Beyond Heritage

 Global Brand Ambassador Xiao Zhan visits the Gucci Archive and Gucci ArtLab in the House’s founding city of Florence.

In anticipation of Gucci Cosmos, the House’s immersive archival exhibition travelling the world, Xiao Zhan takes a trip to where the story began in 1921—Florence. Guided by curator Maria Luisa Frisa, he visits the Gucci Archive situated in the historic Palazzo Settimanni in the Santa Spirito neighborhood of the city. There, he is introduced to the House’s iconic codes and holds the predecessors to today’s signature bags—the Gucci Bamboo 1947 and Jackie 1961. They are the ephemera of Gucci, objects born with an exact purpose in a specific moment, but which later became fundamental for reconstructing the story of the brand. 

Xiao Zhan then goes outside the city center to the town of Scandicci, where Gucci ArtLab is located. This is the House’s laboratory for leather goods and shoes, the heart of its industrial craftsmanship and experimentation, and the place where skills and best practices are passed from one generation to the next. Here, the Global Brand Ambassador sees the intricate processes behind the making of the Gucci Bamboo 1947 bag, as well as the Horsebit loafers. Each piece, an example of the House’s visionary creativity and innovative spirit that have defined its trajectory for over 102 years, inspires a reflection that goes beyond heritage as the story takes its place in the imagination of the future. 
Discover the full episodes here.