Gucci (Florence, Italy)

With Milan Fashion Week coming to an end, I thought it would be appropriate to blog about something Italian. And since I keep postponing some of the posts I had planned back when I visited Florence in late November, I figured now would be a good time to catch up. While most people will associate Milan with being Italy's fashion capital, many of the big names actually stem from Florence. Along with Ferragamo (previously featured here), Pucci and Cavalli, the biggest Florentine brand of them all is undoubtedly Gucci. Though I admit I've pretty much ignored the label since the departure of Tom Ford, and I love the monograms as much as I love the Louis Vuitton ones (i.e. not really), I somehow felt it would be appropriate to visit the only Florence flagship - under the assumption that the Gucci store in the company's hometown (where the headquarters are situated as well) was sure to be grand and special. Boy was I mistaken.

SS11 campaign (images: Gucci).

Now don't get me wrong, the Florence flagship is huge, easy to navigate and though popular with tourists, not cramped at all. The problem is that while current Creative Director Frida Giannini decided to renovate a select number of boutiques that would reflect her style, strangely the (in my mind) most important flagship in downtown Florence wasn't one of them. So even though her hometown of Rome and other cities such as London, NYC or Shanghai are graced with snazzy, ultra-modern and gilded Gucci stores, Florence is stuck with a rather bland example of what the flagships look like in every part of the world. In other words, it's not all that unique, but probably does reflect the Tom Ford era, so I shouldn't complain. Nevertheless, when in Florence, shop local brands and Gucci is as local as it gets.

Entrance area featuring a few UNICEF bags (previous collection).

Monograms galore. My favorite was the teddy bear.

Founded in 1921 in Florence by Guccio Gucci who initially conceived his company to cater to luxury luggage (much like Vuitton), the brand has since come a long way but still remains proud of its heritage marked by famous iconic features such as the bamboo handles, intertwined 'G' logos or the red and green stripes. Yet nothing makes Gucci prouder than emphasizing the artisan workmanship and while machines have replaced much of the stitching, certain elements are still handmade.

Scarves, scarves and watches.

'The Artisan Corner' where someone was embossing initials on a bag. Also visible: sketches and different leathers.

More monograms, including a few cute keychains. I'm assuming the woman above wanted a wallet.

To celebrate its legacy, Gucci launched 'The Artisan Corner', a traveling event started in 2009 that sees artisans assemble and finish some of the House’s most iconic handbags in temporary workshops within the store. Mood boards and sketches are showcased as well, giving customers insight into the creative and production process. Thankfully when I visited, the workshop had just arrived in Florence, so I was able to observe some very talented artisans hand-stitch handles or emboss customer initials on various leather bags.

More bags without the monogram, such as the reptile tote (right). Sunglasses make a cheaper souvenir (above).

Accessories and luggage for the gents.

The menswear section, consisting of several rooms.

Apart from that, the boutique was rather standard, almost reminiscent of a luxury department store. Elegant and sophisticated, but in a very low-key way, which means I can't recall any outstanding details regarding the decor aside from dark wood, polished surfaces and a few plush couches. On the upside, this did mean that my entire focus was on the product rather than the interior design. The store consisted of two expansive floors, with accessories, jewelry, bags and luggage occupying the lower ground, while the first floor held menswear, the women's range and shoes. Special edition collections, such as the UNICEF pieces were the first thing I saw when I entered and you'll find a huge range of anything else you're looking for throughout the store.

Some of the women's wear range, which included the chic fur jacket and sparkly skirt (left).

A selection of shoes and boots. How cute are the children's ballerinas (top right)?

More for the ladies, including the ostrich bag and chic accessories.

