Skip to Content

The Arts Intel Report

A Cultural Compass
For the World Traveler
A Cultural Compass
For the World Traveler

Gucci Cosmos

“Gucci Cosmos” at the West Bund Art Center.

Apr 28 – June 25, 2023
2555 Longteng Ave, Xuhui, Shanghai, China

The luxury store Gucci was founded 102 years ago. The son of a leather craftsman, Guccio Gucci had been living abroad, working at the Savoy Hotel, in London. It was there that he first laid eyes on the luggage of upper-class guests, elegance that enthralled him. Gucci returned to Florence and in 1921 unveiled a small leather-goods shop. The rest is history. This exhibition of eight immersive worlds, located in a former aircraft factory on Shanghai’s West Bund, hails back to Gucci’s days as a porter and then moves through thematic sections. Archival and iconic pieces pay homage to the brand’s clients, women such as Princess Grace of Monaco, Jackie Kennedy, and Princess Diana. The exhibition opened in London and is now touring; Shanghai, China, is its first stop. —Elena Clavarino

Photo courtesy of Gucci