We’re not saying designer fashion is the most important thing in the universe…
…but it is in this particular one.
Gucci Cosmos is a new exhibition set to showcase some of the most iconic designs from the Italian fashion house across its century-long history, settling into the cavernous spaces of 180 Studios on the Strand this October.
Gucci Cosmos Shanghai
This is stop #2 on the travelling exhibition’s tour, having debuted to great success in Shanghai (and moving onto Paris and Kyoto next). However it won’t be a carbon copy – the idea is for show the show to morph slightly to reflect the host city. And London’s Gucci Cosmos should be a particularly poignant one, because it’s here that the brand has its roots: founder Guccio Gucci first found sartorial inspiration handling luxury luggage while working as a porter at The Savoy.
Gucci Cosmos Shanghai
For the London edition the show-runners have drafted in the extraordinary set designer Es Devlin to create an exhibition setting that’s a work of art in itself, filled with sculptures, elaborate lighting and multimedia artwork. If the name rings a bell, it’s because she’s created stage sets for the likes of Beyoncé and the Royal Opera House, and filled the courtyard of Somerset House with an entire pop-up forest for the London Design Biennale in 2021 – so it’s safe to say we can expect something pretty spectacular here.
Gucci Cosmos Shanghai
As for the exhibits themselves, they’ve all been raided directly from the Gucci archive in Florence, and many have never been publicly displayed before. You can expect the brand’s iconic handbags to make an appearance, alongside some of Gucci’s earliest products, and designs by more recent creative directors like Tom Ford and Frida Giannini.
Just don’t expect to pick up too much in the gift shop.
NOTE: Gucci Cosmos runs at 180 Studios from 11th October – 31st December 2023. Tickets cost £18, and you can book HERE.
Gucci Cosmos | 180 Studios, Strand, London WC2R 1EA
Feeling cultured? Check out these other fascinating exhibitions in London now