Pitti Palace

I really enjoyed visiting the Pitti Palace in part due to its largesse and extensive art collection, but also due to the amazing fashion collection! Not only was the collection fulled with antiquities, but it was also filled with historical symbols of Italian fashion. One of the first rooms we went into housed two dresses, severely contrasted, but with similar styles of the robe a la francaise. The first was a dress from 1775-1780 that was titled as "manifattura siciliana", that was a much more historical version. The second was a dress by Gianfranco Ferre from 1989 in Milan that was a modern day interpretation of the French period styles that looked like something a haute couture, French ballerina would wear. It was a classical black tank top (dress?) with a cape-like, huge, feathered (taffeta) skirt that tied at the front. Both featured the "French enlightenment rose," which was created just for Marie Antoinette in the 15th century.

I particularly enjoyed the pieces by Fortuny and Ferre. Fortuny really seemed to be inspired by the fabulous Greek goddesses, as he titled two of the featured dresses as "Peplos tea gown" from 1934, and "Delphos tea gown" from 1911. They both were inspired by the idea of liberation of women's bodies, which was shown in the weightless, gauzy looking fabric that was used in both dresses. The Ferre dresses had such extravagant bustiers and intricate decoration. Most of the items were evening dresses and were extraordinarily structural - keeping with the architectural trend he is so well known for. However, there was one dress he had that had draped raffia on the bodice that I really did not like. It looked like limp noodles.

I'm pretty sure this dress was in the collection. Either way it's a great example of draping that is consistent with following the lines of the body from the 1930s.

And these were also featured: one is a wedding dress from the mid to late 1900s and the other is a "day dress" from the early 1900s

Costume Gallery at Palazzo Pitti

I love everything about Palazzo Pitti and the Costume Gallery was no exception.  I would have never known that it existed and it was really cool to see an area of the palace that was not as crowded.  The glitzy architecture and interior design came to life when I saw mannequins dressed in such iconic styles.  It would have been nice if the labels were more accessible, as it was tough to refer to them and observe the fashion at the same time.  I also would have liked being able to walk around the outfits more.
I didn't particularly enjoy the special exhibit on Native American costume.  While it was interesting ti see the creative and unprecedented use of materials, I thought that it didn't blend well, especially because it was stuck in the middle of the exhibit, which made for awkward transitions.  It was an odd juxtaposition with the glamorous architecture of the palace.
I was sad that our visit was so rushed!

Ferragamo Museum

Only after my visit to this museum am I able to grasp the genius of Salvatore Ferragamo.  I have long been aware of his appealing style.  However, I was shocked by his aptitude for creative innovation and inventing useful tools in fashion.  I was impressed by all of the patents that Ferragamo created, especially putting metal in the arch of a high heel for support.  Designs that I liked were: the crocheted shoe, the rainbow cork sandal and the mirrored heel.  I really liked that the family endorsed the idea of the Ferragamo museum, and did what they could to support the endeavor.
I was disappointed by the ratio of Ferragamo material to Marilyn Monroe material.  Information about Marilyn furthered my understanding of Ferragamo in the public light, but I thought there was too much time and energy spent on that portion of the museum.  It took the focus away from Ferragamo's expertise and turned it to the drama and sexiness of a movie star that everyone visiting the museum is familiar with.  While is was interesting to put Ferragamo's designs in a social context, the display was too extensive.

