GUCCI’S NEW DESTINATION TAPS INTO SOHO’S CREATIVE HERITAGE
“I love taking prints, embroidery, appliques—precious things that seem to be from another time—and using them to create a contemporary, new story.” Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele could very well have been talking about the house’s latest destination and first ever presence in New York’s SoHo neighborhood when he spoke these words. Occupying the site of a former pencil factory in a 155-year-old landmark-protected building on Wooster Street, Gucci Wooster, is nothing short of spectacular—a creative wonderland that is right at home on one of SoHo’s most charming, and history-laced streets.
In true Gucci style, the Wooster street destination taps into the days of yesteryear, bringing the best parts into the here and now. In particular, SoHo’s eclectic heritage epitomized in the ’70s and ’80s by a freewheeling attitude to music, film, literature, fashion, and art when the neighborhood was the soul of Manhattan’s creative community and stomping ground for New York icons such as Jean Michel Basquiat, Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, Blondie, to name just a handful.
The attitude of the space champions community, creativity, and culture and is further complemented by an interior fit out that seamlessly melds past and present—think restored brickwork, wooden floors, tin ceiling, and historic columns alongside hand-painted floor designs and furnishings covered in Gucci prints and fabric.
An exciting surprise comes in the form of an intimate screening room located towards the back of the space featuring innovative screens with glasses-free 3D technology programmed to further immerse viewers into the world of Gucci as they settle into turmeric-hued velvet armchairs. The screening room will host a run of rotating and seasonal creative initiatives.
And then there are the collections: women’s and men’s ready-to-wear, jewelry, accessories, and décor displayed in all of their vibrant, embellished, decorative splendor. But, as Michele once said, “Fashion is not about product; it’s about an interesting idea that you can’t resist buying into,” and if you ask us, Gucci Wooster embodies this notion to a tee. Prepare to be swept into a world where ideas, romance, and eccentricity reign supreme.
Words Edwina Hagon
Photography courtesy of Gucci
