Photo Credit: Courtesy of Gucci
Gucci is celebrating 70 years of their beloved Horsebit Loafer. Taking center stage at Milan Fashion Week with the presentation of its Spring-Summer 2024 Men’s Collection, accompanied by an immersive event dedicated to a true icon: the Gucci Horsebit Loafer. Titled “Gucci Horsebeat Society,” this expansive showcase celebrates the 70th anniversary of the emblematic footwear through captivating installations created by ten international artists, designers, and creatives. The event offers a multi-disciplinary experience that fuses fashion, art, and audio-visual elements, curated by Alessio Ascari, the creative director of Spazio Maiocchi.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Gucci
The Horsebit, originally conceived by Aldo Gucci in 1953 as an embellishment for loafers, has become an iconic symbol for Gucci. Over the past seven decades, it has been interpreted across a wide range of accessories, jewelry, and ready-to-wear collections. Gucci Horsebeat Society pays homage to the equestrian roots of the Horsebit while reimagining the tradition of the country club in a contemporary setting with an artistic counterculture spirit and invites visitors to explore the rich iconography of the Horsebit Loafer through transformative reinterpretations.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Gucci
Brought to life at Spazio Maiocchi, the multi-faceted exhibition was curated by Alessio Ascari, the Milan-based creative director and curator of Spazio Maiocchi. The exhibition is a multi-disciplinary experience featuring the works of ten artists whose practices span from applied to digital arts. From a conceptual ‘patio’ created by Russian artist Harry Nuriev to a captivating ‘bedroom’ space curated by American photographer Charlie Engman, the exhibition sparks unexpected dialogues and offers an innovative perspective on the timeless Horsebit emblem.
Tracing the Horsebit to its equestrian roots, the Gucci Horsebit Society re-imagines the tradition of the country club in a contemporary space fused with the spirit of artistic counterculture. The concept materializes in a multi-dimensional ‘house’ — a series of sensorial, quasi-domestic environments inhabited by specially commissioned artworks.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Gucci
In the main gallery, visitors are met by a theatrical ‘dining room’ featuring a surrealist table designed by the American sculptor Pitterpatter, and a quadreria of fantastical creatures by the Canadian digital artist Blatant Space. The Gucci Horsebeat Society exhibition also delves into the brand’s archives, with Italian visual artist Anna Franceschini curating a ‘cabinet of curiosities’ centered around artifacts from Gucci’s history. Guests can also experience a theatrical ‘dining room’ with a surrealist table designed by American sculptor Pitterpatter, and a cinema room featuring a film by British photographer and filmmaker Bolade Banjo.
Throughout the decades, the Gucci Horsebit Loafer has evolved, reflecting shifting attitudes towards conventional dress codes. From cultural icons like Francis Ford Coppola and Fred Astaire in the 1960s to a new generation of enthusiasts in the 1970s, the Horsebit has remained a symbol of timeless style. Gucci has continued to reinterpret the Horsebit, resulting in modern classics such as the shearling-lined Princetown slippers.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Gucci
Gucci Horsebeat Society presents an extraordinary celebration of the Gucci Horsebit Loafer, showcasing its rich history and enduring legacy while also revealing the Gucci Spring/Summer 2024 men’s collection.
