Farfetch and Gucci reveal year-long collab with creativity blitz

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Mar 30, 2021

Farfetch has unveiled a year-long four-part collaboration with Gucci that was inspired by the label’s new Off The Grid collection.

Called ‘Imagined Futures’, it’s a “multi-experience programme rooted in values, sustainability, innovation, community and client services”.

It launched on Farfetch on Monday at the same time as the e-tailer unveiled the fruits of its work with innovative tech start-up Zeekit to enhance the shopping experience. Using its ‘Switch Model’ technology, customers can view Gucci items on diverse models, so they can see how they might look before purchasing.

Looking at the creative work around the Gucci collab, the company said its first chapter features an interesting selection of offerings “from key thought leaders in fashion, culture and sustainability and reimagines them as beautiful works of art” created by collage artist Seana Gavin.

South Korean artist Novo’s view on the future is as a “harmonious village” featuring a utopian small village surrounded by wide, green fields. 

Meanwhile, British musician, Kam-BU’s imagined future world is a “modern metropolis [that] sees the city as a centre for innovation, where education is revolutionised to include mandatory outdoor learning”.

And American sustainability expert, Dominique Drakeford has imagined her world as a “bountiful forest” where, “deep in the heart of the jungle, humans live in small groups in complete harmony with their surroundings”.

Then there’s the offer from Norwegian publisher and editor Elise by Olsen, who presents a “beautiful utility”. This is set against the backdrop of an Arctic winter, with a “world [that] is as sparse as it is beautiful”. But what appears to be a minimalist environment “belies a complex network of technology, allowing for abundant food production”.

It’s all designed to focus maximum attention on the launch and to do something different from the usual collaboration marketing campaigns. It also reflects the Gucci creativity-focused image very strongly and adds an experiential and luxury edge that can so often be lacking in a period dominated by the pandemic.