The House will debut the Gucci Garden on January 10 in the historic Palazzo della Mercanzia in Florence, Italy. Designed by critic Maria Luisa Frisa, who has also worked with Diana Vreeland and Raf Simons, the newly designed space will have a new restaurant helmed by Three Michelin stars, Chef Massimo Bottura, a boutique offering one-off fashionable designer pieces, and exhibition rooms curated by critic and curator Maria Luisa Frisa.
The overall space is being overseen by Gucci’s creative director Alessandro Michele. After a fantastic makeover, Bottura’s partnership with Gucci will take his exciting business venture to a whole new level. Other than being crowned as one of the world’s best Chefs, Bottura’s Modena restaurant Osteria Francescana is currently ranked second in the influential World’s 50 Best restaurants list in 2016.
Although details on the renovation of the new restaurant itself is still sparse for now, once the Modena restaurant Osteria Francescana is ready, the dining space is set to offer visitors a comfortable place to indulge and rest their stiletto-heeled feet after browsing the exhibits and making their big-ticket purchases.
As for Bottura, this collaboration with Gucci will mark a stark departure for him from the soup kitchens he ran through his non-profit group Food for Soul, which turned edible, surplus food waste from local grocery stores into meals for the homeless.
Words by Andrea Sim.