Gucci (, ; ) is an Italian high-end
luxury
Luxury may refer to:
* Luxury goods, an economic good or service for which demand increases more than proportionally as income rises
*Luxury tax, tax on products not considered essential, such as expensive cars
**Luxury tax (sports), surcharge pu ...
fashion
Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashion in ...
house based in
Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...
, Italy.
Its product lines include handbags, ready-to-wear, footwear, accessories, and home decoration; and it licenses its name and branding to
Coty, Inc.
Coty Inc. is an American-French multinational beauty company founded in 1904 by François Coty. With its subsidiaries, it develops, manufactures, markets, and distributes fragrances, cosmetics, skin care, nail care, and both professional and re ...
for fragrance and cosmetics under the name Gucci Beauty.
Gucci was founded in 1921 by
Guccio Gucci
Guccio Giovanbattista Giacinto Dario Maria Gucci (26 March 1881 – 2 January 1953) was an Italian businessman and fashion designer. He is known for being the founder of the fashion house Gucci.
Early life
Guccio Gucci was born in Florence, Tu ...
(1881–1953) in
Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...
,
Tuscany
Tuscany ( ; it, Toscana ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (''Firenze'').
Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, art ...
. Under the direction of
Aldo Gucci
Aldo Gucci (26 May 1905 – 19 January 1990) was an Italian personality and the chairman of Gucci from 1953 to 1986. He was the eldest son of Guccio Gucci, who founded the company bearing the family name in 1921.
Early life and family
Aldo G ...
(son of Guccio), Gucci became a worldwide-known brand, an icon of the Italian ''Dolce Vita''. Following family feuds during the 1980s, the Gucci family was entirely ousted from the capital of the company by 1993. After this crisis, the brand was revived with a provocative 'Porno Chic' props. In 1999, Gucci was acquired by the French conglomerate
Pinault Printemps Redoute
Kering () is a French-based multinational corporation specializing in luxury goods. It owns the brands Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Gucci, Alexander McQueen and Yves Saint Laurent.
The timber-trading company Pinault S.A. was founded in 1963, ...
, which later became
Kering
Kering () is a French-based multinational corporation specializing in luxury goods. It owns the brands Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Gucci, Alexander McQueen and Yves Saint Laurent.
The timber-trading company Pinault S.A. was founded in 1963, b ...
. During the 2010s, Gucci became an iconic '
geek-chic
The word ''geek'' is a slang term originally used to describe eccentric or non-mainstream people; in current use, the word typically connotes an expert or enthusiast obsessed with a hobby or intellectual pursuit. In the past, it had a general ...
' brand.
In 2019, Gucci operated 487 stores for 17,157 employees, and generated €9.628 billion in sales (€8.2 billion in 2018).
Marco Bizzarri
Marco Bizzarri (born 19 August 1962) is an Italian business executive, President and CEO of Gucci since January 2015. is CEO of Gucci since December 2014, and
Alessandro Michele
Alessandro Michele (; born 25 November 1972) is an Italian fashion designer who most recently served as the creative director of Gucci, the Italian fashion luxury house where he had been working since 2002. Known for his maximalist designs, Aless ...
was creative director from January 2015 to November 23, 2022. Gucci is a subsidiary of the French luxury group
Kering
Kering () is a French-based multinational corporation specializing in luxury goods. It owns the brands Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Gucci, Alexander McQueen and Yves Saint Laurent.
The timber-trading company Pinault S.A. was founded in 1963, b ...
.
History
1921 birth in Florence
![Guccio Gucci c](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/Guccio_Gucci_c.1940.JPG)
The Gucci family claims its origins are rooted in the merchant city of
Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...
since around 1410. Guccio Giovanbattista Giacinto Dario Maria Gucci (1881–1953) left Florence for
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
, and settled in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
in 1897 to work at the high-end
Savoy Hotel
The Savoy Hotel is a luxury hotel located in the Strand in the City of Westminster in central London, England. Built by the impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte with profits from his Gilbert and Sullivan opera productions, it opened on 6 August 188 ...
. While working as a bellhop there, he would load/unload the luggage of the hotel's wealthy clients, learning about their tastes in fashion, quality, fabrics, and traveling conditions. He later worked four years for the
Compagnie des Wagons-Lits
Newrest Wagons-Lits, formerly (lit. ''International Sleeping-Car Company''), also CIWL, Compagnie des Wagons-Lits, or just Wagons-Lits, is a division of particularly known for its on-train catering and sleeping car services, as well as being ...
