Gucci's Alessandro Michele launches porcelain plate collection

London - Gucci's Creative Director Alessandro Michele finds inspiration in many things vintage, which is perhaps why he is also Creative Director of another of Gucci's brands, Florentine porcelain house Richard Ginori.

While the launches of Richard Ginori product have generally received less marketing attention than Gucci, it's heritage is equally impressive. Founded in 1735, Richard Ginori prides itself as the expression of Italian excellence and the finest artistic porcelain.

Since 1958 Richard Ginori’s production has been headquartered at the plant in Sesto Fiorentino, inspired by the artisan and painstaking labours of the artistic workshops of the Renaissance.

Fast forward 280 years from its inception, and Alessandro Michele has created a Perroquets collection of plates featuring 19th century French engravings depicting birds - mainly parrots - not out of tune with the fauna embroideries of Gucci's bomber jackets and denim collections.

Michele found inspiration in botanical prints, including one rare French volume from 1801 on specimen birds. Michele “liked them so much he decorated our stores with the prints,” Ginori product development director Marco Bondi told the Wall Street Journal, “the idea then evolved to produce them on plates.”

During the yearlong development process, the engravings’ original hues were matched, but artisanal techniques were updated so that translucent veils of colored glaze could be layered on with silkscreen. The result is a twelve piece collection now available in stores.