Gucci’s Pop-Up ‘Sneaker’ Store with Mark Ronson
by Tom Stubbs10 May 2010
Earlham Street Covent Garden, till May 13th
I’m a devotee of the house of Gucci, and as a young fashion spotter, would go on B.T.* pilgrimages to their shop on New Bond Street. It was a bit stuffy there and the preserve of a few ageing sloane rangers. We used to call the rotating display plinth, which the loafers sat on, the Gucci Carousel, and then laugh at it. Things couldn’t be further from that licensing purgatory now, as Gucci engage in all manner of hip modernity and technology. (*before Tom)
I was invited to review the pop-up Mark Ronson trainer shop last week. Love the broad red and navy heritage-stripe that surrounds the gaff. The cool, clean white space is being used to showcase the line of trainers (or sneakers as the Americans and Italians call them), designed in conjunction with DJ and famous producer of cover versions, Mark Ronson. I’m not sure if simply wearing a lot of trainers in the past qualifies you to design them however, Creative Director Frida Giannini, was in on the collaboration to keep an eye on things. This project is aimed at linking Gucci with a younger market, hence all the digital and on line capers that the kids just can’t get enough of. The Gucci lifestyle ‘ap’ has had half a million downloads so far, and the special ‘Ronson’ model is only purchasable for those who have the ‘ap’.
This foray into young style heralds a new thrust for Gucci. The trainers start at £420 and go to £600-ish, so are what you might call ‘collectors’ pieces. Not sure how many of the young wanna drop that sort of money on trainers by a luxury house, but what do I know about such things. I think collecting trainer’s full-stop, is quite naff. Enjoying wearing trainers is a different story. Gucci’s new trainers are in a lively and stylish colour and what might be called ‘fun’. My favourite element is still the red/blue band of the shop’s decor, but don’t qualify as ‘target’.
I inadvertently ended up coming back for the evening bash, thrown by Gucci, Ronson, and Dazed & Confused. I shot some footage, spoke to the very striking Anna Laub of Prism eyewear about Gucci and her glasses and then cleared off. Far too loud, bright and hectic for me frankly, and really wonder if Simon Le Bon and Nick Rhodes are still into that sort of thing? I also wonder how they effect the ‘down with the kid’s’ quotient? The whole bunch toddled off to Ronnie Scotts afterwards, for a roster of a scintillating performance and revelry no doubt. I got the bus home and reviewed my Gucci loafer collection from the last twenty years, thinking long about what I’d seen. What would Guccio Gucci and his son Aldo have made of ‘ap’s’ and DJs deployed to attract the young to luxury products, I wonder? “Quality is remembered long after price is forgotten”, Aldo would often remark. Interesting; that’s exactly what I heard some trendy young kids saying to each other at the bus stop. ‘Kids, go get your ‘sneakers’ from Covent Garden while they’re hot!’.
If you enjoyed reading this, we recommend:
Tags: Frida Giannini, Gucci, Mark Ronson, Sneaker Store