, the European rail company that specialized in upscale travel leisure, thus further enhancing his experience with luxurious traveling lifestyles. After
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, he worked for the maker of fine luggage
Franzi
The Valigeria Franzi was an Italian manufacturer of leather bags and luggage founded in Milan in 1864 by Rocco Franzi. By the early 20th century, it was a supplier to royalty and nobility. It was listed on the Milan stock exchange from 1905 ...
.
In 1921, Guccio Gucci bought his own shop on Via della Vigna Nuova in Florence, ''Azienda Individuale Guccio Gucci'', where he sold imported leather luggage. He also opened a small workshop to have his own leather goods made by local craftsmen. Eventually, a larger workshop had to be acquired to house Gucci's sixty artisans. In 1935, the
invasion of Ethiopia by Mussolini led the
League of Nations
The League of Nations (french: link=no, Société des Nations ) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference that ...
to impose a trade embargo on Italy. Leather became scarce, pushing Guccio Gucci to introduce other fabrics in the composition of the products, such as raffia, wicker, wood, linen and jute. The rombi motif, a Gucci signature, was created. The Guccis developed a new tanning technique to produce "''cuoio grasso''", which became a Gucci trademark. In 1937, Gucci launched its handbags.
Guccio's wife and children all worked in the shop.
Aldo, the son of Guccio, became increasingly involved in the family company since he started working there in 1925. He convinced his father to grow by opening a new shop in
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
(21 Via Condotti) in 1938, and launched more Gucci accessories (gloves, belts, wallets, keychains). During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, the artisans of Gucci worked on making boots for the Italian infantry.
The company made handbags of cotton
canvas
Canvas is an extremely durable plain-woven fabric used for making sails, tents, marquees, backpacks, shelters, as a support for oil painting and for other items for which sturdiness is required, as well as in such fashion objects as handbags ...
rather than leather during World War II as a result of material shortages. The canvas, however, was distinguished by a signature double-G symbol combined with prominent red and green bands. After the war, the Gucci crest, which showed a shield and armored knight surrounded by a ribbon inscribed with the family name, became synonymous with the city of Florence.
Post-war ''Dolce Vita''
After the war, Guccio Gucci distributed the shares of the company to his three sons (Aldo, Vasco and
Rodolfo). In 1947, Gucci launched the Bamboo bag. The brand launched its first global tagline, ''Quality is remembered long after price is forgotten''. The iconic
moccasin
A moccasin is a shoe, made of deerskin or other soft leather, consisting of a sole (made with leather that has not been "worked") and sides made of one piece of leather, stitched together at the top, and sometimes with a vamp (additional panel o ...
s (Gucci
loafer
Slip-ons are typically low, lace-less shoes. The style which is most commonly seen, known as a loafer or slippers in American culture, has a moccasin construction. One of the first designs was introduced in London by Wildsmith Shoes, called the W ...
) were launched in 1952. Guccio Gucci died on 2 January 1953 in Milan. In November 1953, Gucci opened its first US store on
5th Avenue
Fifth Avenue is a major and prominent thoroughfare in the borough (New York City), borough of Manhattan in New York City. It stretches north from Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village to 143rd Street (Manhattan), West 143rd Street in Har ...
and
58th Street in New York. A second NY shop opened in the Saint Regis Hotel in 1960, and a third on 5th Avenue and
54th Street
54th Street is a two-mile-long (3.2 km), one-way street traveling west to east across Midtown Manhattan.
Notable places, west to east
Twelfth Avenue
*The route begins at Twelfth Avenue (New York Route 9A). Opposite the intersection is the New ...
in 1973, leading the locals to call this NY area "Gucci City".
In 1961, Gucci opened stores in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
and
Palm Beach, and launched the Jackie Bag. In March 1963, Gucci opened its first French store near
Place Vendôme
The Place Vendôme (), earlier known as Place Louis-le-Grand, and also as Place Internationale, is a square in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, France, located to the north of the Tuileries Gardens and east of the Église de la Madeleine. It is ...
in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
.
The double-G logo for belt buckles and other accessory decorations was introduced in 1964.
