December 11, 2017
Alyscamps is the site of Gucci's next cruise show. Image courtesy of Getty
Italian fashion label Gucci has picked a historic location for its cruise 2019 runway show.
Scheduled for May 30, the fashion show will take place at Alyscamps near Arles, France. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Roman necropolis has never hosted an event of this magnitude before.
Fashion history
Alyscamps, situated just outside of Arles in Provence, is an ancient burial ground used for more than 1,000 years.
Among the deceased laid to rest at Alyscamps was Saint Trophimus. Thought to be Arles' first bishop, rumors say that Jesus Christ attended his burial.
Centuries later, when Vincent Van Gogh was living in Arles, he invited fellow artist Paul Gaugin to visit him. During their time in the town, Alyscamps was the basis for a number of paintings.
In 2015, Van Gogh's "L'Allee des Alyscamps" sold for $66 million in a Sotheby's auction.
Church of St Honore at Alyscamps. Image courtesy of Getty
The necropolis also inspired Pablo Picasso.
Gucci is working with the City of Arles to stage its show at the necropolis.
Drawing off its traveling roots, cruise has become a season of destination runway spectacles, with many of the largest luxury houses decamping around the globe.
Prior to this location, Gucci hosted its cruise presentations in destinations including New York’s DIA-Art Foundation, the Cloisters at Westminster Abbey in London.
The Florentine label looked to its hometown for cruise 2018, staging its show at Pitti Palace’s Palatina Gallery. This was the first time a fashion show was staged in the venue.
Gucci’s show was part of a larger project aimed at restoring the Boboli Gardens. The label is donating 2 million euro, or about $2 million at current exchange, to the Uffizi Gallery over three years (see story).
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