The Sabato De Sarno Era Has Officially Landed In New York: Inside Gucci’s New Wooster Street Store

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Gucci

The Sabato De Sarno era at Gucci in New York has officially begun as they opened their doors to the newly renovated boutique in SoHo. Since its initial opening in 2018, Gucci Wooster has become a distinguished destination, blending the creative legacy of SoHo with the innovative collections of the Italian fashion house — and this time, we’re seeing Gucci Wooster through the Sabato De Sarno lens.

The boutique, occupying a city block with entrances on Wooster Street and West Broadway, is set within a 155-year-old building, a landmark-protected site that once housed a pencil factory. This renovation project has artfully preserved the building’s original structure, showcasing restored brickwork, iron and wooden floors, tin ceilings, and columns. These historic elements are thoughtfully integrated with modern finishes of stainless steel, glass, and cement, creating a space where old meets new in perfect harmony.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of GucciPhoto Credit: Courtesy of Gucci

The renovation draws inspiration from the creative vision behind the recently inaugurated Monte Napoleone store in Milan — which, as we were expecting, has a bit of 90s minimalism to it. The interiors feature a curated selection of Italian design icons by Cassina, B&B, and Minotti, aligning with Sabato De Sarno’s contemporary aesthetic and highlighting Gucci’s collections. The boutique’s four fitting rooms are distinguished by lacquered Rosso Ancora panels, adding a touch of elegance to the shopping experience.

Spanning over 10,000 square feet, the open-space boutique offers an extensive range of Gucci products, including women’s and men’s ready-to-wear, shoes, jewelry, accessories, and the exclusive Gucci Valigeria lines. Celebrating the opening, the boutique introduces the Women’s Spring Summer 24 collection, now debuting worldwide, along with limited-edition items like an acid green variation of the Jackie Notte bag.

Perhaps one of the focal points of the new Gucci Wooster is the Gucci Wooster Bookstore, curated by Dashwood Books. Located at 375 West Broadway and boasting its own dedicated entrance, the bookstore fosters a seamless flow between itself and the main boutique space, encouraging cross-discovery among guests. The bookstore focuses on contemporary art and photography, featuring a rotation of carefully selected titles, including many out-of-print editions. Coinciding with the SS24 collection debut, the bookstore will highlight “Gucci Prospettive 1: Milano Ancora,” the first volume in a series exploring Sabato De Sarno’s artistic vision.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Gucci

In tribute to SoHo’s artistic heritage and its role as a creative nexus, Gucci Wooster proudly displays a collection of modern and contemporary artworks curated by Truls Blaasmo. The collection includes pieces by American and international artists, such as Alighiero Boetti, Larry Bell, Lucio Fontana, Autumn Knight, and Sasha Stiles, featuring sculptures and video art that delve into the expressive nature of human gestures and the materialization of the abstract.

Marking the grand opening, Gucci introduced a custom Ancora Airstream, adorned with Rosso Ancora tulip flower arrangements, that toured New York City neighborhoods offering warm beverages to visitors. Furthermore, to commemorate the SS24 collection launch, Gucci partnered with premier New York destinations like Sant Ambreous, Jean’s, and Nine Orchard, inviting guests to collect limited edition Ancora postcards featuring designs from the SS24 campaign.

The newly renovated space definitely ushers in a new era for the brand, setting the tone that the boutique is rooted in immersive experiences locally and globally, while also adhering to the new creative mind of Sabata De Sarno.