The Flora scarf was designed in 1966 by Rodolfo Gucci and Vittorio Accornero for
Grace Kelly
Grace Patricia Kelly (November 12, 1929 – September 14, 1982) was an American actress who, after starring in several significant films in the early to mid-1950s, became Princess of Monaco by marrying Prince Rainier III in April 1956.
Kelly ...
, Princess of Monaco, who became a notable consumer of Gucci products. In October 1968, Gucci opened a store at 347 Rodeo Drive, driving many Hollywood stars to endorse the brand. With the Rodeo Drive opening came the launch of Gucci's first dresses. Gucci's breakthrough in the United States led to its global development in Asia (Tokyo opening in 1972, Hong Kong in 1974) and the Middle East.
In Brussels, Aldo's son Roberto piloted the first Gucci franchised store. By 1969, Gucci was managing ten shops in the United States. 84,000 Gucci moccasins were sold in the US alone that year. US President
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...
called Aldo Gucci the "first Italian ambassador to the United States".
Gucci launched a
Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce (always hyphenated) may refer to:
* Rolls-Royce Limited, a British manufacturer of cars and later aero engines, founded in 1906, now defunct
Automobiles
* Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, the current car manufacturing company incorporated in ...
luggage set in 1970
and partnered with
American Motors Corporation
American Motors Corporation (AMC; commonly referred to as American Motors) was an American automobile manufacturing company formed by the merger of Nash-Kelvinator Corporation and Hudson Motor Car Company on May 1, 1954. At the time, it was the ...
(AMC) to create the
Gucci version of the AMC Hornet that was marketed during the 1971, 1972, and 1973 model years. The Gucci Sportabout wagon became one of the first American cars to offer a special luxury
trim package
Trim levels are used by manufacturers to identify a vehicle's level of equipment or special features. The equipment/features fitted to a particular vehicle also depend on any options packages or individual options that the car was ordered with.
...
created by a famous fashion designer. Gucci launched Gucci Perfumes (Il Mio Profumo) and its first watch (Model 2000) in 1972, its first franchised store in the US in 1973, and opened the Gucci Galleria in its Beverly Hills store in 1977, a private art gallery adjoined to the store and reserved to premium clients who were given a golden key to access it.
From 1978 to 1984 a
Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
-based
coachbuilder
A coachbuilder or body-maker is someone who manufactures bodies for passenger-carrying vehicles.Construction has always been a skilled trade requiring a relatively lightweight product with sufficient strength. The manufacture of necessarily ...
marketed a Gucci edition of the
Cadillac Seville
The Seville was manufactured by Cadillac from 1975 to 2004 as a smaller-sized, premium model. It was replaced by the STS in 2004.
Origin of the name
The name of "Cadillac's first small car" was selected over a revival of LaSalle or the GM des ...
sedan (the 1978 model is exhibited at the Gucci Museum).
In 1985, the Gucci loafer became part of the permanent collection of the
New York Moma.
1980s Gucci's family feud
In 1969, Giorgio, the son of Aldo, had sparked the first family feud by launching ''Gucci Boutique'' on his own, which was finally reabsorbed by the family group in 1972.
During the 1980s, the Gucci saga eroded the family-held top management of the company and fed the press headlines.
Paolo Gucci
Paolo Gucci (29 March 1931 – 10 October 1995) was an Italian businessman and fashion designer. He was the one-time chief designer and vice-president of Gucci. He is credited with helping design Gucci's famous double G logo.
Early life and care ...
, son of Aldo, tried to launch the brand ''Gucci Plus'' on his own. Aldo was criticized for developing most of the international business under Gucci America, which he owned. In 1982, to ease tensions in the family, the Gucci group was consolidated and became a publicly-traded company, Guccio Gucci SpA.
In May 1983, Rodolfo died. His son Maurizio Gucci inherited his father's majority stake in the company and launched a legal war against his uncle Aldo for full control of Gucci (a prosecution led by the city prosecutor
Rudolph Giuliani
Rudolph William Louis Giuliani (, ; born May 28, 1944) is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 107th Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001. He previously served as the United States Associate Attorney General from 1981 to 198 ...
, and with
Domenico de Sole representing the Gucci family).
