Gucci Opens Store in Downtown Detroit

Gucci opened their 3,500-square-foot store in downtown Detroit, featuring innovative textiles such as recycled steel and organic cotton with embroidered “DETROIT VS. EVERYBODY” (DVE) and “GUCCI VS. EVERYBODY” (GVE) 2.0 iconography — a collaboration with Tommey Walker. In tandem with the announcement of Detroit’s Gucci Changemakers recipient, Miles Richards who will reap the benefits of the luxury brands’ local connection to the College of Creative Studies.

This year’s 12 non-profits including, Living Walls from Atlanta, Georgia; Free Root Operation from Chicago, Illinois; and Detroit’s Mosaic Youth Theatre and 12 students are poised to shake up the world of fashion and design with Gucci’s help, so it can become a more inclusive space for the world.

Gucci and Detroit

Because of the budding relationship between the luxury brand and the city of Detroit, we thoughr we’d share its history.

The GVE 2.0 special collection offers a duffel bag, baseball cap, backpack, and belt bag. There will be a limited number of items for this collection and all are available exclusively at the Detroit store. Consistent with Gucci’s global stores, the Detroit location will offer an extensive collection of men’s and women’s ready-to-wear clothing, shoes, handbags, luggage, small leather goods, jewelry, watches, eyewear, and Gucci Décor.

In 2019, Gucci named Detroit as its ‛focus city’ for the Gucci Changemakers program — a fund created to accelerate positive social change in diverse communities by supporting grass-roots organizations creating local impact — by establishing relationships with Cass Tech High School. The same year, Gucci commissioned Jenn Nkiru’s “Black to Techno” — a documentary that celebrated techno, to launch a capsule collection with Tommey Walker, the visionary behind DVE.

In an exclusive one-on-one with Susan Chokachi, president and CEO of Gucci Americas, for The Michigan Chronicle — she addresses why some Detroiters are concerned with what may be perceived as corporate poaching.

“I’ve had the chance to personally engage with Cass Tech High School students and faculty over the past few years. Principal (Lisa) Phillips leads such a talented and inspired student body, including people like Cass Tech alum Brooke Solomon, who I met during her senior year, and who I’ve followed as she went on to attend Howard University,” says Chokachi. “It’s been rewarding to experience and support the confidence, creativity and determination of the youth of Detroit. The announcement of the next round of Gucci Changemakers Scholarships and Impact Fund recipients ran in tandem with the Detroit store opening.

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The 12 scholarship recipients are Antonio Finamore-Phillips, Otis College; Cassius Palacio, University of Southern California; Dekaye Hailu, University of California; Doreen Pierre, Parsons School of Design; Dorothy Pallanes, Drexel University; Exodus Broussard, Loyola Marymount University; Jalynn McDuffey​, Florida A&M University; Madison Grant, Xavier University of Louisiana; Mahlon West, Howard University; Miles Richards, Detroit’s College of Creative Studies; Nathan Batra, The Savannah College of Art and Design; and Theodora Etokimo, Toronto Metropolitan University.

Gucci’s newest store is located at 1274 Library Street in Downtown Detroit’s historic L.B. King and Company Building.