My favorites were the luggage (despite said monograms), shoes, the darker clothes which have also made their way into the current SS11 collection and pieces with the classic signature red/green adornment. Staff were very friendly and helpful and while tourists were all over the bags and accessories, the second floor was unusually quiet, which made browsing all that more pleasant. But as distracting as shoes and dresses can be, I kept finding my way back to 'The Artisan Corner', so if this comes to a flagship near you, I'd definitely recommend you take a look. Other than that, yes, go to this particular Gucci if only for the sake of celebrating a little bit of Florence fashion history (especially considering the company turns 90 this year), but you'll find their stores in all corners of the world and chances are, they'll look exactly like this one. If you want to spend money, going to their outlet outside Florence would be a better idea though. I might do a comparison post at some point, featuring either the revamped London or Rome store to demonstrate how glam some of the 'special' boutiques are. And of course, all Gucci items can also be browsed 24/7 via their official online shop.

Resort and SS11 collections (images: Gucci).

Address: Via dei Tornabuoni, 73, 50123 Florence
Opening Hrs: Mon-Sat: 10:00-19:00, Sun: 13:00-17:00
Official Gucci Homepage & Online-Shop

Eat the Designers with AnOther Magazine & Selfridges (London, UK)

With so many events and exhibitions going on during LFW this past week (not to mention the shows themselves), there was one showcase that literally left me drooling. Since I do have a bit of a sweet tooth, I might have been better off staying away, but a girl can rarely resist the combo of fashion and dessert. Some may remember my coverage of the Salon du Chocolat in Paris, where dresses were created out of cocoa ingredients. This time around, big-name designers themselves were asked to envision their ultimate fantasy cake.

To celebrate AnOther magazine's 10th birthday, Editor in Chief Jefferson Hack (also of Dazed & Confused fame) asked a few luxury designers to come up with their dream birthday cake design just for fun. The idea snowballed when some of UK's most prestigious cake makers decided to actually execute a few of these ideas. The result was hosted by Selfridges, who presented these creations in their (appropriately titled) 'Wonder Room' concept store under the name 'Eat the Designers'. A birthday bash in-store with special guest Daphne Guinness also saw a real live model emerge from the 8-foot Lanvin cake. Now why can't I have birthdays like that?

Below you'll find a few photos I took while browsing the cake selection the day the presentation launched. As tempting as it was to plant my face in one of these beauties, I didn't feel like getting arrested (or worse yet... being banned from the store) and let's be honest... many of these are just too pretty to eat. I have included the descriptions and ingredients though. Just so you can imagine what it would be like if you were to take a nibble...

So tell me, which cake would you want for your own birthday?

Calvin Klein Collection by Francisco Costa

(Top right image: AnOther).

“Interactive floating mobile cake. Small, matchbook-sized cakes covered in edible silverleaf suspended in a dégradé presentation. Cake flavour: lavender. Approximate size of each cake: 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" square. Thickness of each cake: 1/2"” ~ Francisco Costa. Made by Brett Redman, featuring silverleaf marshmallows.

Gucci

Right: Overview of the space at the Selfridges concept store.

Made by Andrew Stellitano. According to the tag description, the ingredients are: bakery selection (doughnuts, cupcakes), gold candles, pink marshmallows with green/red/green web, liquorice strips, strawberry marshmallow, caramel fringes, pink meringue, silver icing, chocolate logo on biscuit, Christmas hard candy mint stick, cream, dark chocolate, Gucci diamante pattern icing, silver sugar praline, milk chocolate, lollipop, biscuit.

Philip Treacy

“I would imagine it could be made with fondant icing as it is sculptural, but as you can see it should be made by somebody who really knows what they are doing!”~Philip Treacy. Made by Julie Walsh of Le Cordon Bleu. The final cake was made of pulled sugar.

Dolce & Gabbana

“Inspiration: memories of embroideries from a Sicilian hope chest and the Sicilian baroque. Shape: heart; a tribute to passion for food. Description: a sponge cake imbued in a light and sweet-smelling citron juice, Sicilian orange blossom custard, wild strawberries, blueberries and small passion fruits. For the glazing: marzipan glaze, orange-flavoured dark chocolate coating, citrus and fruits of the forest- flavoured red and maroon small chocolate flowers (inspired by baroque velvets). The micro, white flowers are made of soft marzipan, whilst the darker ones are caramelised violets”~ Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana

I don't believe these cakes were actually made (right images: AnOther). Top: Christian Louboutin, bottom: Dolce & Gabbana. Illustrations and magazines decorated part of the store walls (left).