Hommage a Elsa Schiaparelli 11C - Bianca

Hommage a Elsa Schiaparelli 11C -  Bianca

• High level of integrity
• Fashion is inspired by facts, trends, politics
• Self-motivated couture training
• She was a painter/sculptor before designer
• Dress-designing was a form of art
• Creations of design are soon forgotten 
• Texture specifically interested Schiaparelli
• Her first order was the result of her publicly wearing a design to a luncheon - class introduction
• “Schiaparelli pour le Sport” - first front door sign 
• She did not have a true formal training, but simply created cuts herself 
• She claimed that the body was the frame for the clothes
• Liveliness of clothes come from being worn
• 1929-1930 - Sciaparelli becomes more daring with her designs
• She created sportswear and wanted to emphasize the natural curves of the body as opposed to the illusionistic styles of the 20s
• 1930 - black was very big and texture of fabric/bordering was important
• Terry cloth and upholstery type fabrics decorated beachwear
• The grid design was a fairly new and modern patterning
• Zippers were used for decorative purposes
• She used materials like corduroy, tweed, imitation silk, and silk imitating wool
• 1931 was a time for unusual cuts and provoking details
• She sponsored “costume jewelry”
• She was known for her caps in lozenge shapes
• 1934 was a time where emphasis on color was huge - naming colors became popular
• She invented the idea of the “boutique” with ready to wear designs, accessories, and perfumes
• Styles of hats varied including, “Spider,” “Chef Hats,” and “Draw Pull”
• She created surrealist accessories - shaped in forms of all types of objects and ideas
• Colors were also used in hosiery 
• Her perfume evolved “Shocking by Schiaparelli”
• Evening dress culture was transforming
• After WWII it was difficult to find materials
• 1954 - she closed her boutique
• She was a strong believer in the power of the individual against the forces of oppression, jealousy, and hardship
• Her designs were of sociological necessity. They were witty, yet beautiful. 

Costume Gallery at Pitti Palace

For our last field trip, we went to the Pitti Palace and saw all the wonderful clothes there. It was so nice, I always wanted to go see the inside of it, after seeing the Boboli gardens so many times. The rooms were beautiful, I loved the artwork of the ceilings. The dresses were very beautiful, I really enjoyed seeing all of them.

Costume Gallery at Palazzo Pitti

Today, We went to the Palazzo Pitti Costume Gallery. I was extremely excited to see the Costume Gallery because my mother and aunt had been to the gallery just a few weeks prior and RAVED about it. I thought that it was quite interesting to hear it is the only costume gallery in Italy run by the State.

As we entered the gallery, we walked into a room that juxtaposed past and present fashion.  There was a 15^th century a la Francaise gown positioned next to a modern gown that emphasized a rosette filled skirt.  The colors of the two dresses were quite similar, both a taupe/nude color. The modern dress had a black sleeveless top which continued into a full skirt, similar to the full body of an a la Francaise.

It was interesting to hear professor speak about the importance of the face representation. The face depicted with the a la franciase dress was that of neutral and indistinctive features. This is in comparison to the modern dress, which had distinctive bone structure and eyes.  Even the placement of the dolls hands of the modern dress signified a style quite different from the 15^th century.

As we continued through the gallery rooms, I began to notice that each room had a theme. One room emphasized fringe, another pleats, and layered clothing. In the fringe room, one dress appeared to be a representation of a 1920’s flapper dress, when in fact, it was a dress from the 1960’s. This shows that textile and silhouette elements have carried throughout decades of fashion.

One of my favorite pieces in the entire collection was in the pleated room. This piece looked as though it was some sort of jacket--- a white couture jacket. We learned today the jacket was a representation of oysters, and that the woman wearing this jacket was depicted as a pearl. There is symbolism within this article of clothing. An oyster gives birth to a pearl, and therefore, the woman wearing this garment is similar to an oyster and is considered a precious beauty. I have a hard time comparing clothing to life themes, but this oyster and pearl representation made sense! Every woman wants to be as precious as a pearl found within an oyster—It is for this reason that the jacket represents an expensive, couture piece of clothing.

We have learned TONS about the fashion of Elenora de Toledo. I was so excited to see the original burial gown of Elenora. For our class this semester, I reported on the “cut and construction” article by Janet Arnold. In this article, Janet spoke about the burial garments of Cosimo I, Elenora, and Don Garzia. It was incredible to see the actual burial garments of the royal Medici family in person. The burial garments were mostly destroyed, but what was left was magnificent. The textiles were impeccable and the linings of all the garments were hand-made.  It was interesting to see how conservations researchers depicted what the full garments looked like in the 15^th century. These garments are precious gems and I feel so lucky to have seen the royal Medici family’s burial garments in person!

