While the world awaits Demna’s take on the Gucci aesthetic, the Florentine fashion house is leaning into its heritage with the unveiling of “Gucci Bamboo: Decoding an Icon.”
Set to be unveiled at Shanghai‘s historic mansion Sunke Villa, the exhibition is curated by the Milan-based multidisciplinary studio 2050+ and will include installations and artworks that pay tribute to “the enduring influence of bamboo as a material of strength, resilience, and elegance,” said the brand in a statement. “In Chinese culture, bamboo has long symbolized humbleness, nobility, and perseverance, values deeply embedded in art, literature, and philosophy,” the brand added.
The exhibition will be open to the public free of charge from April 1 to April 6. Visitors can secure a slot to visit on WeChat’s Mini Program.
According to Gucci, the exhibition will guide visitors through the bag’s evolution, unveil its meticulous techniques, and forge an artistic narrative to explain its lasting appeal.
Distinguished by its curved bamboo handle, the Gucci Bamboo was created in 1947, amid Italy’s post-War era, during which traditional raw materials were difficult to source. The fashion house’s founder Guccio Gucci decided to use the lightweight and durable bamboo as an alternative for the purse’s handle, supported by Florentine artisans in developing the design.
The bag was most recently showcased at “Gucci Cosmos,” an exhibition the brand unveiled in Shanghai two years ago. British artist Es Devlin designed a special installation for the Bamboo 1947 bag as well as a series of window displays that were featured inside selected Gucci stores around the world.
Last year, an exhibition in Tokyo was also dedicated to its signature Bamboo 1947 bag, which featured a display of 60 vintage models of the accessory. The bags, mainly from the 1980s and 1990s, were revitalized by traditional Japanese artisans and artists.
