Gucci Visions, the new exhibition at the Gucci Garden in Florence

Eight themed rooms retracing 102 years of the brand's history and creativity

After the exhibition that celebrated the Maison's 100th anniversary, Gucci Visions, the new exhibition that recounts the Maison's 102-year history, arrives in Florence. It is a tribute to the emblematic models, the iconic elements, the talent of the Creative Directors and the master artisans who have created them over the years. The exhibition reveals the spirit of adventure and innovation that has always animated the Maison, its great faith in the power of creativity and its full dedication to the Italian craft tradition, of which the models on display are the fruit.

The exhibition opens a new chapter in the Gucci Garden, the brand's creative and collaborative space spanning three floors of a 14th century Florentine palazzo. To open the itinerary, an illustrated timeline reveals itself to visitors as they walk up the various flights of stairs, tracing the history of the House through dates, events and key figures. Eight themed rooms are set up on the first and second floors of the building, which can be visited in any order, and each presents a particular aspect of the Maison's extraordinary history.

Let's start with the Metaverse room, equipped with a state-of-the-art gaming chair, from which visitors have access to a complete perspective on the House's recent initiatives in the digital universe: Gucci Town on Roblox, Gucci Vault Land in The Sandbox and Otherside Relics by Gucci, created in collaboration with Yuga Labs.

We continue with Stars, the room that celebrates the 100-year symbiosis between Gucci and prominent personalities: from Guccio Gucci's first encounters with high society at London's Savoy hotel to the Maison's adoption by Hollywood stars and the international jet set. In the Stars room, mirrors and digital screens create a multiplier effect that particularly highlights the nine bespoke suits on display, each dress embodying and evoking Gucci's enduring links with the ever-evolving celebrity culture.

The suitcases and bags on display in the Travel room are proof that the Maison has not strayed far from its founder's original vision. Displayed in alcoves against a backdrop of LED animations that foreshadow infinite future paths, the items on display range from a rare calfskin toiletry case from the 1940s, to designs from the 1960s and 1970s with the most classic Gucci motifs, to the Gucci Savoy collection of 2022.

Then we find the Icons room, which is an exceptional showcase for three legendary creations: the 1947 Bamboo bag, the 1955 Horsebit and the 1961 Jackie, each symbolising a key aspect of Gucci's identity. For Gucci Visions, more than 400 versions of these three iconic Gucci handbags are elegantly arranged on mirrored shelves revealing the House's astonishing all-round creativity.

In the Bamboo room, the House celebrates the nearly eight decades of this ingenious design, while the Codes room is an immersive, kaleidoscopic experience in which visitors are surrounded by the motifs and emblems created during the House's 102-year history.

The Fashion room hosts a series of looks that defined a decade, carefully chosen from the Gucci Archive at Palazzo Settimanni (which we visited exclusively and told you about here). The clothes range from the 1960s to the present day, and reveal how the House's Creative Directors engaged in 'conversations' back and forth in time, using the past to dialogue with the present and create the future.

Finally, the Flora room explores the stunning motif commissioned by Rodolfo Gucci from Italian artist and illustrator Vittorio Accornero de Testa in 1966. An immersive, giant-sized experience of the rich and detailed depiction of the different species of flowers, plants and insects that animate the Flora motif.

Room after room, Gucci Visions creates a journey that stimulates and enriches the visitor, demonstrating how Gucci has remained at the pinnacle of creativity and quality in the luxury industry for over a century thanks to its iconic designs and innovative ideas that not only mirror the times, but define them.

The Gucci Visions exhibition opens to the public on 15 June 2023 at the Gucci Garden, Piazza della Signoria 10.