FASHION IN ITALIA

So this year I decided to travel to another fashion capital, Milan! And stopped off at Venice, Pisa and Florence on the way! Here are some of my daily outfits and my trip to the Gucci museum!

VENICE – THE FLOPPY HAT

PISA – THE MIDI SKIRT

MILAN – THE TRIBAL KIMONO

 

GUCCI MUSEO - FLORENCE

Aldo Gucci, 1938 – 'Quality is remembered long after price is forgotten.'

Something that I did not expect to see in the Piazza Della Signoria was a museum entirely dedicated to Gucci! Made up of three floors, the exhibition spanned from the introduction of Gucci’s popular diamond patterned fabric in the mid thirties, to Giannini’s premiere collection of dresses in 2010. 

The first room was entirely based on travel and featured duffle bags, which from the beginning of the 50s, were made with the thick leather used to construct saddles for horses. The beauty case also was highlighted as a commodity of great importance; Guccio Gucci was said to have noticed its significance whilst working as a liftboy at the Savoy hotel, and to have prompted the production of beauty cases in the diamond print.

The ultimate accessory within the travel section, however, was the Gucci Cadillac Seville, commissioned as a limited edition with 200 models in 1979. Having previously collaborated with general motors in 1971 to produce the Hornet Sportabout, Gucci applied fashion to the entirety of travel by making transport designer. 

Another floor detailed the various logo’s of Gucci, as in 1968 the interlocking GG debut’s on Gucci’s first ever ready to wear collection; and within the same period the horse-bit print is introduced, adding an equestrian feel that is similar to the work of Hermes.

The section on the ‘Flora’ pattern was another highlight for me within the museum. In 1966 the illustrator, Vittorio Accornero, collaborated with Gucci with the task of creating an original design for the Princess Grace of Monaco. His Flora scarf was produced in 1966, and the pattern became so popular that an entire collection was soon produced, with the print on ready to wear items as well as on Porcelain.

The last room of the exhibition featured some dresses from Frida Giannini’s 2010 premiere collection, including one worn by Cameron Diaz, Evan Rachel Wood, and Jessica Chastain. It was stated that her collection was “for women with a strong character, that know how to seduce”. And her dresses are certainly seductive in themselves!