Press Release*
NEW YORK — Gucci is hoping its temporary stores leave a lasting
impression.
Like other luxury retailers in the recession, Gucci is looking for high-impact,
lower-cost methods of generating interest in the brand, especially among style
leaders who may not be moved by conventional forms of advertising.
Gucci Icon-Temporary is that method. The flash sneaker store will touch down in
six or seven locations around the world where tastemakers gather, such as Art Basil
Miami Beach, staying open for two or three weeks in each spot. The first stop on the
tour will be Crosby Street in SoHo on Oct. 23. Other stops will include London,
Berlin, Paris, Hong Kong and Tokyo.
Gucci Icon-Temporary units will feature 18 exclusive sneaker styles — 16 for men
and two for women. Incorporating classic Gucci design elements such as the GG
logo and a stylized version of the Gucci red-and-green web detail, each shoe has
an embroidered “Limited Edition” label inside and a silver or gold metal dog tag
hanging from the laces. Leather tags on shoe laces can be customized and
embossed with a shopper’s initials.
In addition to the Limited Edition shoes, Frida Giannini, Gucci’s creative director,
collaborated with DJ, music producer and sneaker enthusiast Mark Ronson on
the design of Gucci Ronson sneakers. A new Gucci Ronson version will be
introduced at every leg of the itinerant project. Icon-Temporary sneakers are
priced from $500 to $1,400, and Gucci Ronson shoes, $500 to $600.
Gucci appears to be using Ronson to target an audience of style influencers.
Ronson, who describes himself on his Web site as “one of the world’s finest
DJs, favoured by the decadent fashion cognoscenti, the hip-hop elite and anyone
in general that likes to party,” is no stranger to fashion; his sister Charlotte
designs an eponymous collection as well as the I [Heart] Ronson line for
J.C. Penney.
“I spent many, many years as an avid sneaker collector, so I wanted to make
sure these Gucci shoes were truly special from an aesthetic and collectable
point of view,” said Ronson, who produced a 12-inch vinyl record of
limited edition tracks that will be given to customers who buy Gucci
Ronson sneakers as a gift.
Patrizio di Marco, Gucci’s chief executive officer, had no concerns about
the sneaker project diluting the brand’s luxury status. “This is a very
controlled, brand-enhancing initiative that will appear for just two to
three weeks in just six to seven cities,” he said. “Gucci’s DNA as a
lifestyle brand has been defined over nearly 90 years. An initiative
such as this one will simply serve to enhance the brand’s
reputation as a fashion authority and innovator.”
And di Marco believes Gucci Icon-Temporary will attract a varied
clientele. “In terms of age demographic, Gucci already has a uniquely
broad customer base,” he said. “Gucci is not only an authentic brand,
but also a versatile one. [You could] say that sneakers today appeal
to a wide cross-section of customers. The combination of the beautiful
sneakers that Frida has designed, Mark Ronson’s collaboration and
the unique environment of the stores will simply serve to create added
interest in Gucci over the next 15 months as the project tours the
world’s most important fashion capitals.”
He declined to give sales projections for the stores.
The Gucci stores are the latest — and one of the most ambitious
— examples of what is emerging as a major trend in fashion and
luxury retailing: pop-up stores. Given the glut of empty space in
major cities worldwide, not to mention reluctant consumers, brands
from Target to Prada, Rachel Roy to Yves Saint Laurent are unveiling
temporary stores as a way to generate excitement on the retail scene.
The Gucci Icon-Temporary stores will have glossy white walls accented
with oversize signature red-and-green web stripes along the perimeters.
On Crosby Street, black-painted columns will frame the all-glass facade
emblazoned with a red GG logo that looks like it was spray painted
graffiti-style on the surface. “There are certain destinations in each of
the chosen cities that naturally attract the collectors and tastemakers,”
di Marco said. “They tend to be away from the principal fashion retail
destinations and therefore not near our flagship store locations.”
Similarly, Gucci will eschew mainstream marketing methods for
Icon-Temporary. “By its nature, this is a project that will generate
its own momentum through word of mouth,” di Marco said. “
But we will also be harnessing the power of the Internet, especially
blogs and social networks and using flyposting. We studied innovative,
highly targeted tools based on the customers that we expect to attract.”
The much anticipated Gucci event took place this past Friday, and torrential downpour in New York, didn't keep a slew of stars from attending Gucci's “black” carpet Icon-Temporary’s grand opening party. Hosted by Gucci Creative Director, Frida Giannini, and collaborator, DJ Mark Ronson. Celebrities such as Mary J. Blige, who's project with Gucci benefits her charity,
Foundation For the Advancement of Women Now (
FFAWN). Wyclef Jean, Evan Rachel Wood, Mischa Barton, model Poppy Delevingne, and Claire Danes.
Gucci Icon-Temporary - Pop-Up Sneaker Store
New York, NY 10012
*Photo Credit: Getty Images , Wenn.com
