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Gucci unveils artlab for leather goods and footwear

Jun 18, 2018 Italy

Gucci has officially unveiled the Gucci ArtLab, a 37 000-square-meter hub for excellence and innovation. This “laboratory of creativity” is located in Scandicci, near Florence and the historical HQ of the brand in Casellina

The ArtLab will be the centre of product development and lab testing with in-house prototyping and sampling activity. Development efforts will focus on leather goods and footwear. Indeed, these two sectors jointly constitute more than 70% of total sales for Gucci (4 billion, according to data for end of 2017) and demand for them has doubled in the last three years. Furthermore, research on new materials, metal hardware and packaging will also be carried out.

The official inauguration was held on the 19th of April, and counted with the presence, among others, of Group Kering President François-Henri Pinault and Massimo Rigucci, in charge of the bag and footwear production of the maison and of the ArtLab project.

The building, already staffed with 800 employees, displays hand painted walls, featuring artworks from the young artists collaborating with the house, and interiors furnished with the collection of furnishing accessories Gucci Décor.

In a press statement, President and CEO of Gucci Marco Bizzarri affirmed that "the unveiling of Gucci ArtLab represents one of the most remarkable achievements of Gucci’s unprecedented journey of the last three years, and one of the most significant industrial investments today in our country. It is a testament to our belief in creativity, artisanal craftsmanship, innovation and technology, and sustainability, and our bond with our territory."

Gucci is an Italian luxury brand of leather goods, apparel and accessories for men and women. It was founded by Guccio Gucci in Florence in 1921 and is currently owned by the French holding company Kering. Gucci’s revenue for 2017 amounted to 6.2 billion US dollars. Currently, Gucci is managed by CEO Marco Bizzarri and artistically lead by Creative Director Alessandro Michele.

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