It’s in the historic Palazzo della Mercanzia in Florence’s Piazza della Signoria that the Gucci Garden Galleria has been housed. Conceived by the House’s Creative Director Alessandro Michele and featuring exhibition spaces curated by critic and curator Maria Luisa Frisa, Gucci Garden has now opened a new exhibition in the Period Rooms, unveiling new wall paintings and coinciding with Pitti Uomo 95. That said, the opening of the men’s fashion fair signaled the start of the exhibition and the showcase of the new artwork.

The Period Rooms in the Gucci Garden Galleria had previously opened in June earlier this year, with a tribute to Björk and the House’s collaboration with her. And now, the new exhibition aims to demonstrate how Gucci has interpreted and defined men’s fashion over the years. And so, the exhibition focuses on Gucci’s redefining of the concept of masculinity since the 1960s – along with its various Creative Directors, from the Tom Ford era to the present – by showcasing items such as clothing, objects, accessories, images, books, magazines and video documents.

Also, the ground floor boutique of Gucci Garden – which is home to a selection of publications on sale – features work by writers on fashion studies and high-profile fashion journalists who look at the idea of masculinity.

Fresh wall paintings commissioned for the Gucci Garden transitional spaces – the stairwells and stair-and-elevator landings – have also been unveiled, conceived by Italian artist MP5, who is known for an insightful black-and-white style, and English artist Alex Merry, who portrays a dreamlike universe through illustrations and portraits that use color in surprising ways. 

Visitors to Florence can revel in this special Gucci store, as it features exclusive items, from shoes to handbags and ready-to-wear for both men and women. The boutique also presents a selection of clothing and other items bearing images by MP5, such as a collection of T-shirts and hooded sweatshirts for men and women, and shopper bags, all displaying black-and-white prints that have been inspired by the ancient Chinese text the I Ching (also known as the Book of Changes).

To top it all off, the Gucci Garden’s restaurant – the Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura – is helmed by internationally renowned chef Massimo Bottura, whose dishes explore the deep roots of the Italian kitchen while making references to history, art and philosophy.

And for those of you who can’t wait to visit the new space, you’ll be glad to know that 50% of each ticket sale will be donated to support restoration projects in the city of Florence.