Like in most countries, luxury labels don't operate a lot of standalone flagship stores outside of the major metropolises. So, when a brand as big as Gucci becomes one of the first international fashion houses to set up shop in Detroit, Michigan, it's gotta say something about the Motor City. Or at least its downtown area, which has experienced impressive growth since Mayor Mike Duggan took office in 2014.

It's here, on Library Street, that Gucci's latest location has opened its doors on August 22. There's something to be said about lingering inequality in a poverty-stricken city with majority Black residents — Duggan's critics claim that his improvements to downtown Detroit haven't yet spread across the rest of the city — but there's been encouraging progress in an area that's been historically blighted.