MILAN — Gucci revealed on Thursday that its cruise 2026 collection will be unveiled at the brand’s storied archive in Florence on May 15.
The archive is located inside the stately Palazzo Settimanni on via delle Caldaie, in the heart of the Tuscan city, in the Oltrarno district long associated with artistry and craftsmanship.
The building was acquired by Gucci in 1953, and has served over the years as a workshop, factory and showroom. Conservatively restored, it has housed the Gucci Archive since 2021.
“Returning to Florence — and specifically to Palazzo Settimanni — is both a tribute and a declaration of intent,” said Gucci’s chief executive officer Stefano Cantino. “The archive is not merely a repository of our past; it is a living space where Gucci’s identity codes are preserved and reinterpreted through an ongoing dialogue. Presenting the cruise 2026 collection here reaffirms our bond with the cultural and artisanal heritage that defines us, while projecting it into the future with coherence and ambition.”
The cruise 2026 collection will be designed by Gucci’s team, following the exit of Sabato De Sarno in early February after a two-year collaboration, and awaiting the arrival of his successor Demna, who will wrap up his tenure at Balenciaga with an haute couture show on July 9 and start at Gucci shortly after.
Guccio Gucci founded the brand in 1921 in Florence, which remains central to its identity. It is home to Palazzo Gucci, Gucci Osteria and Gucci Giardino, as well as the offices and production hubs in Casellina and Gucci ArtLab.
In line with Gucci’s ongoing commitment to preserving culturally significant sites and supporting the communities that bring them to life, the company will contribute to the 2026 edition of the Estate Fiorentina [Florentine Summer] cultural program and support the redevelopment of Parco delle Cascine, a park that extends from the center of the city on the north bank of the Arno river, covering an area of almost 400 acres.
Florence Mayor Sara Funaro dubbed the show “an extraordinary event in the very city where the brand was born, and in the place that best tells its story.”
She described the Gucci Archive as “a setting rich with history and meaning, rooted in the part of the city where the artisan tradition is most deeply felt — an identity we are committed to enhancing.”
She continued by stating that “the relationship between Gucci and Florence is profound. Despite the house’s international success, this bond has never been broken.”
The event also “confirms Florence’s central role in the fashion industry, thanks to global leaders like Gucci. Fashion remains a key sector for our local economy — currently facing challenges, but always rich in talent and ready to respond to the demands of the present and future.”
Florence was the stage for a Gucci destination show once before. De Sarno’s predecessor Alessandro Michele paraded the cruise 2018 collection at the Palatina Gallery at Palazzo Pitti.
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