Gucci Ancora Lands at 180 Strand
London College of Fashion students immerse themselves in Gucci’s universe.
Image courtesy of Una Lote Andzane.
The only way to traverse the many constellations that make up the rich and opulent universe of Gucci is by going to the large-scale exhibition entitled Gucci Cosmos, held at 180 Studios in London. Designed by Es Devlin and curated by Maria Luisa Frisa, the exhibition tells Gucci’s story through nine chapters and marks the brand’s new era under the creative direction of Sabato De Sarno. The series of worlds – The Ascending Room, Portals, Eden, Zoetrope, Two, Archivio, Cabinet of Wonders, Carousel, and Gucci Ancora – encapsulate more than a hundred years of ideas, inventions, artefacts, anecdotes, and geographies, offering endless inspiration for both fashion lovers and students alike.
“We work very closely with all arts and heritage organisations around London,” says Jo Sait, Internal Communications Manager at LCF. “The Internal and External Relations team had the idea to feature some of the fashion exhibitions currently open on our channels as we currently have our first exhibition open at East Bank.” One of the exhibitions that the team got in touch with first was Gucci Cosmos who kindly offered a few free tickets to students via a giveaway.
Image courtesy of Una Lote Andzane.
Open to all students, the competition was advertised in the YOUR.LCF monthly newsletter. With the section Monthly Drop offering regular giveaways, the newsletter summarises the most exciting happenings of the month in bite-sized pieces of information. “We always look out for free and paid opportunities to share with our students,” says Sait. “If London College of Fashion by having the name and the connections can give those opportunities to students, then that's what we want to seek much more of.” Besides, students can also get in touch with the newsletter creators to tell them what they want to read about more.
Third-year BA Fashion Design Technology: Womenswear student Hannah Dye made sure not to miss the opportunity promoted in the newsletter. “Going to fashion exhibitions is one of my favourite things to do in London, and Gucci Cosmos had been on my list for a while,” she says. “Obviously, sometimes these exhibitions can get a little bit expensive, so if I can get some tickets for free, what could be better than that?”
Image courtesy of Una Lote Andzane.
While fashion exhibitions are ingenious for learning about the history of heritage brands and examining the details of archival pieces, they can also spark discussions that reach beyond sartorial matters and delve deeper into culture and society. For Allison Iwatake, third-year BA Critical Practice in Fashion Media student, it was the curation and design of Gucci Cosmos that proved to be the most intriguing aspect of the experience. “It got me thinking about the design process behind all of it and what a brand might hope to get out of an exhibition like this,” she reflects.
Dye highlights that a great advantage of studying in London is access to a seemingly endless list of museums, galleries, and exhibitions, and she appreciates the effort to motivate students to use them as a resource. “It’s really important that LCF offers these opportunities because it encourages us to be more well-rounded when we leave and have an appreciation of fashion that’s not only in the classroom, but also gets you engaged in the culture that surrounds us,” she observes.
Image courtesy of Una Lote Andzane.
Iwatake believes that participating in giveaways can be a great catalyst for stepping outside your comfort zone and exploring areas that might not be in your immediate circles of interest. “If you can do something at no cost to yourself, then why not?” she says. “You never know what you could get out of it – it’s always good to have new experiences and encounter things that you might initially be closed off to.”
To not miss the next opportunity exclusively available to LCF students, check your student inbox for your monthly YOUR.LCF newsletter.
Written for LCF Stories, 2023.