GGSB News letter [CW] v3

A TOUR TO THE
BIRTHPLACE OF LUXURY
Study trip to Florence, Italy
Florence is a city suffused by the mystery of the legendary Medici family and the artworks of the
Renaissance period. It is also the birthplace of luxury brands like Salvatore Ferragamo and
Gucci. Our stay in Florence lasted for two weeks, during which time we had the opportunity to
visit Officina Profumo – Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, “Beste”, Salvatore Ferragamo
Museo and the Gucci Museo.
The Universe of Santa Maria Novella
Located on a small path near Piazza Santa Maria Novella, we
found one of the oldest pharmacies in the world: Officina Profumo
– Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella - established by
Dominican monks in 1221. Today it is managed by Eugenio
Alphandery, who ensures that its tradition is respected
and perpetuated.
In this magnificent space, previously used as a church, we found
hundreds of high end products, including pomades, spirits, balms
and colognes. Indeed many of Officina’s products have a rich
story of their own. Acqua Della Regina is a perfect example; this
unique essence was specially created for Caterina de ’Medici
who was crowned Queen of France.
Group Beste
Where does the fabric for the amazing fashion catwalk pieces
come from? We found our answer at Group Beste. This company
is the primary fabric producer of many Italian and French luxury
brands including Dolce & Gabbana, Salvatore Ferragamo and
Louis Vuitton. The Beste factory is ‘hidden’ in a beautiful forested
environment, adding to its charm.
It was extremely interesting to see the factory behind these worldfamous brands. The factory has an advanced system to trace all
fabrics being manufactured on site while the office, factory and
warehouse are all in close proximity to each other, making the
operation smooth, efficient and easy to manage.
Salvatore Ferragamo and Marilyn Monroe
The Salvatore Ferragamo Museo was founded in 1995 and is
located in Palazzo Spini Feroni, a palace and boutique owned by
Salvatore Ferragamo himself. The museum documents his
illustrious career and features a collection of over 10,000 shoes
created by Ferragamo.
Celebrities were an integral part of Salvatore Ferragamo’s career
and one celebrity of particular importance was Marilyn Monroe - a
loyal client. Ferragamo created over 60 pairs of pumps for the
iconic Monroe.
The World of Gucci
Located inside Florence’s 14th-century Palazzo della Mercanzia,
Gucci Museo was the final stop of our luxury tour. The Gucci
Museo was opened to pay homage to the brand’s history and
craft and has recently been renovated. This process was
managed by Gucci’s Creative Director, Frida Giannini, who
wanted to create a ‘sleek and streamlined space that would
reflect the brand’s sartorial values.’
The museum itself is made up of 7 separate exhibits which
combine to tell the full story of the brand. The exhibits include the
story of the founder, Guccio Gucci, Flora World, the symbol of
Gucci, the story of Gucci and the Princess of Monaco, Grace
Kelly, handbags, evening, logomania, 1953 loafer and lifestyle.
The historical archive of Gucci’s leather goods, ready-to-wear
collection with accessories and photographs documenting the
history of the brand could also all be found in the museum.
The trip was incredibly enjoyable and educational, exposing us all
to a new environment and allowing each of us to learn about the
history and culture of both Florence and Italy as a whole.
Florence is a truly breathtaking destination and is definitely
worth a visit!
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