Gucci Opens ‘Bamboo House’ In Traditional Kyoto House For Its 100th Anniversary

By Mikelle Leow, 27 Jul 2021

Image via Gucci / PR Times

The quintessential plant of the House of Gucci is the bamboo, the name of one of its signature fragrances and a feature on the lovingly christened Gucci Diana bag. As such, to celebrate its 100th anniversary, the Italian fashion house flew to the land of bamboo and set up a lovely abode there.

To get in touch with its heritage, Gucci chose a historical house in the charming Japanese city of Kyoto—the supposed “sister city of Florence, Italy—as a refuge for its latest exhibition. On the surface, the location is an unexpected choice, but it also symbolizes Gucci’s instinct to tap into the past to design modern pieces. “No other city is more suitable for this project than Kyoto, a city where tradition and innovation coexist,” the brand justifies in a Japanese press release.

The popup showcases garments and accessories from creative director Alessandro Michele’s latest collection Aria, which means air or breath in Italian. As a breath of fresh air, the Gucci Bamboo House modernizes existing western-style details with the luxury fashion label’s motifs. The library, for instance, brings Florence’s Gucci Garden Bookstore to mind, with its Gucci chairs and floral wallpaper.

Meanwhile, traditional elements of this machiya (townhouse) from the 1920s, around the time Gucci was founded, are generally retained. The Former Kawasaki Residence, according to Time Out Tokyo, is a prime example of Taisho-era (1912–1926) architecture, and the brand made sure to honor the cultural integrity of areas like the tatami-mat tearoom and the bamboo grove. Gucci’s branding still peeks through the building’s shoji paper panels, gracefully printed with the iconic monogram.

Notably, the Gucci Bamboo House is the perfect background to showcase the newly revamped Gucci Diana handbags, which come with bamboo handles.

As a housewarming of sorts, Gucci hosted an exclusive one-night-only installation that turned the property’s old-timey main hall, corridor, and more, neon on July 18. Fitted through the mix of new and old were mannequins donning pieces from the Aria range.

The Gucci Bamboo House will stay open until August 15. Guests are welcome to visit the endearing exhibition for free, though they’d have to secure a reservation first.