Last week, Gucci debuted a new boutique in Detroit, making it one of the first global luxury houses to open a permanent home in the city. A vibrant 3,500 square-foot historic space located on Library Street, the fashion brand’s newest retail addition follows several cultural initiatives driven by the aligning sentiments and spirit shared between the brand and the rich cultural landscape of Detroit.
Outside the store, passersby will be enticed by bright green painted trim set against a natural stone structure—a rich aesthetic that is completed with details like glimmering restored glass tiles and the Gucci name in large gold script. The same energy continues within, embodying the house’s more-is-more aesthetic through monochrome floors that match the geometric patterns of the exterior trim, mirrored tiling glittering on columns, and luxe-but-playful design elements like chartreuse velvet seating, curtained walls, black molded cabinetry, and bright yellow display shelves illuminated with thin strips of neon. There, patrons can shop the house’s latest offerings, including men’s and women’s ready-to-wear, jewelry, accessories, watches, and items from the Gucci Décor line.
Courtesy of Gucci.
Following Gucci’s recent experiences in Detroit, engaging with its artistic community (like the 2019 film commission Back to Techno with Jenn Nkiru and the Gucci North Americas Changemakers program targeting the city’s schools in support of students in fashion), the house celebrated its permanent home there by commissioning native jessica Care moore for a poem surrounding the house’s mission in the city. Painted on the wall of the Siren Hotel to be enjoyed by all is the stanza:
The spirit of a fashionable city is felt
As soon as she walks in.
The spark lives inside the patterned faces
of her community.
Courtesy of Gucci.
In September, the Gucci boutique celebrates its first-ever Detroit Month of Design through two initiatives: a second collaboration with the native designer Tommey Walker and his label DETROIT VS. EVERYBODY. Available exclusively at the Detroit location, it will include additions to Gucci’sresponsibly created “Off the Grid” collection, introducing collaborative styles like a baseball hat, backpack, and a belt bag. And at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD), Gucci Changemakers 2020 grant recipient Design Core will be featured in a special multimedia exhibition organized by the house.
Courtesy of Gucci.
Courtesy of Gucci.
