Gucci

Brand

The House of Gucci founded by Guccio Gucci of Florence, Italy is an iconic Italian fashion and leather goods label. To this day, Gucci is considered one of the most famous, prestigious and easily recognizable fashion brands, while also being the biggest-selling Italian brand in the world. The House of Gucci is part of the Gucci Group which belongs to the French conglomerate company Pinault-Printemps-Redoute (PPR). Gucci was founded in 1921 by Guccio Gucci. In 1938, Gucci expanded with the opening of a boutique in Rome. Guccio designed many of the company’s products and in 1947 the bamboo handle handbag was introduced and has remained a company mainstay. During the 1950s, Gucci also developed the trademark striped webbing, which was derived from the saddle girth. After the passing of Guccio in 1953, his wife’s sons, Aldo Gucci and Rodolfo Gucci, helped lead the company to a position of International prominence in opening the company’s first boutique in New York. Gucci slowly began to expand overseas in the late 1960s, opening stores in Hong Kong and Tokyo. At that time, the company also developed its famous GG logo (in dedication to Guccio Gucci's), the Flora silk scarf (worn prominently by Hollywood actress Grace Kelly), and the Jackie O shoulder bag, made famous by Jackie Kennedy, the wife of U.S. President John F. Kennedy. Flora, one of the most loved Gucci icons, was born as a special commission for Princess Grace of Monaco in 1966. She had paid a visit to the Gucci store in Milan with Prince Ranier and purchased a green “bamboo bag” although Rodolfo Gucci insisted she selected a gift. When she relented she asked for a scarf and Rodolfo was distressed as he felt that Gucci lacked one special enough for his distinguished guest. He immediately contacted the renowned illustrator Vittorio Accornero who went on to design a beautiful floral scarf. The next day Accornero returned with his painting and thus the “Flora”, a multicolored flowered template, was destined for an unimaginably extended future. Guccio Gucci’s initials were first used for bags in the early sixties as squared-off fastenings with either single or double which were developed and made in Gucci’s own forge at the Via delle Caldaie in Florence. The initials were soon transferred into a diamond-shaped pattern woven into the best-selling cotton canvas luggage. As Gucci grew in popularity so did the the GG monogram. To this day, Gucci bags are quite recognizable just from the “GG” logo. By the late 1970’s brothers Aldo and Rodolfo both controlled 50% shares each of the company and in 1979, Aldo developed the Gucci Accessories Collection (or GAC) which consisted of small accessories priced at considerably lower points than the other items in the company’s accessories catalogue. Though the Gucci Accessories Collection was well received, it proved to be the force that brought the Gucci dynasty crashing down. Within a few years, the Perfumes division began outselling the Accessories division and the brand’s standing with fashionable customers was deteriorating. From this, the rise of counterfeit bags appeared on the market. Meanwhile, Paolo Gucci, Aldo's son, proposed a cheaper version of the brand called 'Gucci Plus' in 1983 which was unsuccessful. Rodolfo’s death in 1983 caused a major shakeup in the company when he left his 50% stake in Gucci to his son, Maurizio Gucci. Maurizio allied with Aldo’s son Paolo Gucci to gain control of the Board of Directors and established the Gucci Licensing division in the Netherlands for this purpose. Following the decision, the rest of the family left the company and, for the first time in years, one man was at the helm of Gucci. Maurizio sought to bury the fighting that had torn the company and his family apart and turned to talent outside of the company for Gucci’s future. By the late 1980’s Gucci had become one of the worlds most influential fashion houses. In 1989, Maurizio managed to persuade Dawn Mello to join the newly formed Gucci Group as Executive Vice President and Creative Director Worldwide. At the helm of Gucci America was Domenico De Sole and the last addition to the creative team was a young designer named Tom Ford in 1990. In the early 1990s, Gucci underwent difficult financial times as sales drastically dropped and Maurizio departed the company. Shortly thereafter, the position of creative director went to Tom Ford who had worked under the direction of Maurizio and Mello for years and yearned to take the company’s image in a new direction. De Sole, who had been elevated to President and Chief Executive Officer of Gucci Group NV, realized that if Gucci was to become a profitable company, it would require a new image, and thus he agreed to pursue Ford’s vision. In November 1997 Gucci acquired a watch licensee, Severin-Montres, and renamed it Gucci Timepieces and the company was named "European Company of the Year 1998" by the European Business Press Federation for its economic and financial performance, strategic vision as well as management quality. After Ford’s departure in 2004, the Gucci Group retained three designers to continue the success of the company's flagship label: John Ray, Alessandra Facchinetti and Frida Giannini, who all worked under Ford's creative direction. Facchinetti was elevated to Creative Director of Womenswear in 2004 and designed for two seasons before leaving the company while Ray served as Creative Director of Menswear for three years. In September 2002 Giannini joined Gucci as Handbag Design Director. Two years later she was appointed to a newly created post, Creative Director of Accessories, where she assumed unprecedented control of bags, shoes, luggage, small leathergoods, silks, fine jewelry, gifts, watches and eyewear. Giannini flourished in this expanded role and brought a powerful new perspective to Gucci’s accessories collections. Giannini, who had been responsible for designing men's and women's accessories, currently serves as Creative Director for the entire brand. Her design approach and focused management style are informed by sharp confidence and decisiveness, as well as her uniquely feminine and distinct Italian point of view, and under her leadership Gucci has once again emerged as a powerful name in fashion. Additionally, she is responsible for the creative direction of all advertising campaigns and has worked with such illustrious directors as David Lynch and Chris Cunningham. Giannini has also been instrumental in bringing major celebrities to the brand, selecting Drew Barrymore and Claire Danes for the jewelry campaigns, James Franco for fragrance, and working closely with Madonna and Rihanna on initiatives for Raising Malawi and UNICEF. Giannini’s tenacity and unwavering vision have steered Gucci successfully into its 21st century guise. Gucci currently operates over 425 stores worldwide and wholesales its products through franchisees and upscale department stores.

Gucci

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