All I can say is that I had a great afternoon at the Costume Gallery—A great way to end the semester!

Visit to the Ferragamo!

I absolutely loved the Ferragamo museum. The Marilyn Monroe Collection [The Venus] (the final piece in the Ferragamo trilogy of Ferragamo Women - along with Audrey Hepburn [The Cinderella] and Great Garbo [The Aristocrat]) was an absolutely amazing peek into the history of one of the greatest (if not the greatest) sex symbols of all time.

The room that housed her most famous outfits also had a continual reel of clips from her most famous movies. It felt like stepping back into time and witnessing her acting firsthand. I loved all of the Travilla designs - as he was well known for working with Marilyn on eight or so Hollywood movies.

These are two of her most well known dresses from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and they are both by Travilla.

As a high end shoe buff, I adored the Ferragamo shoes section of the exhibit as well. There were replicas of some of the most famous shoes he's ever created: the Carmen Miranda shoes, the shoes with a removable sock lining, the shoes custom made for an Indian princess with real jewels, and the invisible sandal.

It was interesting to learn how he came from very humble roots and became one of the most well known designer names in the world. He was born in 1898 and made his shoe debut at his sisters' communion. He moved to Boston and worked in a shoe factory, but didn't enjoy that line of work, so he moved to Santa Barbara and opened a shop. He became well known through the shoes he made for movie sets and eventually some of the most famous movie stars ever. Eventually he moved back to Florence because the quality of craftsmanship was much higher. Ferragamo was debatably at the peak of creativity and innovation during the World Wars when he no longer had easy access to high quality materials and began to use materials that were available but deemed "poor." He used materials like cork, raffia, cellophane, fish skin, canvas, embroidery, and goat skin. He also invented the "wedge," the "stilletto" heel, and arch support (and consequently more comfortable shoes).

The Who's Who in Italian Fashion: Part I

The Who’s Who of the Italian Fashion: Part I

•  February 12, 1951: The official birthdate of the Italian Look.

• Italian high fashion was invented by the efforts of Giovan Battista Giorgini.

• He was an insightful businessman who organized the export of Italian products during WWII.

• He was convinced of the talent of Italian workers and the quality of Italian craftsmanship. 

• He even went so far as to bring back American products to Italy to see if there were ways in which they could improve their technique, including dolls and shoe molds.

• He was the first to suggest to the major houses in Italy to create a look completely different from those of the French fashion houses.

•  He convinced 10 high fashion names and 4 boutiques to put on a show in his home in Florence for American buyers and journalists.

• The show was such a success that he had to transfer venues to the Grand Hotel for the next season’s showing in July of 1951. 

•  In 1953, he had to change venues again because of size, obtaining the Sala Bianca in the Pitti Palace, and introduced the T-shaped catwalk. 

•  In 1954, the Florence Chamber of Commerce and the Tourist Board established the Florence Center for Italian Fashion.

• By 1959, tensions began to emerge as certain houses decided to show their collections outside of Florence, such as Paris and Rome.

• By 1966, all of the major fashion houses had decided to show in Rome instead of Florence.

• The Roman Era of fashion fell into decline because of the overly rich fashions of haute couture, and Florence and Rome came to an agreement in scheduling of fashion shows that ended the feud between the two.

• By the early 1970s, however, Florence came into conflict with another city: Milan.  And my 1974, there had been many major defections to Milan.

• Milan became as famous, and maybe even more so, than Paris for its ready-to-wear, high Italian fashion.

• Milan and Florence finally found a compatible compromise: Milan was to showcase the new and exciting fashions, and Florence became the marketplace of the fashion boutiques.

Visit to the Ferragamo Museo

I really enjoyed the visit to the Ferragamo Museo. The shoes were gorgeous and so impressive. They had so much detail, it was very interesting to hear about each shoe and to learn what they were made out of and what Ferragamo was thinking when he created them.

