An Odyssey to Be Worn

The new Gucci Hortus Deliciarum high jewellery collection is a maximalist medley of influences ranging from 19th-century Grand Tours through the 1970’s pop culture

- Lynette Ow

In 2019, Gucci unveiled its firstever high jewellery collection entitled Hortus Deliciarum which explored the themes of animal kingdom and luxury. Now, in its third collection in as many years, the fashion house releases its most imaginative one yet. True to his storytelling talents, creative director Alessandro Michele embarks on an imaginary “Grand Tour” or fantasy voyage. Beginning in the mid-19th century and extending to the 1970s, the collection begins with Roman landscapes and the splendour of India’s architecture, then travels through ancient Eastern and Western traditions, and ultimately reaches the New World with its references to the nascent modernist movement.

Each of the 200-piece collection’s five themes is inspired by a different time period.

19TH-CENTURY ROMA