The brand-new (4 days old) Gucci concept store in Soho is a must-see – and, indeed,  yesterday, while I was there, droves of retail execs were checking it out!.

Front and center is Dapper Dan’s throwback collection of 80’s Gucci – complete with track suits and vintage fabric designs!

• From what I was told by the staff,  the store is a passion project of the creative director Alessandro Michele who has taken the company in a streetwear direction – and been very successful at bringing a young, influential crowd to the brand.
• Also fascinating to see how things have changed in the fashion world – especially in luxury. Ten years ago, there would have been no Dapper Dan x Gucci (or Supreme x Vuitton) allowed. Both of these upstart brands have been sued for copyright infringement by the very brands they are now partnering with. Dapper Dan was even forced to close his Harlem store in the 90’s because of the lawsuits. And now? All is forgiven, hugs and kisses because the mega brands need the cool upstarts in order to stay relevant.

Scroll down for more pics and video from the Gucci store (including of their amazingly friendly and well-informed sales staff who the company refers to as “connectors”).  PLUS my take on the Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination exhibit that also just opened at the Met. Jaw-droppingly gorgeous and will be hugely influential for fashion, interior design, event planning, etc. etc. etc.

 

GUCCI STORE (63 Wooster Street, Soho, NYC)

 

 

 

HEAVENLY BODIES EXHIBIT @ The Met

 

 

As the show catalogue notes:

• The show features the work of designers who were primarily brought up with Catholic traditions and who acknowledge its enduring influence on their imaginations.
• On the surface, this influence is expressed through explicit Catholic imagery and symbolism as well as references to specific garments worn by the religious orders.
• On a deeper level, it manifests as a reliance on storytelling, and specifically on metaphor.
• The Catholic Imagination also operates on an experiential level. It’s configured to evoke the concept and practice of pilgrimage.

Tips for when you go:

• Be prepared to go on a pilgrimage. The show meanders from the Anna Wintour Costume Center through to the Medieval and Byzantine Art section (this is what you absolutely need to see).
• The music and the lighting are pitch-perfect.
• There is also an installation at The Cloisters that looks magnificent on instagram.

 

 

Bottom Line.

The new Gucci store feels like the final piece of the remake that Alessandro Michele envisioned for the brand. He has delivered a younger, edgier vibe to luxury. The store feels experiential and like an experiment. The company acknowledged that they took a 2 year lease instead of the usual 5 or more “to see how it goes.”  Their concept is reminiscent of what BMW is doing with the A/D/O space in Greenpoint. A way of staying relevant and keeping their antenna up for what’s happening at the street level. A relatively minor investment that can pay huge dividends on multiple levels.

The Heavenly Bodies show at the Met? What can I say? It is Anna Wintour’s masterwork – her magnum opus – before she leaves Conde Nast. A blockbuster. Bravo!!