The store showcases porcelain collections and pieces of furniture all embellished by the iconic motifs and symbols that compose the brand’s visual lexicon, enabling customers to creatively decorate their domestic spaces.
Upon the store opening, Gucci has also launched an app for Apple devices aimed at showing users around evocative and historical venues of the city, where maxi screens will display a selection of Gucci Décor pieces in the form of large virtual sculptures.
These 16 locations are listed on a small map similar to that of the underground, printed on a leaflet that is distributed in Gucci’s mono-brand stores all around Milan. Pinned places include the Piazza del Duomo square, the Biblioteca Ambrosiana library andgallery, and the Milan Stock Exchange in piazza Affari.
The collection stands out for the vases created by Richard Ginori, decorated with Gucci’s iconic writings and illustrations.
Thanks to the skilful craftsmanship of artisans working in its historic porcelain manufacture, Gucci has produced a whole range of ceramic articles through complex cooking processes needing both manual skills and premium expertise.
Many of these pottery pieces are hand-painted ̶ the snake-shaped handles alone required around five hours of work.
The furniture also includes chairs inspired to medieval porter’s chairswith very high seatbacks rising to form a hood, once used in England ̶ and later on, in 17thcentury’s France ̶ by gatekeeper servants sitting at the entrance of noble residences.
Porcelain candlesticks are also decorated with the brand’s signature motifs, like the Herbariumflowery print, geometric patterns and the Star Eye design.
Pillows bear cross-stitch embroideries of bear and tiger heads on velvet or wool-blend backgrounds, a “Maison de l’Amour” writing, and illustrations of Bosco and Orso, designer Alessandro Michele’s terriers. The ornamental folding screens to divide living spaces are covered in printed fabric or lurex jacquard, in sharp contrast with the vinyl, paper or silk wallpapers.
The Gucci Décor collection is available in the main flagship stores and boutiques, online at gucci.com, and in some specialized stores.
