Gucci Cosmos in London

At the turn of the century, a Florentine porter working at The Savoy hotel in London dreamed that luggage would one day bear his name. That name was Guccio Gucci, which today is not only on suitcases and duffles in the form of the GG monogram but a whole constellation of items crafted by the House he founded in 1921. At 180 Studios in London, just a few blocks from where that ambition was first sparked while bringing bags up and down an electric lift, Gucci Cosmos recounts how that vision evolved into a multidimensional narrative as it has been reinterpreted over generations. 

Taking the visual metaphor of cosmic revolutions, contemporary artist Es Devlin has envisioned the exhibition design as a series of immersive worlds highlighting the themes that have continued to reappear throughout Gucci’s history, adding two new ones for the London stop. The curator, fashion theorist, and critic Maria Luisa Frisa has drawn together treasures—many taking their first trip outside of the archive—to further trace the constellation of ideas and inventions set into orbit by the House. This context provides a unique lens through which to voyage through the story of Gucci—a journey that begins in a recreation of The Savoy elevator to evoke the prologue and arrives at Gucci Ancora, Creative Director Sabato De Sarno’s debut fashion show, to portray the chapter currently being written.  

Gucci Cosmos will be open from 11 October - 31 December 2023 at 180 Studios, 180 The Strand, London.