He had to be very creative in making his shoes because he was working during tough economic times. He needed to makes shoes affordable by using cheaper material, like using cork for the heel, and he had to make do with the resources he had available to him. For example, Ferragamo used candy paper, invisible fishing line, and even fish skin that looked of leather because during the war he could not import any materials and had to use what he had available to him.

Ferragamo was a genius, I throughly enjoyed looking at every single pair of shoes they had at the museum. My favorite pair were the black and white ones, they were just very modern looking. I also really liked that I saw a pair of shoes in the museum that are still being sold today. They are the black mesh with colored circles. They also have  gold trim and gold heels. 

I was also very impressed that Ferragamo had 150 patents that all revolved around the shoe. He even patented having steel in the heel so that it wouldn't break. I found him to be very inspiring. He's craft of shoe making was incredible to see. I really enjoyed myself.

The Marilyn Monroe exhibit was really cool also. My favorite room was the one with the sculptures and pictures of Marilyn, showing how she used art and sculptures in learning how to contort her body to make her pictures look so great. She really understood how to position her body in a way that made her look very seductive and just very good. She knew all the angles that looked good on camera, which was very impressive because I find that to be a difficult feat. 

I also really enjoy the room that played a video of Marilyn in numerous movies and scenes, and then the outfits she wore in all of those clips were in the room, so we could see everything that she wore up close. I was impressed because all of the clothes looked amazing on her, they fit her like a glove. But some clothes just didn't look that great on the mannequins. Some even looked a bit frumpy, and yet when you saw Marilyn Monroe wearing them they looked perfect and very sexy, regardless of what article of clothing it was and how little or much she was covered up. I would also say that the material did not look that great on all of her clothes, but they looked great in the videos, which I just thought to be very interesting. 

13A - Who's Who Reading Summary

Tale of Italian Textiles

·      Historically: valle di Arigna used recycled or scavenged materials to weave “pezzotti”, Burano made lace, flame motif in Sardinian weaving

·      3 capitals in Italian textile industry: Como, Biella, Prato

·      Como: first silk looms, increased after Spanish left Milan, collapsed with the arrival of the French, used mechanical looms

·      Biella: wool, mostly small and average family owned companies, has poor origins, labor conditions used to be awful

·      Prato: carded wool cloth, huge range of other fabrics, unique local production cycle

o   2 kinds of mills:

§  uses textile machinery and a fair number of employers

§  no plants, very few employees

o   Annual trade fair to improve the image of textiles produced in the area

·      THE textile show: Mitam, twice a year in Milan, links textile manufacturers, high fashion and clothing manufacturers

·      Ideacomo: twice a year, ready-to-wear event on Lake Como, now has a men’s fabrics show called Ideabiella

·      Textiles played large role in the formation of the “Italian Look” and the desire for Italian textiles in fashion

·      Used to be carnettisti (wholesalers and retailers), textile sales used to be dependent on designers using the manufactures fabric , literally suitcases filled with samples

o   Not enough to have good textile collections now, need a designer, industrialist, and director

·      Issues with Italian textile/fashion: manufacturers think designers purposefully narrow down deadlines, designers think textile companies of pushing too many types of textiles into too many collections

Discovering America

·      Globalization of fashion

·      Emilio Pucci, Mirsam Simonetta, Micol Fontana, Giuliana Camerino gained fame and fortune by traveling across America, ambassadors of Italian fashion

·      1956 first major display of the Italian look in America in New York

·      1958 Carli, Minister of Foreign Trade promoted and backed a tour of the US, but only reps of the labels, not the designers

·      1960 official birth of Italian fashion, shared information about Italian fashion with Americans, finally received recognition (not through a Parisian label), like the Neiman Marcus Award

What the papers said

·      opinions on Italian designers, new styles, etc.

