Gucci announced the launch of the latest in its occasional series of limited-edition publications. Entitled Hortus Sanitatis (Latin for ‘The Garden of Health’), it takes its name from the first natural history encyclopaedia, which was published in Mainz, Germany, in 1485.
Showcasing imagery of the Gucci pre-fall 2017 collection shot by photographer Derek Ridgers, the book takes the form of a series of informal pictures of models accompanied by animals such as cats and snakes. Shot in Rome in historical spaces that have remained untouched for centuries, the photographs offer a window into lost worlds. The locations are: Antica Spezieria di Santa Maria della Scala, an old apothecary, Biblioteca Angelica, a beautiful library filled with rare, ancient manuscripts, and Antica Libreria Cascianelli, a sprawling archive of books and pieces of art.
Derek Ridgers first came to notice as a photographer of the punk scene in London in the 1970s and is best known for his images of musicians, club and street culture, as well as his portraits of actors. In Hortus Sanitatis, Ridgers’ images have the raw energy of his early work documenting bands like Siouxsie and The Banshees, The Damned, The Ramones and Adam & The Ants.
Distributed by IDEA, the London-based independent publisher, Hortus Sanitatis is limited to 1,000 copies and comes in a dedicated red cotton pouch displaying skull and crossbones.
It is printed with gold-gilded page-edges and gold foil details on the cover.Priced at £75, ¥12,500, $95 and € 85, the title will be sold as of 5th July, and will be launched at the Comme des Garçons Trading Museum at 54 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, Paris with a book signing event.