Christian Louboutin

“Bûche de Noël Bottée: chestnut cream, chocolate, vanilla extract, Génoise cake (flour, baking powder, salt, eggs, sugar, vanilla), chocolate ganache (chocolate and heavy cream), covered in shaved chocolate (to make the bark), egg whites, sugar, vanilla, cocoa powder dusting (for the meringue mushrooms), marzipan (for the sole), almond sugar, red food colouring, cocoa powder dusting” ~ Christian Louboutin


Gareth Pugh

(Images on the right... top: Annie Nichols, bottom: AnOther).

“A simple cube shape with the pattern tiled onto the surface. The triangles forming the design should be in relief and the gaps should be sunken – very crisp and sharp. Something around 6" square would be a nice size”~ Gareth Pugh. Cake made by Paul Wayne Gregory: 6" x 6"' chocolate quilted cube dusted with powdered edible sugar.

Missoni

(Right image: Annie Nichols).

According to AnOther magazine: "The multicolored cake is made with smoothy creams, layers of flavours such as cherry, cream, pistachio, nut, chocolate, raspberry, blueberry, apricot and strawberry. The layer tops are covered with colored marzipan and little biscuit, candies and sugar or chocolate flakes. The cup-holes are in creams, crunchy nuts and candies." Cake made by Caroline Hobkinson.

Burberry

(Left image: AnOther).

Burberry Lights: light, soft lemon sponge cake with sugar icing top, illuminated with miniature studded lights. The cake is wrapped in a metallic iconic check casing.

Vivienne Westwood

"It is heart-shaped and can be made out of chocolate, strawberries or vanilla; it is absolutely up to the baker’s imagination"~ Vivienne Westwood. Cake made by Fabien Ecuvillon at Mark Hix (consisting of chocolate and an exoctic fruit of sea/buck thorn jelly).

Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel

"Ten candles, lace and sugar. Another Magazine as a temple of modernity. Happy Birthday"~ Karl Lagerfeld. Cake made by Peggy Porschen.

Lanvin

(Right image: Annie Nichols).

“I wanted to make a luxurious, tasty, happy and colorful yet chic birthday cake. I took inspiration from 1950s girls who jumped out of cakes – even though they were covered in cream they looked amazing! There are some pearls, and we use meringue at the centre, with cream, white chocolate, and truffles. The cake is big enough so that a real size girl can fit in it”~ Alber Elbaz. Cake made by Bompass & Parr.

Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci

This was the most elaborate and also most provocative cake hidden in a black box, only viewable from the top or via peepholes and mirrors. For adults only (a sign nearby said it was for 18+), this orgy of a sculpture was more like a work of art than an actual cake (and who knows where Tisci would have put the candles... I won't venture a guess). It was truly amazing.

(Left images: Annie Nichols).

“Dark decadence, sensuality, something that recalls pure pleasure”~ Riccardo Tisci. Made by Simon Smith out of pure margarine.

For more, head over to Annie Nichols' blog for additional images or visit the Selfridges page for videos of the 'making of' and the party.

All illustrations and cake descriptions courtesy of AnOther magazine.

All Dolled Up: Frimousses de Créateurs 2010 (Paris, France)

Below: Overview of the exhibition space.

Unless you've been living under a rock, you might have noticed that designer collaborations are everywhere these days. After having just witnessed the latest H&M/Lanvin one, I had a first real-life (puzzled) look at the Valentino for GAP selection last week - and while ruffled khaki cargo pants really aren't my thing and never will be, who can blame yet another designer and high street retailer for joining forces? After all, they're just companies... and companies need to make money. Most of my friends refuse to buy into this whole marketing scheme, claiming it's a waste of money, yet others will happily unload a lot of hard-earned cash for such 'designer' gear. I still have mixed feelings about some of these collaborations, but one of the current joint-ventures does make perfect sense to me - and deserves to have a lot of money thrown at it...