Maurizio Gucci
Maurizio Gucci (26 September 1948 – 27 March 1995) was an Italian businessman and the one-time head of the Gucci fashion house. He was the son of actor Rodolfo Gucci, and grandson of the company's founder Guccio Gucci. On 27 March 1995, he wa ...
took over the company's direction. In 1986, Aldo Gucci, 81, with only 16.7% of Gucci left in his possession, was sentenced to a year in prison for
tax evasion
Tax evasion is an illegal attempt to defeat the imposition of taxes by individuals, corporations, trusts, and others. Tax evasion often entails the deliberate misrepresentation of the taxpayer's affairs to the tax authorities to reduce the taxp ...
(in a prison where
Albert Nipon
Albert Nipon (September 11, 1927 – November 20, 2022) was an American fashion designer and ladies clothing manufacturer.
Early life and education
Nipon was born and raised in West Philadelphia, a section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Septe ...
was also an inmate
). The artwork of the Gucci Galleria was liquidated.
In 1988, Maurizio Gucci sold almost 47.8% of Gucci to the
Bahrain
Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...
-based investment fund
Investcorp
Investcorp is a global manager of alternative investment products, for private and institutional clients. Founded in Bahrain in 1982, the firm has offices in United States, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, India, China, ...
(owner of
Tiffany since 1984), and withheld the other 50%.
Despite the family disputes, between 1981 and 1987, the sales of trademarked Gucci products reached $400 million, and $227 million in 1990 alone.
The 1980s were characterized by a mass-production of Gucci products, which generated revenue but negatively affected Gucci's position as an exclusive luxury brand. Maurizio Gucci hired
Dawn Mello
Dawn Mello (October 5, 1931 – February 16, 2020) was an American fashion retail executive and consultant and the one-time fashion director and president of Bergdorf Goodman. Subsequently she moved to Italy to manage Gucci. Later she was the presi ...
to put Gucci back on tracks.
From 1991 to 1993, Gucci's finances were still in the red. Maurizio Gucci was blamed for spending extravagant amounts of money on the company's headquarters in Florence (Via delle Caldaie palazzo) and in Milan. Investcorp bought the remaining 50% of Guccio Gucci S.p.A. from Maurizio Gucci in 1993, ending the family involvement in the group.
In March 1995, Maurizio Gucci was shot dead in the lobby of Gucci's Milan office. His ex-wife
Patrizia Reggiani
Patrizia Reggiani (; Martinelli; born 2 December 1948) is an Italian convicted criminal and former socialite. She was convicted in a highly publicized trial of hiring a hitman to kill her ex-husband, Maurizio Gucci.
Early life and marriage t ...
served 16 years in jail for hiring the hitman to murder him.
Porno Chic Revival
Dawn Mello was hired in November 1989 as Gucci's executive vice president and chief designer. She reduced the number of stores from over 1,000 to 180 in a move to rebuild the brand's exclusivity. She also reduced the number of items sold by Gucci from 22,000 to 7,000. She revived the Bamboo bag and the Gucci loafer. She moved Gucci's headquarters back from Milan to Florence, where the history of Gucci is deeply rooted.
Dawn Mello hired Tom Ford to oversee the women's ready-to-wear collection.
In 1994, Tom Ford was named creative director of Gucci. Ford and Mello revisited the 1970s archives of the brand. Ford's 1995 collection, which included the sensual white dresses with provocative cut-outs, became an instant hit.
Revived through the ''hot-bod'' hedonism of Tom Ford's creations, Gucci also launched provocative products in limited edition such as silver handcuffs, a
G-string
A G-string is a type of thong, a narrow piece of fabric, leather, or satin that covers or holds the genitals, passes between the buttocks, and is attached to a waistband around the hips. A G-string can be worn both by men and by women. It may al ...
and provocative ad campaigns such as the G logo shaved on pubic hair.
Domenico De Sole, legal adviser to the Gucci family since the 1980s and CEO of Gucci since 1994, campaigned for Gucci's leather manufacturers in Italy to keep working together and developed a partners' program to strengthen their ties. He reviewed the pricing of each product and gradually raised Gucci's advertising budget from $6 million in 1993 to $70 million in 1997. In October 1995, the company was publicly indexed on the
New York Stock Exchange
The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE, nicknamed "The Big Board") is an American stock exchange in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed c ...
with an initial stock value set at US$22.
Then, from 1995 to 1997, Investcorp sold its interests in Gucci for around US$1.9 billion.
LVMH-PPR struggle over Gucci
By January 1999, the French luxury conglomerate
LVMH
LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (), commonly known as LVMH, is a French holding multinational corporation and conglomerate specializing in luxury goods, headquartered in Paris. The company was formed in 1987 through the merger of fashion house ...
