Greeks Snub Gucci For Parthenon
In days gone by, the Parthenon has served as a backdrop to photoshoots of Isadora Duncan in Greek drapery and models in 1950s Dior ballgowns, but Gucci’s request to stage a 15-minute catwalk show on the Athens Acropolis proved a step too far for the Greek authorities this week. According to the Italian newspaper La Repubblica, the Florence-based luxury brand offered Greece’s Central Archaeological Council (KAS) a cool $60 million to film in front of the
ancient temple this summer—€1m for the venue plus $65 million for the image rights. But in the face of the country’s ongoing debt crisis, the council snubbed the deal, declaring that “the unique cultural character of the Acropolis monuments is inconsistent with this eventâ€. Gucci might have better luck closer to home, as top fashion houses have set a trend for sponsoring Italy’s ailing monuments. Fendi celebrated its 90th anniversary last summer with a couture extravaganza over Rome’s Trevi Fountain—the landmark it recently paid to restore.
