Gucci’s next covetable item may come from the company’s latest investment in design and material innovation.
The Kering-owned Italian luxury powerhouse officially unveiled ArtLab last week, a 37,000-square-meter complex located near its Casellina headquarters outside of Florence. Staffed by 800 employees, the hub is dedicated to furthering the brand’s creativity with a slant toward sustainability.
The Gucci ArtLab is intended for product development and lab testing with in-house prototyping and sampling for footwear, leather goods, new materials, hardware and packaging. With the addition of the lab, the company said it expects to reduce lead times and increase flexibility, efficiency and quality, while meeting the highest standards of sustainability compliance.
In a statement reported by Vogue, Gucci president and CEO Marco Bizzarri described the lab as an expression of Gucci’s creative corporate culture and openness to nurture skills and ideas. “It is a testament to our belief in creativity, artisanal craftsmanship, innovation and technology, and sustainability, and our bond with our territory,” he said.
In line with Kering’s 2025 sustainability strategy, Gucci strives to be a leader in sustainability in the luxury space. The company said it is focusing efforts on eco-friendly products and developing skills to create fashion items with minimal impact on the environment.
In October 2017, the brand famous for its fur-line loafers, announced it would go fur-free, joining other leading fashion brands and retailers including Armani, Michael Kors, Hugo Boss and former sister brand, Stella McCartney.