, which had been buying shares of Gucci discreetly since 1995, reached 34% ownership in Gucci Group NV. Seeking a way out of LVMH's control, Tom Ford and Domenico De Sole turned to the French financier
François Pinault
François Pinault (born 21 August 1936) is a French billionaire businessman, founder of the luxury group Kering and the investment holding company Artémis.
Pinault started his business in the timber industry in the early 1960s. Taken public in ...
and his group
Pinault Printemps Redoute
Kering () is a French-based multinational corporation specializing in luxury goods. It owns the brands Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Gucci, Alexander McQueen and Yves Saint Laurent.
The timber-trading company Pinault S.A. was founded in 1963, ...
, which later became Kering, for an emergency exit. In March, Pinault's group bought out 40% of Gucci at $75 a share, and LVMH's shares decreased to 20.7% in a dilution process. Through the deal, PPR also purchased
Yves Saint Laurent from
Sanofi
Sanofi S.A. is a French multinational pharmaceutical and healthcare company headquartered in Paris, France. Originally, the corporation was established in 1973 and merged with Synthélabo in 1999 to form Sanofi-Synthélabo. In 2004, Sanofi-Syn ...
and sold it back for the same price to the Gucci Group. This ''coup d'état'' in the fashion world launched a cold war between LVMH and the new Gucci-PPR coalition.
A tension occurred in December 2000 when Gucci bought 51% of
Alexander McQueen
Lee Alexander McQueen CBE (17 March 1969 – 11 February 2010) was a British fashion designer and couturier. He founded his own Alexander McQueen label in 1992, and was chief designer at Givenchy from 1996 to 2001. His achievements in fashion ...
's couture house, as McQueen was also the creative designer of LVMH's
Givenchy
Givenchy (, ) is a French luxury fashion and perfume house. It hosts the brand of haute couture and ready-to-wear clothing, accessories, perfumes and cosmetics of Parfums Givenchy. The house of Givenchy was founded in 1952 by designer Hubert de ...
at that time. The feud around Gucci ended in September 2001 when all parties reached an agreement.
By the end of 2003, Tom Ford and Domenico De Sole made it official that they would not renew their contract with Gucci-PPR that ended in April 2004.
Following Ford's departure, Gucci Group retained three designers to continue the success of the company's flagship label: John Ray,
Alessandra Facchinetti
Alessandra Facchinetti (born 2 June 1972) is an Italian fashion designer who is known for her work as creative director at Gucci (2004–2005), Valentino (2008–2010) and Tod's (2013–2016).
Early life
Facchinetti is the daughter of singer an ...
and
Frida Giannini
Frida Giannini (born in Rome, 1972) is an Italian fashion designer. She was the creative director of the Italian fashion house Gucci from 2006 to 2014.
Education
Giannini studied fashion design at Rome's Fashion Academy.
Career
After brief stint ...
, all of whom had worked under Ford's creative direction. Facchinetti was elevated to Creative Director of Women's wear in 2004 and designed for two seasons before leaving the company. Ray served as Creative Director of
Menswear
Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashion ind ...
for three years.
Frida Giannini
Frida Giannini (born in Rome, 1972) is an Italian fashion designer. She was the creative director of the Italian fashion house Gucci from 2006 to 2014.
Education
Giannini studied fashion design at Rome's Fashion Academy.
Career
After brief stint ...
– a Gucci handbag designer since 2002, head of accessories since 2004, and creative director of women's ready-to-wear and accessories since 2005 – was appointed creative director of Gucci in 2006.
Patrizio di Marco
Patrizio is an Italian language, Italian male personal name. It is the Italian form of Patrick (given name), Patrick.
* Patrizio Bertelli (born 1946), Italian businessman
* Patrizio Bianchi (born 1952), Italian economist and politician
* Patrizio ...
, formerly CEO of
Bottega Veneta
Bottega Veneta () is an Italian luxury fashion house based in Milan, Italy. Its product lines include ready-to-wear, handbags, shoes, accessories, and jewelry; and it licenses its name and branding to Coty, Inc. for fragrances.
History
Found ...
, was named CEO of Gucci in 2008. Both acclaimed and criticized for perpetually revisiting Tom Ford's archives, Frida Giannini eventually toned down Ford's explosive 'Porno Chic' props over the years "from sexy to sensual", and started to experiment with 'androgynous Bohemian' styles with a 19th-century reminiscence. She also developed "neo-classics" such as the New Bamboo and the New Jackie handbags.
