Gucci’s 63 New Wooster Store in Soho

Shoppers browsing patterned clothing at Gucci Wooster, SoHo

Painted secretary desk with shoes on display at Gucci Wooster, SoHo

Floral tasseled pouf on a star floor at Gucci Wooster, SoHo

Pink-lit jewelry room with wood paneling at Gucci Wooster, SoHo

Wolf-embroidered stool at Gucci Wooster, SoHo

Floral needlepoint armchair at Gucci Wooster, SoHo

Patterned wallpaper and floral dresses at Gucci Wooster, SoHo

Painted vintage cabinet and clothing racks at Gucci Wooster, SoHo

Clothing rails and pink screens at Gucci Wooster, SoHo

Rail of colorful printed dresses at Gucci Wooster, SoHo

Yellow floral wallpaper beside red velvet curtains at Gucci Wooster, SoHo

Screening room with vintage theater seats at Gucci Wooster, SoHo

Wooden arched niches and shoppers at Gucci Wooster, SoHo

Some say retail is dead. Gucci proves otherwise. Last night, the powerhouse brand opened their 63 Wooster SoHo outpost with an 80s decadence that oozed nouveau bohemian and retro cool at once. Under the helm of Alessandro Michele, the 10,000 square-foot space, a 155 year-old former pencil factory, is dripping with the creative director’s signature creative spirit fused with experiential, interactive high tech. The floors, hand painted by Italian artisans, evoke picturesque swirls of color. Tin ceilings and restored brickwork lend to an aura of antiquity. Lush seating, swathed in Gucci prints and rich textiles, provide opulence that has an artistic dialog with the cast-iron architecture and vintage pharmacy fixtures.

Farmacia doorway and red bookshelves at Gucci Wooster, SoHo

DESIGN ELEMENTS: French Belle epoque furniture with tassels and fringes, bright colors, velvet and embroidery 1900 tapestries and bessarabia rugs

Floral needlepoint rug at Gucci Wooster, SoHo

And then there’s the merch. Fine jewelry. Turbans. Home design. Of course, the clothes, bags and shoes. PSA: it’s the first location to offer the Dapper Dan collection (the Harlem 80s icon was on hand in a snazzy three-piece suit and shades). “Gucci Connectors” (the new incarnation of sales people are more “storytellers” who extend the brand narrative in a personal way). Enormous LED screens project 3D video (currently screening, artist Wu Tsang’s short that celebrates electro music and rave culture of the 80s). The DIY station is fueled by AR so shoppers can see what their creations will look like. A gallery-style space in the back of the store will be reserved for curatorial moments. Last night’s was a performance by Brooklyn punk band Surfbot, whose lead singer donned a mullet and swimsuit).

Basket of newspapers in green velvet at Gucci Wooster, SoHo

Artist sightings included Maurizio Cattelan, Tschabalala Self, Lucien Smith. Rihanna, A$AP Rocky, Petra Collins, Selah Marley, Jared Leto, Paris Jackson, Salma Hayek and Alexa Chung reveled along with the Lower East Side pack of emerging creatives over Odeon burgers and fries.