Gucci‘s latest endeavor, the Gucci Design Ancora project, emerges as a fusion of Italian heritage, design innovation, and immersive experience. Led by Creative Director Sabato De Sarno and co-curated by Michela Pelizzari, this unique project revitalizes five icons of Italian design, reimagined and tailored to engage modern audiences. The exhibition, housed at Gucci’s flagship store in via Monte Napoleone, 7, presents these timeless pieces within an immersive space conceived by Spanish architect Guillermo Santomà. From April 15th, 2024, visitors are invited to explore narrative of each object, while a special online edition becomes available on gucci.com from April 21st, 2024.
Michela Pelizzari, founder of Milan-based creative agency P:S, sheds light on the essence of Design Ancora, stating, “Gucci doesn’t simply celebrate old icons, it creates new ones.” The project aims to spotlight masterpieces by Italian designers that may be lesser-known to the general public, thus revitalizing their significance within contemporary design discourse. Each chosen object represents the golden age of Italian design, underscoring the enduring relationship between designers and brands, craftsmanship, and industrial production. Moreover, all items are re-edited in Rosso Ancora, a crimson hue symbolizing the dawn of Gucci’s new creative chapter.
Within the flagship store’s interior, curved green walls create an immersive experience, blurring distinctions and transporting visitors into a metaphysical realm where each object transforms beyond its physicality, embodying conceptual significance. Santomà’s multidisciplinary approach merges design, architecture, sculpture, and scenography to create an ethereal ambiance, allowing the objects to exist beyond mere functionality, as shape, materiality, and color coalesce in a mesmerizing display.
The captivating visual narrative extends to the windows of Via Monte Napoleone, 7, where the boundary between art and commerce dissolves. In a magnetic installation, Gucci Cub3d sneakers levitate and rotate, captivating passersby. Another window hosts a 3D printer, transformed into a unique objet d’art by Santomà himself. Through these interventions, Gucci continues to redefine the boundaries of luxury retail, inviting audiences to engage with creativity and innovation on multiple levels.
Gucci’s legacy of innovation and creativity, stemming from its inception in Florence in 1921, continues to evolve with the Gucci Design Ancora project. By celebrating Italian design heritage while embracing contemporary expression, Gucci reaffirms its commitment to redefining luxury for generations to come.
