Within the tourist trap of Florence, we finally found the entrance of the Gucci Garden. The exterior of the place looked ordinary in comparison to other Florence buildings, and a large pink banner which helped us identify the place.
I was surprised more people weren’t inside the Gucci Garden, especially after seeing how crowded the areas in front of the duomo were. I was also surprised this place existed in Florence, which, as a small town, felt like an homage to old design of the Renaissance. But after learning more about the inspiration for Gucci’s design, May Morris and Arts and Crafts era patterns, I guess it makes sense.
Although Gucci’s goal is to be a luxury brand, there is also emphasis on beauty and imagination in their products. My favorite aspect of the brand is their ability to transform their signature (sometimes the double-G symbol, sometimes the green and red stripe, sometimes both). Some of the bags and coats we saw weren’t vegan-friendly, so the materials become very pricey. I think the “luxury” of Gucci’s branding was made most obvious in the prices and surveillance throughout the entire museum.
I also liked the fact that they let us view the museum for free because we’re students (and they asked us before we asked them, because this was before we realized the EU prioritizes students’ education. I’m not familiar with this as an American student). I would have paid if we didn’t though.