GUCCI‘S KYOTO MOMENT: Gucci Cosmos is traveling to Kyoto.
The exhibit first debuted in Shanghai last April, running until June and showcasing the brand’s iconic designs from its more than 102-year history. The Kering-owned luxury brand installed an immersive exhibition at Shanghai‘s West Bund, a former aircraft factory overlooking the Huangpu River. Gucci Cosmos then traveled to London in October, where it was staged until the end of the year.
The next iteration will open in October at Kyoto City Kyocera Museum and run until Dec. 1.
A collaboration between British artist Es Devlin, who designed the previous exhibitions, and Italian fashion curator Maria Luisa Frisa, Gucci Cosmos traces the history of the house; its craftsmanship within fashion and the wider culture through a selection of images, objects and illustrations, and noteworthy pieces from the Gucci Archive, weaving together elements such as its equestrian connection, its most famous bags, and archival looks from the Tom Ford, Frida Giannini and Alessandro Michele eras.
Through Gucci Cosmos, the company intends to pay homage to both Florence and Kyoto. Since 1965, Kyoto has been a sister city of Florence, where Gucci was founded. In 2021, as a part of Gucci’s centennial celebrations, the brand held a project titled “Gucci in Kyoto,” including exhibitions at Kiyomizudera Temple, which is registered as a World Heritage Site, at town houses in the center of Kyoto, and at the historic Ninna-ji Temple built in the ninth century, paying tribute to the city.
As it did in the previous cities, spotlighting their context, Gucci, which is designed by creative director Sabato De Sarno, will again feature dedicated narratives and elements echoing Kyoto’s and Japan’s own history.