Gucci has just opened the doors to a splendid new luggage boutique on the ground floor of The Savoy. Entitled the Gucci Valigeria ("valigeria" means "luggage" in Italian), the shop is stocked with an edit of leathergoods crafted by the Italian house specifically for travel. Of course, that means trunks, suitcases, holdalls and handbags, but there are added accoutrements that would make any trip that bit more luxurious: leather-bound board games, hats and gloves, even travel pet accessories and a skateboard or two.
And, as you might expect, the store features many pieces from the aptly on-brand Gucci Savoy collection, which you might have seen featured on billboards and in magazines recently in a campaign fronted by Ryan Gosling (below).
However, this brand partnership is far deeper than a shared connection to the travel scene. Back in the late 1800s, Gucci's founder, Guccio Gucci, worked at The Savoy as a luggage porter when he was a young man. It was this experience that motivated him to start his eponymous leathergoods comany when he returned to Italy. A century later and the rest is history.
The opening of the Gucci Valigeria is the latest in a long-running collaboration between the brands. Late last year, The Savoy unveiled The Royal Suite by Gucci – the hotel's flagship suite reimagined and reinterpreted by the fashion house. Running the entire length of the hotel's fifth floor, with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the River Thames, the suite has been infused with furniture, furnishings and decorative items from the Gucci Décor Collection, alongside specially chosen art and antiquities from auctioneers Christie's (all of which are available for purchase).
You can see a selection of photos of The Royal Suite by Gucci at The Savoy in the gallery below.
"Gucci x The Savoy is a great collaboration for us. Not only is it rooted in our history, with Guccio Gucci starting his career in the late 1800s at The Savoy, but it provides glamorous and meaningful experiences to a range of audiences, both new and existing," says Franck Arnold, Managing Director of The Savoy. "Gucci is a brand of constant reinvention; under the creative direction of Alessandro Michele it has pushed the boundaries of design into new inclusive, innovative worlds.
"The Savoy is also constantly evolving and this partnership highlights how we can accommodate the changing desires of sophisticated global travellers; the suite caters to the needs of a style-driven high net worth guest while the Valigeria pop-up can provide a taste of luxury to a much wider audience."
Gucci Valigeria is open from Monday to Saturday, 10am – 7pm, and on Sunday, 12pm – 6pm, at The Savoy, Strand, London, WC2R 0EZ. thesavoylondon.com
