SEPTEMBER 2023 – Gucci expands its presence in the U.K. with the opening of a new boutique in London. Situated on Mayfair’s New Bond Street, the location replaces the former Old Bond Street store, offering an elevated destination with twice as much floor space, an impressive array of products, Europe’s first Gucci Salon, and a one-of-a-kind curation of artworks.
The 15,000sqft store occupies a historic, Grade-II listed building found at 144-146 New Bond Street, that first served as an art gallery in 1913. With the building deemed particularly significant for its exterior and its impressive interior period features, Gucci has undergone a sensitive restoration project in line with its historic status and the House’s exceptional craftsmanship.
Crossing the Gucci emblem at the tiled threshold, guests are warmly welcomed into an expansive ground floor, the bright former gallery space now reimagined to showcase Handbags, Fine Jewellery, Women’s Ready-to-Wear, Silk, Shoes, and more. Impressive columns give an air of classical grandeur, while canvas-coloured walls and dark wooden chevron flooring provide the perfect backdrop for the House’s collections. An imposing curving staircase leads to the lower floor and to Men’s Ready-to-Wear, Watches, Small Leather Goods, and other categories.
From Fragrances to Timepieces, the House’s various chapters await discovery over five floors – including a mezzanine dedicated entirely to the Gucci Valigeria travel collection. Creating a bridge between the past and the present, the refined interiors of the mezzanine evoke the atmosphere of an elegant vintage railway train. Shelving, showcasing the latest Valigeria offerings (including the Savoy line, named after the London hotel that was the former workplace of a young Guccio Gucci), is marked by engraved lion’s head details, while the floor is a hand-laid parquet. Meanwhile, the Tudor Room, with its carefully restored, evocative wood-panelled walls, offers a refined atmosphere for guests to discover precious items on display from the Gucci archive in Florence – a curated selection of suitcases and duffle bags spanning different time periods from the 1930s to the 1980s.
Gucci New Bond Street is also notable as the location of the latest Gucci Salon, the House’s ultimate luxury destination for clientele by invitation only. Inspired by the origin of the salon as an intimate, personal space, New Bond Street’s Salon evokes the atmosphere of an elegant home that will be curated for each appointment to the specific desires of the client.
Throughout their journey clients will encounter accessories in precious leathers, others embellished with crystals, diamonds or 18-carat gold. In addition evening gowns, garments and tailoring will offer the opportunity for made-to-measure and made-to-order pieces – ensuring every Gucci client can discover something entirely one-of-a-kind. High Jewelry and Watchmaking draw on the House’s expertise to create a truly unique expression of luxury in precious metals and fine gemstones.
As a reflection of both the building’s provenance as a gallery and Gucci’s long-standing commitments to the world of art, the newly inaugurated boutique also houses a remarkable selection of artworks – something unique amongst Gucci stores around the world. Opening with a curation by Truls Blaasmo focussing in particular on Italian artists, geometry, primary colours, and a relationship with text, pieces from world-renowned names including Lucio Fontana, Liliana Moro, Franco Mazzucchelli, Alighiero Boetti, Matilde Cassani, Jonny Niesche, Massimo Uberti, Joshua Woolford, Simon Callery and Tim Etchells boldly animate the historic rooms. Spanning mediums including sculpture, painting, and neon, the project has been conceived as a visual experience for visitors – a journey that encourages interaction and engagement, while facilitating a dialogue between young talent and established artists. With further works set to be unveiled later this year, the new flagship becomes a living space, an ever-evolving chapter adding to the historical story of the property and hinting at the new Gucci universe.
As part of Gucci’s commitment to implement and enhance eco-friendly initiatives and energy-efficient technologies in the House’s stores worldwide, the new boutique is designed using LEED guidelines and principles; monitor and promote energy efficiency.
