The Art of Silk, Gucci celebrates silk manufacturing with nine artists and a book
A call to action to the art world , a new campaign featuring Julia Garner photographed by Steven Meisel and an author's volume published by Assouline : Gucci celebrates silk and one of the most iconic symbols of its heritage, the silk scarf .
Gucci presents The Art of Silk , a project that celebrates its tradition of silk craftsmanship , while opening new avenues for creative innovation . Combining over seven decades of history with a contemporary artistic vision, The Art of Silk recounts the evolution of Gucci silk scarves , from their origins in the 1950s to their most recent reinterpretations. The Italian fashion house also presents the Keep It Gucci: The Art of Silk campaign , starring actress Julia Garner and shot by Steven Meisel .
The heart of the initiative is "90x90" , a collaboration with nine international artists invited to rework five iconic themes from the Gucci archive: flora , fauna , nautical , equestrian and the GG monogram . The project has also become a volume published by Assouline , " Gucci: The Art of Silk" , which celebrates the craftsmanship, aesthetics and history behind the creation of the most famous silk scarves signed by the fashion house founded in 1921 .
Silk according to Gucci. A story of style, symbols and transformations.
In the 1950s, Gucci began using symbols linked to equestrianism — such as the Web ribbon and the famous Morsetto — to decorate bags, scarves and accessories. In 1966, with Flora , the scarf designed by Vittorio Accornero as a gift for Grace Kelly . A garden printed on silk, with 27 different flowers, berries, butterflies and insects, 37 colours applied by hand in separate phases. A gesture of high craftsmanship that defined an era. In the same years, Gucci's love for the nautical world also took shape, first with Tolda di Nave , then with Marina Chain , a motif of intertwined chains that from an accessory has moved on to design scarves and jewelry, always maintaining an air of sporty elegance.
In 1969, Animalia was born, an energetic theme that focuses on fauna: lions, birds, butterflies and other animals illustrated with vivacity, used on ties, scarves and ready-to-wear garments. Then there is the most recognisable symbol, the GG monogram , introduced in the late 1960s. Two intertwined Gs, derived from the Diamante motif, which initially appeared on luggage, before expanding to the entire range of products of the Florentine fashion house. Finally, the equestrian heart of the brand.
90x90, the Gucci scarf becomes a contemporary work of art.
With 90x90 , Gucci invites nine contemporary artists to engage with its most iconic motifs. An artistic call to action where each artist has interpreted the 90x90 cm scarf as a canvas on which to imprint their own aesthetic, language and narrative. The result is a collection of works that reflect the richness of the Gucci identity through radically different approaches — from conceptual minimalism to narrative drawing, from urban performance to digital collage.
Robert Barry , pioneer of conceptual art, brings his essential and thoughtful language to the project. His works, based on the use of the word as a visual object, act as invitations to contemplation. In the Gucci scarf, words do not describe: they suggest. They become traces to follow, spaces to imagine, creating a subtle dialogue between silence and presence.
Everett Glenn , an American multidisciplinary artist, transforms the scarf into a narrative panel inspired by ligne claire comics. His illustrations combine introspection and action, building scenes full of personal symbols. Glenn works on the tension between vulnerability and strength, making the scarf an intimate yet universal visual story.
Sara Leghissa , an Italian artist active in public space, brings a politicized and collective vision of art to the project. Her scarf does not impose itself, it camouflages itself: it uses simple, everyday visual materials to talk about self-determination, mutual aid and forms of resistance. Silk becomes a mobile surface for urban messages, poetic fragments, disjointed slogans.
Currynew , an illustrator from Shanghai, fuses pop culture, digital games and dreamlike imagination. His scarves are saturated with colors, imagined sounds and ironic details. His interpretation of the Gucci world is a visual explosion that transforms classic symbols into postmodern avatars, where identity is always fluid and surprising.
Jonny Niesche , an Australian artist, works on sensory perception. His nuanced surfaces play with light, space and colour, giving life to scarves that seem to vibrate. References to the aesthetics of cosmetics and abstract art merge in compositions that evoke spirituality, beauty and aura.
Gio Pastori , an illustrator from Milan, translates Gucci DNA into powerful images with his papercutting technique. His clean shapes and full colors create an immediate impact. Pastori works by synthesis: every element is essential, every sign communicates. His scarf is a visual manifesto, as much pop as graphic.
Walter Petrone , also known as Wallie, crosses animation, comics and music. His work tells personal stories, often linked to identity and growth. The scarf becomes for him a narrative space where dreams and reality, intimate images and shared cultural references coexist.
Yu Cai , a Chinese illustrator based in Italy, explores the relationship between urban space and imagination. Her drawings mix realistic details with abstract visions, creating alternative and poetic environments. The scarf becomes a landscape to inhabit, a fluid space in which concreteness and vision coexist.
Inji Seo , a South Korean artist, combines illustration, animation and pop culture in a vibrant aesthetic. Her work is energetic, ironic, accessible. She has collaborated with names in music and technology, but here she brings a more personal narrative, where Gucci symbols become part of a colorful, expressive and constantly moving universe.
Silk production in Italy has a thousand-year history, which began in the twelfth century in Sicily, thanks to contacts with the Byzantine Empire and the Arab world.
Florentine silk workers produced luxury fabrics, damasks and brocades, embellished with gold and silver threads, appreciated and exported throughout Europe. Silk manufacturing, together with wool manufacturing, was the basis of the economic progress that created the conditions for the development of the Renaissance in Northern Italy. In the same period, the Sforza dukes also encouraged the cultivation of mulberry trees in Milan and Como to support silkworm breeding. Even today, Italy is among the world's leading producers of silk products, together with China and Japan.
Palermo became an important silk center as early as the 12th century, as demonstrated by the famous cloak of the Norman king Roger II, made in the royal factory in 1133. In the 13th century, silk production also established itself in Lucca, Tuscany , thanks to the arrival of Byzantine master weavers who introduced refined techniques for creating high-quality brocades and damasks. A century later, Florence welcomed numerous artisans from Lucca and consolidated its silk industry, establishing the Arte della Seta , one of the seven Major Arts.
Gucci: The Art of Silk is the first volume entirely dedicated to the history and cultural significance of its silk scarves .
With over 300 illustrated pages, Gucci: The Art of Silk tells the story of how the scarf became a symbol of the House, from its beginnings in the 1950s to the visions of the creative directors who have taken turns at its helm — from Tom Ford and Frida Giannini , to Alessandro Michele and Sabato De Sarno . The book published by Assouline and edited by Jo-Ann Furniss explores the influence of Florentine Renaissance culture, the allure of celebrity, and the ongoing evolution between craftsmanship and creative innovation . with contributions from notable authors such as Jennifer Sliwka and Christopher Wallace .
The hard cover, with the historic Flora print inspired by Botticelli, makes the volume a true collector's item. Silkscreen printed, with a foil logo, it is presented in an elegant slipcase and will be available on Gucci.com , Assouline.com , in Assouline bookstores and in selected Gucci boutiques worldwide.