Marilyn & Ferragamo

Source: http://www.leninimports.com/marilyn_monroe.html

Stepping in to the world of Ferragamo was like leaving the real world to escape into a glamorous place of imagination and style.  It was only fitting, then, that much of the museum would be occupied by a tribute to one of the greatest glamour icons of all time - Marilyn Monroe.  The juxtaposition of her image with the famous collection of Ferragamo gave it a new level of prestige.  Ferragamo is recognized the world over for craftsmanship and innovation, a talent that was clearly recognized and appreciated by American celebrities such as Marilyn.

Source: http://usagainstthedistance.tumblr.com/post/24270083393/leis-ure-soft-grunge-follows-back

It was also interesting to see the multiple ways that the museum presented Marilyn.  Despite the fact that she was a well know celebrity and sex symbol, Marilyn lived her life with many insecurities, which showed in different videos and pictures displaying her life.  The combination of the exquisite construction of the Ferragamo shoes and the tragic beauty of the life of Marilyn Monroe made the exhibit one to remember.

A Visit to Ferragamo

I was extremely excited to go see the Salvatore Ferragamo Museum—I am writing my research paper on Salvatore and his family, so I had some good background on Salvatore’s life and the company. As we walked into the museum vintage Ferragamo shoes surrounded us. I was instantly intrigued by the 1930’s Brass Pyramid shoe. The pyramid heel was extremely detailed and delicate.

Another shoe that intrigued me was the Tavernelle needleprint lace shoes from the 1930s. The intricate detail was impeccable and I can only imagine the amount of time that must have gone into making each pair.

My FAVORITE shoe of the collection was definitely the 1938 platform sole shoe with layered cork and multicolor suede. This shoe was made for Judy Garland and is absolutely gorgeous. The design is unlike anything I have ever seen. The structure of the layered cork and array of colors is one of a kind.

One comment Professor Paci made that I found very interesting was that Ferragamo used fish skin and nylon thread to make some of his shoes. During the economic crisis in the 1920’s, Ferragamo was forced to consider other resources to make his shoes in efforts to keep his business afloat. As a result of his experimentation and innovation, Ferragamo created the invisible shoe of 1947. Here, Ferragamo used nylon thread to make the shoe. The Shoe is named invisible because the clear nylon thread makes it seem as though there is nothing supporting the shoe.

The Ferragamo museum had a Marilyn Monroe exhibition that I thought was phenomenal. Marilyn Monroe was the empitimy fashion and sex icon in the early-mid 1900’s. On display was a copious amount of photos and articles featuring Marilyn Monroe. The exhibition featured clothing worn by Marilyn in her most famous movies and events. There was a video on display at the exhibition showing excerpts from Marilyn’s movies. I really enjoyed seeing Marilyn on TV wearing an outfit and then looking around at the clothing display at the exhibition and seeing that particular outfit RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME ! That was really exciting. Of course, my favorite dress was the White Dress featured in The Seven Year Itch. This dress is exactly what I think of when someone mentions Marilyn Monroe, so it was very enjoyable to see the actual dress in person.

Overall, I really enjoyed the Ferragamo museum. I hope to use information I learned today regarding Ferragamo’s shoe designs in my research paper!

Ciao 

Prato Textile Museum

I went to the Prato Textile Museum. It was a bit difficult to find, but eventually I found it and found it to  be quite interesting. It was a small museum with three major rooms. My favorite had to be the interactive part in which you could touch the different fabrics. I thought it was an interesting exhibit, showing the many different fabrics and textiles. I also really enjoyed the clothing in that last room. I think this textile museum was very engaging.





The Prato Textile city room illustrates the development of the textile manufacturing industry in Prato between the middle ages and up until the end of the twentieth century. It was very interesting to be able to see this museum and all it had to offer. Ciao.







http://www.museodeltessuto.it/exhibition/prato-textile-city-room

Gucci Museum - Bianca Minuto

Gucci Museum - Bianca Minuto         

Perhaps what I found most interesting about our trip to the Gucci Museum was discovering that once again the theme of international travel was an immense inspiration for the styles that arose in Florence. Gucci’s designs, which were created with the traveller in mind, were first conjured as the thoughts of liftboy Guccio Gucci, who saw the needs of the rich and worldly. His start with suitcases, and the simple diamond inspired patterns grew as his double G emblem took off in popularity.

