In Its 90th Year Gucci Brings Florentine Craftsmanship to Dubai
May 11th, 2011 – In the year that sees the celebration of its 90 th anniversary, tonight Gucci will host a private cocktail
party at its store in the Dubai Mall on occasion of the Artisan Corner, an exclusive event that brings the craftsmanship
of Gucci’s Florentine leather goods factory directly to its clientele. On May 11th and 12th, the House's most skilled
artisans will be stationed at custom-built workshops and will offer a unique viewing of time-honored traditions. As they
assemble some of the most iconic handbags, customers can witness first hand the meticulous attention to detail and
superb craftsmanship that is involved in the production of every item in Gucci’s leather goods collection.
The hand-crafted products will be personalized with hand-embossed monogramming and will feature a special inside
plaque embossed with the location and date. Clients that make a purchase during this event will receive a personal letter
from Gucci Creative Director Frida Giannini, thanking them for their purchase. The Artisan Corner display includes
custom work tables, a sewing machine, a leather stand, and metal tools, as well as additional background materials
which show the products’ evolution from mood board to sketches. An accompanying video display will show Gucci’s
artisans at work over the years, also reflecting the fact that these skills are handed down through family generations.
The craftsmen will focus on assembling the New Bamboo, the Snaffle Bit, and the Handmade bag –three of Gucci’s
signature handbag designs presented on the runway by Giannini. The original Bamboo was created in 1947 and was
reintroduced in the Spring Summer 2010 collection. The New Bamboo is comprised of 140 separate pieces which are
hand-assembled by an expert artisan in Gucci’s Florentine workshops. It is crafted in the same manner as the original
and requires 13 hours of work to ensure its perfect details.
The Snaffle Bit bag showcases hardware first used by Gucci the late 1950s: after years in the archives, this season
Giannini has reinterpreted this icon as a snap closure mechanism across this new line of handbags. Folk influences,
masterful craftsmanship, a nod to the House's equestrian heritage, berber accents and ultra precious, hand-treated
materials make this bag a new icon.
The Handmade bag, which also debuted on the Spring Summer 2011 runway, is a testament to Gucci’s impeccable
quality and superior craftsmanship. As with the Snaffle Bit bag, each single Handmade bag requires a remarkably
lengthy procedure at Gucci’s Florentine headquarters, where only 10 Tuscan artisans possess the expertise for this
process. As demonstrated by the artisans’ precise stitching, weaving, and manually applied ornaments, this bag is the
culmination of masterful hand techniques performed by Gucci’s specialized leather goods experts.
Following Dubai, the Artisan Corner will travel to Kuwait and Qatar later this month.
Founded in Florence in 1921, Gucci is one of the world's leading luxury fashion brands. With a renowned
reputation for quality and Italian craftsmanship, Gucci designs, manufactures and distributes highly desirable
products such as leather goods (handbags, small leather goods, and luggage), shoes, ready-to-wear, silks,
timepieces and fine jewellery. Eyewear and fragrances are manufactured and distributed under license by
global industry leaders in these two sectors. Gucci products are sold exclusively through a network of directly
operated boutiques (317 DOS as of December 2010) and a small number of selected department and
specialty stores. For more information about Gucci, please visit www.gucci.com