Just months after Riva partnered with Marc Newson, the Italian yacht builder has unveiled a new project with Gucci that certainly makes for one stylish tender.
Aquariva by Gucci is a 33-footer being built strictly on a per-order basis, though a show model was revealed to the press at this week’s Cannes boat show. She bears a blending of Gucci and Riva hallmarks: Gucci white for the high-gloss fiberglass hull, and Riva’s equally high-gloss mahogany. (For the record, Riva applies 20 coats to every wood-laid cockpit deck and awning hatch: 10 by hand, and 10 by sprayers.) The famous Gucci green-and-red striping adorns seating and the sundeck, too.
Gucci’s creative director, Frida Giannini, collaborated closely with Officina Italiana Design, the design company of record for all Aquarivas over the past two decades. “Over the decades the iconic Riva boat has become without doubt one of the most evocative images of Italian style, sophistication and elegance. It is a symbol of a glamorous lifestyle that sparks fond memories of La Dolce Vita–a golden age when both Gucci and Riva attracted an enthusiastic following among the international jet set.” Mauro Micheli, Officina Italiana Design’s chief designer, agrees. “In Aquariva, cutting-edge technologies have respected and maintained the charm, softness and clean lines of the shapes which are typical to Riva. If Aquarama has always been an icon, Aquariva is perhaps becoming one, and Frida Giannini’s enthusiasm for this model confirms this.”
Not only does the boat look good, she should perform well: Twin 380-hp Yanmars reportedly push her to a 41-knot top end a 150-mile range at a high-30-knot cruise.
If you can’t get enough of the Aquariva by Gucci, you can buy watches, shoes, handbags, scarves, and more in a special Riva by Gucci accessories line. They, and the boat, are in celebration of Gucci’s 90th anniversary in 2011 and Riva’s continued popularity since its founding in the 1840s.
Pricing for the Aquariva for Gucci starts at 590,000 euros ($750,000). And don’t worry about ordering one blind: You’ll get a chance to see the show model at high-profile yachting events around the world over the next few months.
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