I was interested to hear that the famous Gucci stripe was inspired by the equestrian world. It definitely led the buyer to believe that Gucci clientele were amongst the most distinguished in society. Details like leather and stripes in the 50s, the horse bit, and later the use of more diverse materials like pigskin, gave the classic brand more of a variety.

Celebrity wear was also a way of widespread publicity for the House of Gucci. For example, the pattern invented specifically for Grace Kelly became an immediate success. The high level of detail in these patterns was displayed in the museum, showing the images descriptively drawn on paper and finally realized on fabric. 

One of my favorite parts of the museum was the inclusion of elements of the wild. Once again, this collection was inspired by exotic world travel, or more specifically, the illusion of this travel. Gucci’s fascination with buckles, enamel, and structure is evident in their jewelry that the museum boasts. Not to mention, I was impressed by the fashionable sports gear, my favorite of course being the traditionally inspired equestrian styles.

Ultimately, I really enjoyed this trip in the luxurious world of Gucci. I can truly understand the fascination that many people have with Gucci, being a brand built on the importance of quality, endurance, and beauty.

Museo del Tessuto - The Prato Textile Museum

Source: http://www.museodeltessuto.it/the-museum/history

The Prato Textile Museum is a testament to craftsmanship.  This craftsmanship is the very thing that Italy has become world-renowned for having perfected and perpetuated long past the Industrial Revolution.  It reminded me a lot of the video we saw while touring the Gucci Museum of how Gucci handbags are made.  The meticulous attention to detail, the individual concentration on each piece - all of these things made Italy famous beginning in the 1950s.

Source: http://agriturismoipitti.com/2012/03/09/prato-textile-museum/

The museum was a beautiful example of the Italian tradition, and was a wonderful place to experience the quality and timelessness of hand-crafted materials and quality that lasts.

Gucci Museum

I can't say that I've ever been a big fan of Gucci.  Many of his accessory designs are not very colorful, and stick to geometric lines (whereas I prefer bright colors, lively prints and organic forms).  My visit to the Gucci museum taught me that my understanding of many designers merely scrapes the surface of their work.  I soon learned that that judging a designer off of their signature items is just like judging a book by its cover.  Yes, the image that a designer chooses as a trademark is important, but there is usually much more to a brand.
For example, the travel, handbags, precious and logomania rooms were all filled with Gucci products that I was familiar with.  These products emphasize the red/green stripe combination, leather craftsmanship, bamboo, horse bit hardware, and the interlocking "GG" pattern.  This is the Gucci that I have not been fond of in the past.
The rooms that were of particular interest to me were: flora world, evening, lifestyle and sport.  The flora world room was engaging because it featured both bright colors and organic forms, yet the print is still rooted in tradition.  The evening gowns were stunning.  With these, the Gucci brand proved to me that it is capable of elegance and attention to detail (as opposed to the principles of durability and luxury that the brand was founded upon).  The lifestyle and sport rooms showed Gucci design concepts that I was familiar with (like the red/green stripe) but re-purposed those ideas into products that are outside the traditional realm of fashion.  I especially enjoyed the wicker picnic sets.
My favorite part of the museum was the atmosphere that was created on the ground floor, including the bookstore, the restaurant and the cafe.  This proves that the Gucci brand has undertaken the mentality of a brand as a lifestyle (it now makes sense why my peers studying marketing also took a field trip here!).  I spent over an hour perusing design books in the cafe and I hope to return before I leave Florence.
The trip to the Gucci museum left me very excited for what the Ferragamo museum has to offer!

