The highlight of my weekend was a daytrip to Florence where I toured the Gucci Garden.
The Gucci Garden had a boutique, gift shop, restaurant, cinema, and exhibitions. When we first stepped into the boutique, I had thought it was the museum exhibit because didn’t really know if we could touch anything or take pictures of the clothing… everything was so fancy and expensive. Plus, the employees watched your every move, as if you were under a microscope.
Getting to the exhibit part, it was actually really cool. There was an intersection of social, cultural and political issues at the time represented into almost each article. The colors, styles, materials, motifs, patterns, and even sizes/lengths of pieces all represented something.
For example, one of the rooms in the exhibit focused on the types of fabrics used… specifically those using animal fur or skin. Zebras, giraffes, foxes — oh my. These are only a few of the animals used for their designer clothing. It is evident that they liked to use “exotic” and limited materials in their designs which elevated their prices and status as a luxury brand.
However, today, using these animals for their products is seen as inhumane in most western societies which has resulted in complaints and protests against the brand. As a result, Gucci recently announced in late 2017 they were going fur-free starting with their Spring/Summer 2018 collections. They will no longer have mink, coyote, raccoon dog, fox, rabbit, and karakul in their clothing designs.
It is interesting to see that although their company’s past had been famous for their unique material choices that they were willing to change portions of their brand to accommodate modern times and issues. They are now utilizing technology to find alternatives for furs and reducing their impact on taking animal’s lives.
Their conscious changes for the future may impact other companies or designers to follow their lead and I hope it does. Gucci is doing a good job of accommodating to change while still remaining a strong and successful brand and I admire that.
“Gucci is so visible, so well-known — we need to use that in a positive way.” – Marco Bizzarri, Gucci CEO
If you have a passion for fashion, check out what Gucci has to offer! It is free for students and only a train ride away from Milano.