Gucci Cosmos: Gucci's immersive exhibition lands in London

Launched in Shanghai last April, this international touring exhibition lands in London in October and brings its creative and immersive experience to 180 Studios, located at 180 The Strand cultural centre. Paying homage to the House’s deep ties to the UK capital, Gucci Cosmos is both a journey through time that explores the House’s history and Florentine roots and an ode to its timeless creativity.

Gucci Cosmos an exhibition project launched in Shanghai and now coming to London, explores how, for over a century, its immutable codes and spirit have been brought to life through its most iconic designs, and how these memorable classics have been a source of inspiration and reinterpretation for the House’s visionary designers. The exhibition shows how this continued belief in the power of creativity, anchored in the finest Italian craftsmanship and tradition, has meant that, beyond being a reflection of its time, Gucci has defined each era and influenced society and its aesthetic tastes.

Conceived and designed by the prestigious British contemporary artist Es Devlin and curated by Maria Luisa Frisa, an illustrious Italian fashion theorist and critic, this exciting journey through Gucci’s past, present and future is composed of a series of exhibition ‘worlds’ filled with treasures drawn from the Gucci Archive – many of them unpublished – a veritable living repository and hub of activity for the House’s creative teams located in the 15th century Palazzo Settimanni in Florence.

7 photos

Each world explores a different aspect of Gucci, its unwavering principles since its founding in 1921 and its ever-renewing inspiration and creativity, from the early aspirations of founder Guccio Gucci to the pioneering spirit of his sons Aldo and Rodolfo, to the boundless imaginative potential of his most recent creative directors: Tom Ford, Frida Giannini, Alessandro Michele and now Sabato De Sarno.

To mark the arrival of Gucci Cosmos in London, Es Devlin has delved into the historical links between the House and the British capital (his home city), and adapted the exhibition design through on-site experiences. Bringing together innovative aural, visual and kinetic technologies, he has chosen to reflect, from the outset, Guccio Gucci’s experiences at the Savoy hotel – located just 500 metres from the 180 The Strand cultural centre – with the aim of further exploring a key period in the origins of the House and linking it to the visual metaphor of the different orbits that make up the Gucci universe.