Museo di Tessuto (Prato)

I am glad that I had the opportunity to visit Prato, as I feel that I have a better understanding of what life in Italian suburbia is like.  I enjoyed the park adjacent to the train station, as well as the many clothing boutiques hidden amongst the skinny streets.
After accidentally wandering the library that is in the same building as the Textile Museum, I finally found my way into the museum.  In the hallway that the detailed different materials used for textiles, I enjoyed learning about the durability tests that certain fabrics go through.  (I get very attached to my clothing and few things make me more upset than a hole or tear due to poor quality of the fabric.)  Additionally, I appreciated the interactive "touch and feel" elements to the display. 
As the scientific aspect of making textiles is important to explore, I was expecting more information regarding the creative processes of the textile industry.  I really wanted to know about how to make a print, how to choose a fabric for a particular article of clothing, how that fabric is turned in to a piece of clothing, etc.

Venice

I initially found it quite odd that our professor chose to travel to Venice for a class field trip, especially when Milan, a world renowned fashion center, is just as close.  However, upon entrance to the Palazzo Mocenigo, this choice became clearer to me.
It is only fitting that a film celebrity fashion exhibit take place in a glamorous home.  The staged camera flashes in the entryway and Madonna's teal beaded butterfly dress set the stage (no pun intended) nicely.  When we went upstairs, we were greeted by dozen of elegant gowns, worn to the film festival in current years.  I thought it was so creative that the curator of the exhibit turned the mannequin heads into write-ups about the dress and the celebrity who wore it!  The cubes on top of the organically shaped bodies made the exhibition feel more modern and fashion forward.  In short, it felt more like a current fashion show, with the angles of the cubes and contrasting with the flowing silhouettes of many of the gowns.  As someone who does not watch a lot of movies, I had a hard time appreciating the couture as a function of the film.  I found that I could have more of an objective eye towards the clothing, because I wasn't familiar with the context that made it famous.
I enjoyed our second museum thoroughly.  The modern art in a warehouse/factory setting reminded me of the Tate Modern, which is one of my favorite museums.  However, I thought it was a stretch in terms of what we are learning in our fashion class.

The Wonderful World of Gucci

The Gucci Museum was amazing. The three floors were decadent displays of Gucci history. His most well-known, classic styles were showcased and divided into eight sections. There was also a section on contemporary art. Personally, I didn’t prefer it, especially in comparison to the handbags, shoes, and other Gucci merchandise. In addition, there’s also a Gucci restaurant and a café, an icon store, and a gift shop on the ground floor. Each of the rooms had informational postcards and plaques describing the products and giving a brief history on the items in the room.

My favorite room was the room with Gucci’s evening gowns from the 2010 Cannes Film Festival. His dresses debuted on amazing movie stars like Naomi Watts, Hilary Swank, Camille Belle, Kate Beckinsdale, and Lea Seydeux. When I got home, I googled all the dresses. On the mannequins, they don't even compare to how the stars wore them on the red carpet!

The travel exhibit takes up the entire first floor of the museum. It chronicles Gucci’s rise to fame, the history behind his use of canvas and pigskin in the 1920s to present, and the creation of the Gucci brand and logo. This room is especially important to the Gucci brand due to Gucci’s history with luggage. When he was working in London as a bellboy, he realized there as a need for well made, attractive pieces of luggage. The room contains multiple pieces of luggage dating back almost a century, all which sport the distinct red and green stripe. There are also well-preserved makeup cases, duffle bags, trunk sets, and other accessories for the world traveler. This room introduces the Gucci print on canvas as well as the “horsebit” print. One of the room’s centerpieces is an old Cadillac with Gucci print canvas for a hood, and a customized Gucci interior.

In the Handbag room, the Bamboo bag was the central focal point of the room. It’s a very well known icon of the Gucci line. The first one was modeled after a saddle in 1947. The process of creating a Bamboo bag is arduous, as the video in the room showed, but the result is a gorgeous luxury accessory that is coveted by many. This room held other styles of bags that rose in popularity in the middle of the 1900s. Most were leather goods, as Florence and Italy is known for their craftsmanship with leather, but there were other bags made from raffia– due to the lack of supplies around the War World eras, and metal – a little later on in the 1970s.

