I promise, this story was not sponsored by SkyScanner but just in case you make a decision of booking a plane ticket for Florence by the time you end up reading this – don’t blame it on Ten. As you probably already know, yesterday marked the big opening of the 95th Pitti Uomo in Florence, a bi-annual fashion fair whose dedication to Italian suiting recently escalated into a more wholesome approach to menswear. And one of the brands spearheading this change is Gucci, who opened their Gardens in January as part of last January’s Pitti in Florence as an art and fashion hub with a big focus on exhibitions. After one dedicated to Björk, the new show is titled Il Maschile – Androgynous Mind, Eclectic Body (The Male – Androgynous Mind, Eclectic Body) and explores Alessandro Michele’s testing grounds of male fashion and masculinity. Including that seminal bow-tie blouse from Michele’s first ever Gucci show for AW15, the archival pieces on show curated by Maria Luisa Frisa show stand as a proof of a gender-bending wave in fashion which can definitely be credited to the brand and it’s current creative director.
And coinciding with the exhibition opening, Gucci decided to celebrate a man who has contributed to this topic for decades now. Their love story with Sir Dapper Dan of Harlem has been a fruitful one, and now it’s getting bound between covers. Titled Dapper Dan’s Harlem, their latest publication was shot by filmmaker and photographer Ari Marcopolous and features both archival work as well as the Dan’s collaboration with the brand. Released in only 500 copies and published through IDEA books, this is the collectible worth owning. And in order to own one of them, you’ll have to either visit the Gucci Garden in Florence or the recently opened Gucci Wooster bookstore in NYC. Are your flights booked yet?
‘Il Maschile – Androgynous Mind, Eclectic Body’ exhibition is opened at the Gucci Garden in Florence. ‘Dapper Dan’s Harlem’ is available to buy at Gucci Garden Galleria in Florence and Gucci Wooster Bookstore in New York City for £175.