[Robb Young]
The Guardians of Heritage
''Nytimes.com'', 8 November 2010 Patrizio di Marco focused on the post-2008 crisis with fewer styles and more midrange products. In 2010, Gucci launched a partnership with the auction house
Christie's
Christie's is a British auction house founded in 1766 by James Christie (auctioneer), James Christie. Its main premises are on King Street, St James's in London, at Rockefeller Center in New York City and at Alexandra House in Hong Kong. It is ...
to develop a wider repository of the brand's archives and provide an authenticity certification service.
In 2011, the company opened the Gucci Museum (''Gucci Museo'') in Florence to celebrate its 90th anniversary.
Between 2010 and 2015, 220 new Gucci stores opened, bringing the total store count to 500.
Postgender geek-chic
In December 2014, Marco Bizzarri, former CEO of
Bottega Veneta
Bottega Veneta () is an Italian luxury fashion house based in Milan, Italy. Its product lines include ready-to-wear, handbags, shoes, accessories, and jewelry; and it licenses its name and branding to Coty, Inc. for fragrances.
History
Found ...
, was named CEO of Gucci. He was tasked to reverse Gucci's declining sales by giving a new impetus to the brand.
In January 2015, Bizzarri appointed Alessandro Michele creative director of Gucci. Alessandro Michele had been working for Gucci since 2002 and served as Frida Giannini's deputy and head accessories designer. During the Fall show of February 2015, Alessandro Michele introduced "a different Gucci", one with a "sophisticated, intellectual and androgynous feel".
Alessandro Michele launched the ''Renaissance'' of Gucci. He revived Gucci classics like the double-G logo, the
Jackie O. bag, and created iconic products such as the Dionysus handbag. With a feminized menswear, a strong feminist stance and a '
geek-chic
The word ''geek'' is a slang term originally used to describe eccentric or non-mainstream people; in current use, the word typically connotes an expert or enthusiast obsessed with a hobby or intellectual pursuit. In the past, it had a general ...
' style, Alessandro Michele introduced postgender props for Gucci.
In September 2016, Gucci inaugurated the Gucci Hub, its new Milan headquarters built in the former
Caproni
Caproni, also known as ''Società de Agostini e Caproni'' and ''Società Caproni e Comitti'', was an Italian aircraft manufacturer. Its main base of operations was at Taliedo, near Linate Airport, on the outskirts of Milan.
Founded by Giovan ...
aeronautical factory. In July 2017, Gucci announced the launch of Gucci Décor, the first time the brand tested itself in the
home decoration segment. In April 2018, Gucci inaugurated the ArtLab, a 37,000-square-metre center of innovation outside of Florence in Italy, where new leather goods, footwear, new materials, metal hardware and packaging are developed and tested. In November 2018, Gucci opened the Gucci Wooster Bookstore in New York, a 2,000-book shop curated by the founder of Dashwood Books
David Strettell. In April 2019, the company launched Gucci 9, a 500-employee network of 6
call centers
A call centre ( Commonwealth spelling) or call center (American spelling; see spelling differences) is a managed capability that can be centralised or remote that is used for receiving or transmitting a large volume of enquiries by telephone. ...
worldwide for high-end customer service. Gucci also revived its makeup collection and launched its first fine jewelry collection.
In 2019, Gucci's sales reached 9.6 billion euros.
In December 2020, following an agreement between Kering and Alibaba, Gucci launched two stores (fashion and beauty) on Tmall.
In May 2021, Gucci launched a collection of glasses, Hollywood Forever.
On November 23, 2022, Alessandro Michele left the post of creative director of Gucci.
Disney Collection
Since 2019, originally in celebration of
Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse is an animated cartoon Character (arts), character co-created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. The longtime mascot of The Walt Disney Company, Mickey is an Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic mouse who typically wears red sho ...
's 90th birthday, Gucci has held a collection of Disney apparel, including for
Lunar New Year
Lunar New Year is the beginning of a calendar year whose months are moon cycles, based on the lunar calendar or lunisolar calendar.
The Lunar New Year as a celebration is observed by numerous cultures. It is also named " Chinese New Year" becau ...
.