There was also the Flora room. In the early 1960s, Gucci wanted to present Princess Grace of Monaco with a one of a kind scarf. This led to the well-known artist and Gucci’s coworker, Vittorio Accornero, to create the Flora print. This unique scarf had 36 different colors and 9 bouquets, representing each of the four seasons. It was the beginning of the Flora print craze. The print soon showed up on tea sets, dresses, coats, and even more scarves. However, there were no scarves that rivaled the detail and beauty of the original Flora. Most of the scarves had 17 or so colors with only four bouquets. This print still shows up on modern day fashion pieces, like in his 2007 collection, which was also featured in the room.

Personally, I thought the Logomania room and the lifestyle room were the most ridiculous rooms of the whole exhibit. The Logomania room was literally covered in the Gucci logo from wall to wall, all over the floor, and over all the products and accessories in the room. The most visible print was the horsebit print, specifically the horsebit bamboo print, which was on a gorgeous silk chiffon dress from Gucci’s 2006 collection. The lifestyle room was filled with Gucci brand board games, cards, electric guitars, walking canes, umbrellas, picnic sets, thermoses, silver items (cups, other household items), and lamps. If they didn’t have the Gucci logo on them, there was the horsebit print, the diamante print, or the classic red-green-red stripe.

Gucci Museo-Samantha

 THE

GUCCI

MUSEUM

Walking into the Gucci Museum, felt like walking into a high-end Gucci store. Everyone that worked there were all fashionably dressed from head to toe in black. And everywhere you looked was another Gucci item that made your mouth water. I find the craftmanship of each product to be exquisite. Some of the oldest bags were from the 1930's and yet looked brand new. The quality is undeniable. And as proved by the quote in the frist room of the museum, "quality is remembered long after price is forgotten."

I was really impressed by the Gucci Cadillac. According to the tour guide, only two-hundred Gucci Cadillacs were made in Miami in white, black, and brown. It had a Gucci crest on it too, which is just so cool! There were countless Gucci bags, fine china, gorgeous dresses, and countless sporting goods. There was even a cafe, a bookstore, and a restaurant there. The Gucci Museum really encapsulated the whole idea that Gucci is more than just a brand, it is a lifestyle. Ciao.

Pictures are from: http://www.yummly.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/hilary-swank_4.jpg

and loveisspeed.blogspot.com

Schonbrunn Palace: Vienna Austria

During Fall Break, I had the privilege of going on a private tour at the Schonbrunn Palace. I was intrigued to find out that Marie Antionette was from Austrian decent-- Her mother was Maria Teresa. Many of the portraits in the Schonbrunn Palace were of Marie Antionette and of the 18th century time period. I was astonished to recognize the extravagant gowns in the photos- They were robe a la francaise gowns! I felt so educated to be able to identify a time period with fashion at the palace in Austria. I would have never guessed that I would be thinking of italian fashion as I walked through the Schonbrunn palace, but sure enough, all of the portraits radiated 18th century fashion!

Charles Worth Gown: Museum of Decorative Arts & History (Dublin, Ireland)

I was pleasantly surprised to see this gown in what I expected to be a museum entirely dedicated to interior decor.  The exhibit was called "Collector's Choice" and featured various items that curators deemed interesting, many of which were fashion accessories.

Villa La Pietra

I really enjoy homes that are converted into museums, and Villa La Pietra was no exception.  From an educational perspective, I find that I learn more from a collection of less significant items than a singular earth-shattering painting on a bare gallery wall.

I was blown away by the wealth of the Acton family.  The marble entryway was very glamorous.  Mrs. Acton’s closet further proved that the family was of high social class and prioritized how they looked.  Her shoes collection was extensive and exquisite!  I loved seeing how her various cosmetic tools were used; many of these instruments are completely irrelevant today.  The Louis Vuitton trunks were also an unexpected highlight.  The attic offered a glimpse into what a career in costume restoration might be like.  It was enlightening to see how Mrs. Acton dressed “scandalously” for the time, when we might consider these dresses standard today!