'Frimousses de Créateurs' is a collaboration I already posted about last year. In an annual event and exhibition which began in 2003, big names in fashion, art and design (to name a few) each create a unique doll in partnership with UNICEF, which then gets auctioned off. All monies collected go towards financing vaccinations to aid children in Darfur. Donations in the past have allowed over 260,000 children in Africa to be vaccinated (annually) with last year's donations reaching a total of 285,300 EUR. Of course depending on which doll you want, you might not just need a big heart but an even bigger wallet. But even then, I'm sure those who have spent a bit of money on this, value the fact they've not only purchased a unique designer item (which is actually handmade), but also saved children's lives. This year's collaboration was dedicated to the world of cinema and included not only designers' interpretations of the silver screen, but also had a few stars themselves take a shot at creating a doll.

Marion Cotillard designed herself as a doll, while her partner, actor & director Guillaime Canet, was designed by Dior Homme (center). Other dolls pictured include legendary vintage expert Didier Ludot (left) and 'Baby Gaga' by Tilmann Grawe, the man responsible for many of Lady Gaga's stage outfits.

All dolls went on display last week at the Petit Palais and will be auctioned off tomorrow (Dec 7). A few select dolls can even be purchased online here. While dolls in general sometimes still creep me out, I did love looking at these little creations and wish I could take more than one home. This year, my favorites were Chanel's 'La Petite Coco' and Giorgio Armani's 'Marlène Dietrich'. Which one would you bid on, if you had the funds?

Big-name luxury and contemporary designers

'Tulip' by Dior (left). Louis Vuitton's doll (right) looks like a mini Christy Turlington.

'Sixtine' by Lanvin (left). 'La Petite Coco' by Chanel (right).

'Marlène Dietrich' by Giorgio Armani (left). 'Monica' by Dolce & Gabbana.

Stefano Pilati for Yves Saint Laurent (left). 'Skye' by Chloé (right).

'Elvia' by Gucci (left). Missoni (right).

'Sophie' by Prada (left). 'Barbara' by Miu Miu (right).

Double-sided doll 'Pralin et Praline' by Sonia Rykiel (left). 'Gilda' by Paule Ka (right).

Oscar de la Renta (left). 'Grace' by Elie Saab (right).

'Puccinella' by Pucci (left). 'Ava' by Loewe (right).

Carolina Herrera (left). 'Divina' by Narciso Rodriguez (right).

'Clara' by Emmanuel Ungaro (left). 'Daisy' by BCBG MAXAZRIA.

French Couture and Local Designers

Top row: 'Natsué' by Leonard, 'Yamima Benguigui' by Georges Chakra, Eliza Doolittle by Maison Lesage, 'Rebecca Dark' by Jerome L'Huillier.
Bottom row: 'Mono' by Torrente, 'Sarah' by Jean-Claude Jitrois, 'Clémentine' by Max Chaoul.

French contemporary designers and premium high street

Top row: 'Dolores' by Lolita Lempicka, Les Petites, Comptoir des Cotonniers, 'Liza' by Anne Fontaine.
Bottom row: Antik Batik,' Charlotte l'effrontée' by Petit Bateau, 'Forever Godard' by Agnes B.

Lingerie & Jewelry designers

Top row: 'Ella' by Princesse Tam Tam, 'Susan' by Fifi Chachnil, 'Vénus' by Vanina Vesperini.
Bottom row: 'Mademoiselle Poiray' by Poiray, 'Shirley' by Chantal Thomass, 'Super Ame' by Lorenz Baumer, 'C'est Toi La Star' by Mauboussin.

And the slightly wackier dolls...

