Gucci and Dover Street Market have launched their first collaboration. The first step in this partnership will be the opening of a Gucci shop-in-shop on July 25th at Dover Street Market Ginza, located in Tokyo, the hometown of Dover Street Market founder Rei Kawakubo. The address is 4F Ginza Komatsu West Building, 6-9-5 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo. The store will then open in New York and London on September 10th, in time for Fashion Week, and in the new Beijing store this fall. All four Dover Street Market locations in Tokyo, New York, London, and Beijing will begin displaying Gucci's new creative director, Alessandro Michele's, debut collections, starting with the Autumn/Winter 2015-16 collection or the Cruise 2016 collection.
Regarding this global collaboration, Gucci President and CEO Marco Bizzarri commented, "We were immediately drawn to Dover Street Market's proposal for a global collaboration, as it symbolizes Gucci's new vision. ... We believe it will satisfy not only Gucci customers, but also those who follow Gucci as it evolves into a brand with new appeal and a more sophisticated fashion sense."
Dover Street Market President Adrian Joffe said, "We have always believed in breaking the rules and taking risks. We were amazed to see a company like Gucci achieve this, and more than anything, we were captivated by the new collection. It has a truly authentic concept that we can trust, with a wonderful balance of newness and tradition. We are proud to be a part of Gucci's transformation."
The shop-in-shop will feature women's and men's ready-to-wear and accessories from Autumn/Winter 2015-16. The space will be designed by Michele himself, inspired by his debut collection show. The store incorporates unprecedented materials and details, including concrete panels, old rose pink carpets, vibrant cherry red velvet armchairs, rough metal rolling racks, old rose pink velvet quilted screen partitions, and ochre, red purple, and green velvet torsos. The store will undergo a complete redesign when the Cruise Collection launches, and will continue to evolve as a "living space."
