The Scent of Gucci
But no time to simply kick up my Louboutins! My first stop on this distinctly sweet-smelling tour is the stunning new Gucci Museo, a museum that recently opened to celebrate the house's 90th anniversary, located within another ancient palazzo in Florence's legendary Piazza Signoria. Here, I'm treated to a spectacular exhibition of archives ranging from fabulous luggage, to exquisite vintage gowns, to dazzling jewels and accessories, and even a majorly pimped-out 1979 Cadillac Seville complete with an interlocking G-logo hood ornament (no joke). Another showstopper is an oversized original Flora silk scarf, which has an especially glamorous heritage: In 1966, when Princess Grace of Monaco — AKA the movie star and enduring style icon Grace Kelly — and her hubby, Prince Rainier, visited Gucci's Milan Via Montenapoleone store, Rodolfo Gucci decided to commission a scarf for her and enlisted the talents of the famous illustrator Vittorio Accornero. The print — a colorful, ornate tableau of butterflies, berries and yes, plenty of blossoms — was destined to become as ubiquitous to the name Gucci as the aforementioned logo, and clearly, an inspiration for the yet-to-be revealed Flora Garden fragrances. I think it's safe to say I have officially drunk the proverbial Gucci Kool-Aid.