GUCCI 17AW: When Italian Couture Met the Floating World
Gucci’s 2017 Autumn/Winter season stands as one of the most daring moments in modern luxury fashion. Under Alessandro Michele’s imaginative direction, the maison dove into Japan’s historical visual language—merging Milanese craftsmanship with Edo-period woodblock art, intricate embroidery, and the rebellious spirit of vintage sukajan jackets.
The Back: A Floating World Stitched in Silk
This rare quilted bomber exemplifies the creative collision between Italian couture and Japanese art. The blush-pink satin body, framed by pale green sleeves, creates a soft canvas for the drama of the back embroidery. Two lovers, rendered in the style of traditional ukiyo-e, are frozen in an intimate embrace—stitched with silk, cotton, glass beads, gold metallic fibers, and hand-shaped padded appliqué.
Above them, the GUCCI logo arcs proudly in a row of pearl cabochons, transforming branding into ornament and turning the jacket into a wearable jewel.
The Front: Rosettes, Cranes, and Quiet Extravagance
The front of the jacket is equally elaborate. Satin rosettes bloom at the shoulders, while stylized crane motifs emerge from the quilted panels. The piece is unmistakably Michele—romantic, poetic, and maximalist—bridging centuries of East–West cultural history through visual storytelling.
Why Collectors Chase Gucci’s Ukiyo-e Bombers
What makes this jacket extraordinary is not only its beauty but its scarcity. Most of Gucci’s ukiyo-e embroidered bombers were boutique exclusives released in extremely limited quantities for the Japanese and Hong Kong markets. Their production required multiple specialist ateliers and came with high construction costs.
As a result, surviving examples in excellent condition are now prized by collectors, stylists, and fashion investors. They represent a golden era of Alessandro Michele’s Gucci, where streetwear silhouettes were treated with haute couture seriousness.
Cultural Artifact, Not Just Outerwear
This bomber is more than clothing—it is a cultural artifact. It fuses Japanese art, Italian luxury, and Michele’s maximalist era into a single piece. Over time, jackets like this are likely to appreciate in both monetary value and cultural significance, serving as emblems of a fashion age defined by unrestrained beauty and narrative-rich design.
Authenticity and Assurance
All items in our store are guaranteed authentic. We are registered members of the AACD (Japan’s official anti-counterfeit association), and every product we sell is verified by licensed experts. In the rare event that an item is proven inauthentic, we offer a full refund with no conditions.
Interested in Owning This Piece—or One Like It?
If you’re interested in purchasing this jacket or sourcing similar luxury branded embroidered garments, we invite you to get in touch. We specialize in curating rare, meaningful, and culturally rich pieces directly from Japan and would be honored to help you find exactly what you're searching for.
Please reach out to us through the “Contact Us” section below.