From origin to revival and continuity, the story of Gucci’s silk scarves is an enduring legacy
It was 1966. The story began with a princess and her love for flowers, and a silk scarf designed specially for her. That special gift would come to be known as the iconic Gucci Flora scarf – commissioned by Rodolfo Gucci for Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco.
The intricate masterpiece illustrated by the famous Vittorio Accornero de Testa featured 27 flowers alongside berries, butterflies, and insects. Each of the 37 distinct colours in the composition is applied meticulously in separate printing steps, achieved by Gucci’s unrivaled silk craftsmanship that had already begun in the 1950s.
Gucci’s foray into silks began in 1958 when the House partnered a silk producer from Como, Italy to create the nautical-themed “Tolda di Nave”, their first collaborative scarf. Thus began Gucci’s silk innovation, with motifs of the earliest designs inspired by the House’s signature leather goods and artisanal roots. In the ‘60s, a creative collaboration with Vittorio Accornero de Testa brought Gucci’s scarves to the next level with the renowned illustrator’s vibrant and imaginative creations. Between 1960 and 1981, Accornero’s designs transformed silk into wearable art in the form of 80 exquisite scarves.
Since then, scarves have become central to Gucci’s identity. Beside the iconic Flora, and nautical motifs that began it all, animalia prints, equestrian motifs, and the GG monogram that first appeared on luggage, continue to grace the silks of the House.
Approaching a fashion archive is, first and foremost, a tireless exercise in observation and interpretation. In the case of a scarf archive, it’s also like opening a storybook…
Gucci: The Art of Silk
Gucci’s silk scarf legacy is now documented in a book that traces its evolution from the 1950s to the present, in a partnership with Assouline. With exclusive access to the Gucci archives housed in a fifteenth century Florentine palazzo, “Gucci: The Art of Silk” charts the origins of the silk scarf in the brand’s history to its revivals by Gucci creative directors Tom Ford, Frida Giannini, Alessandro Michele, and Sabato de Sarno; the House’s silk scarf journey making and mirroring the fortunes of the House itself.
Richly illustrated throughout, with reportage in Florence, Milan, and Como, the book also celebrates the House’s forward-thinking artistic innovation in silk scarves with a first look of the Gucci silk scarf project “90×90” where nine international artists reinterpret the five archival themes rooted in Gucci’s storied archive into nine limited-edition scarves.
Named after the measurements of the classic silk twill scarf (90cm x 90cm) and using the silk scarf as an artistic medium, artists Robert Barry, Everett Glenn, Sara Leghissa, Currynew, Jonny Niesche, Gio Pastori, Walter Petrone, Yu Cai, and Inji Seo, reflect the House’s heritage with their individual style and perspective, in each design.
In the scarves, each character comes to life, from the central lily of Flora to the animals of the savannah, metamorphosing into sci-fi monochromatic gels or compelling characters from an adventure comic, interpretations that strengthen the symbols of the House, animate them and launch them towards new perspectives, interpretations and uses for the future.
Gucci: The Art of Silk
The House’s celebrated Flora motif continues to take centrestage in a new campaign starring Julia Garner. Set against the city by night, Steven Meisel captures the fluidity of the silk scarf in motion, each fleeting movement part of a language of expression.
In a masterful interplay of light and shadow, the silk scarf flows with the rhythm of its wearer, draped around the neck, worn as a headscarf, or caught mid-movement. “Keep It Gucci: The Art of Silk” pays homage to the House’s storied legacy in silk craftsmanship and how it continues to be interpreted for a contemporary audience.
Images courtesy of Gucci, artwork by Curatedition. All rights reserved.
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