In a recent ranking of the 10 most important and renowned Luxury Brands in the world, dominated by French brands, we find Gucci in fourth place , which in 2016 made 7.6 billion euros. The Italian fashion house, which is part of the Gucci Group , remains one of the most famous brands internationally with more than 300 official stores distributed all over the world. It was founded in 1921 by Guccio Gucci.
Life of the designer Gucci
Born in Florence in 1881, Guccio Gucci moved very young with his family to London where he worked as an elevator operator at the Savoy Hotel. Here, observing the English nobility, who used to frequent the hotel, and discovering horse riding, he finds inspiration to create leather products . When he returned to Florence, he started selling luggage and leather goods and in 1921 he founded his own company. In a short time it will achieve extraordinary success, thanks to the collections of bags, belts and shoes inspired by the equestrian world.
Also famous for items such as brackets and clamps , Gucci begins to make riding equipment to meet the demands of its many international customers, belonging to the riding aristocracy.
In the thirties, during the autarchy, Guccio ventured into the processing of new materials such as hemp, jute and linen and in 1938 he founded his second boutique in Rome in via dei Condotti . In these years he made the moccasin with golden thread.
A few years later, the Bamboo, the first Gucci It bag , which even Hollywood stars like for its original wooden handle, entered the market.
Guccio Gucci ‘s creativity and innovation never stopped and in the 1950s he created the green red green ribbon, which recalls the saddle girth and which soon became the hallmark of his fashion house.
He died in Milan on January 2, 1953, leaving the company to four of his sons: Ugo, Rodolfo, Aldo and Vasco.
After his death
Even after his death, the Gucci company’s business continues to grow. Rodolfo, who looks after the company’s interests in Italy, monitors the opening of a new boutique in Milan; Aldo, on the other hand, moves to New York where he opens the first store outside of Italy on 58th street. From this moment the international success develops which never seems to stop. Appreciated by an increasing number of customers and become a symbol of femininity and elegance, Gucci products are worn by politicians and celebrities, such as J ackie Kennedy, Liz Taylor, Samuel Beckett and Peter Sellers.
In 1960 Aldo designed the new logo, which has now become legendary, namely the two crossed “Gs” , in honor of his father Guccio Gucci, founder of the company. This symbol is used as a designer label on shoes, bags and belts and only in 1992 will it officially appear in the company brand.
In 1982 Gucci became a joint stock company and Maurizio, Rodolfo’s son, took over the helm. Five years later, an investment company began to acquire the Florentine company and completed its purchase in the 1990s.
