Style Edit: Gucci celebrates its heritage with The Art of Silk, starring Ozark’s Julia Garner with the 1966 Flora motif – and invites 9 international artists to reinterpret 5 enduring scarf themes
The maison produced nearly 80 scarf designs between 1960 and 1981 – from the intricate Flora, created for Princess Grace of Monaco, to the iconic Horsebit in 1953, and GG Monogram in 1969
Julia Garner, of Ozark breakout fame, stars in the accompanying vignette, Keep It Gucci: The Art of Silk, shot by Steven Meisel. Against the backdrop of a nocturnal cityscape, the 31-year-old actress embodies the fluid elegance of silk, while the maison’s vibrant Flora motif – an iconic design conceived in 1966 by Italian illustrator Vittorio Accornero de Testa – reminds us that timeless elegance never fades.
Gucci’s love affair with silk began in the 1950s, its early designs echoing the maison’s signature leather goods. In 1958, Accornero collaborated with a distinguished silk producer from Como, Italy, to create the Tolda di Nave, a nautical-themed pattern that marked the beginning of decades of innovation in silk.
Throughout the 1960s, Accornero’s imaginative designs transformed silk into wearable art, with nearly 80 scarves designed between 1960 and 1981 – from the intricate Flora, created for Princess Grace of Monaco, to nautical motifs and animalia prints. The iconic Horsebit motif, which debuted in 1953, and GG Monogram, introduced in 1969, further solidified Gucci’s position in the world of silk artistry.
To pay homage to this legacy, Gucci’s “90 x 90” project sees nine international artists invited to reinterpret five enduring scarf themes of the maison. The initiative blurs the lines between pop culture, fine art and fashion. The artists – Robert Barry, Everett Glenn, Sara Leghissa, Currynew, Jonny Niesche, Gio Pastori, Walter Petrone, Yu Cai and Inji Seo – bring their unique perspectives to the project, resulting in interpretations ranging from the wry and witty, to the beautiful and poignant.