Left: 'Popée' by Moritz Rogogsky, 'Mlle Blanche' by Moulin Rouge. Center: Skeleton made out of several dolls - Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, 'Tamara' by Petrossian. Right: 'Carrément chocolat' by macaron master Pierre Herme, Jay Ahr.

More of the over 80 dolls can also be viewed at the official Frimousses de Créateurs homepage.

Frimousses de Créateurs (Paris, France)

Fashion tends to have a reputation of being somewhat superficial and shallow, especially if you ask those who have absolutely no interest in it. But even the haters will have a hard time saying a bad word about a lovely project called "frimousses de créateurs" ('frimousses' supposedly means doll-face), which was launched in 2003 by Laeticia Halliday and Delphine Arnault-Gancia for UNICEF France. The idea was to ask some of the world's leading fashion designers and artists to create or dress a doll to their liking, which would be presented over the course of a week, then auctioned off the following week. The proceeds benefit various causes and this year all donations will go towards vaccinations to aid the children in Darfur. Last year's event allowed over 260,000 children to be vaccinated in Africa. As this year's tag line states: Une poupée adoptée, c’est une vie sauvée - A doll adopted, is a life saved…

Overview of the exhibition. A small area had leaflets and videos providing more details of the cause.

Now, dolls aren't necessarily the most covetable thing in an adult's life... in some cases it might even come across as creepy if you are a collector (anyone remember the SATC episode where Stanford's crush turns out to be a collector of Victorian dolls? Scary...). But having your favorite designers take a swing at creating mini-outfits and revamping small puppets puts a very different spin on the traditional Barbie or old-fashioned porcelain number. The costumes themselves were quite adorable and if I were very rich, I'd probably participate in the auction, which took place yesterday (the exhibition itself ran last week), but I think I'll just have to stick to the regular donation route for now.

I loved everything I saw... some ideas were more original than others. I took pictures of every figurine, but I won't show them all since there were well over a hundred dolls on display. Most of them were presented on a wall surrounded by a real or painted frame - others were placed on large tables towards the end of the hall. The venue itself in the Petit Palais, was a magnificent setting. I'd probably have to say Christian Dior, Lanvin (I'm biased) and Chantal Thomass created some of my favorites. Although anyone who participated in this, deserves an acknowledgement. Which ones would you have bought?

Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior's "Saskia".

Dolce & Gabbana, Emanuel Ungaro

Damian Hirst (top left) and Dries van Noten (lower left), as well as Jeff Koons and Gucci (lower right) chose to embroider and paint their dolls. Jean-Charles de Castelbajac decided to create a giant skull (center) and Kenzo grouped several floral patterned ones (top right).

Christian Lacroix, Oscar de la Renta

The queens of lingerie design: Princesse Tam Tam, Chantal Thomass, Fifi Chachnil.

Missoni, Jean-Paul Gaultier

Top row: Franck Sorbier Couture, Jean Claude Jitrois, Jay Ahr. Lower row: Cartier's Panther, couture house Maison Lesage, Gilles Dufour.

Prada, Miu Miu

Top: Pucci. Bottom: Sonia Rykiel's three-headed doll.

Top: Loewe, Corinne Cobson, Agatha Ruiz de la Prada, Esmod. Bottom: a Miss Audrey doll, dolls attached to a golden heart by Jean-Michel Othoniel, Paco Rabanne.

Chloé, Yves Saint Laurent

From the French high street... top row: Antik Batik, Faith Connexion, Zapa. Bottom: Agnès B., Comptoir des Cotonniers, Cacharel.

Giorgio Armani, Lanvin

Top: Christophe Guillarmé used Beth Ditto's pic as a head, Jérôme L’Huillier. Bottom: Lolita Lempicka, jewelry designer Clémentine Mauboussin.

A few wedding inspired dolls, which were a firm favorite among a crowd of 10-year-old girls. The incredible dress to the left is by Elie Saab.