Corporate structure
Gucci's holding company Guccio Gucci S.p.A. is based in Florence, Italy, and is a subsidiary of the French luxury group
Kering
Kering () is a French-based multinational corporation specializing in luxury goods. It owns the brands Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Gucci, Alexander McQueen and Yves Saint Laurent.
The timber-trading company Pinault S.A. was founded in 1963, b ...
. In 2018, Gucci operated 540 stores for 14,628 employees. The company generated €9.628 billion in revenue (€8.2 billion in 2018), and €3,947 billion in profits (€3.2 billion in 2018).
Governance
In the history of Gucci, up until the end of the Gucci family era, the design, promotion, and production of Gucci products were handled by the members of the Gucci family.
;CEO
*Since 2014:
Marco Bizzarri
Marco Bizzarri (born 19 August 1962) is an Italian business executive, President and CEO of Gucci since January 2015.
*2008–2014: Patrizio di Marco
*2004–2008: Mark Lee
*1994–2004:
Domenico De Sole
;Creative designers
*Since 2015:
Alessandro Michele
Alessandro Michele (; born 25 November 1972) is an Italian fashion designer who most recently served as the creative director of Gucci, the Italian fashion luxury house where he had been working since 2002. Known for his maximalist designs, Aless ...
*2006–2015:
Frida Giannini
Frida Giannini (born in Rome, 1972) is an Italian fashion designer. She was the creative director of the Italian fashion house Gucci from 2006 to 2014.
Education
Giannini studied fashion design at Rome's Fashion Academy.
Career
After brief stint ...
*1995–2004:
Tom Ford
Thomas Carlyle Ford (born August 27, 1961) is an American fashion designer and filmmaker. He launched his eponymous luxury brand in 2005, having previously served as the creative director at Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent. Ford wrote and directe ...
*1989–1995:
Dawn Mello
Dawn Mello (October 5, 1931 – February 16, 2020) was an American fashion retail executive and consultant and the one-time fashion director and president of Bergdorf Goodman. Subsequently she moved to Italy to manage Gucci. Later she was the presi ...
Initiatives
Culture
In 2011, the company opened the Gucci Museum (''Gucci Museo'') inside the 14th-century Palazzo della Mercanzia in Florence to celebrate its 90th anniversary.
In 2016, Alessandro Michele curated two additional rooms dedicated to Tom Ford's collections. In January 2018, following a renovation, the Gucci Museum reopened with a new name, the ''Gucci Garden'', and a new restaurant within its walls, the ''Gucci Osteria'', managed by
Massimo Bottura
Massimo Bottura (; born 30 September 1962) is an Italian restaurateur and the chef patron of Osteria Francescana, a three-Michelin-star restaurant based in Modena
Modena (, , ; egl, label= Modenese, Mòdna ; ett, Mutna; la, Mutina) is ...
. The Gucci Osteria was awarded one
Michelin star
The Michelin Guides ( ) are a series of guide books that have been published by the French tyre company Michelin since 1900. The Guide awards up to three Michelin stars for excellence to a select few establishments. The acquisition or loss of a ...
in November 2019. In February 2020, a second ''Gucci Osteria'' opened on the rooftop of the Gucci
Rodeo Drive
Rodeo Drive is a street in Beverly Hills, California, with its southern segment in the City of Los Angeles. Its southern terminus is at Beverwil Drive, and its northern terminus is at its intersection with Sunset Boulevard in Beverly Hills. The ...
store in Los Angeles.
In April 2017, Gucci financed the restoration of the Boboli Gardens at the
Uffizi
The Uffizi Gallery (; it, Galleria degli Uffizi, italic=no, ) is a prominent art museum located adjacent to the Piazza della Signoria in the Historic Centre of Florence in the region of Tuscany, Italy. One of the most important Italian museums ...
Gallery in
Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...
. In June 2019, Gucci financed the restoration of the historic
Rupe Tarpea and Belvedere Gardens in Rome.
Social
In 2008, Gucci launched the Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund, an $80,000 fund to finance movies promoting social change and presented at the
Tribeca Film Festival
The Tribeca Festival is an annual film festival organized by TriBeCa Productions, Tribeca Productions. It takes place each spring in New York City, showcasing a diverse selection of film, episodic, talks, music, games, art, and immersive progra ...
. By 2011, the fund grew to $150,000, including $50,000 for a newly created Women Documentary Award. In 2011, with the
Venice Film Festival
The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival he ...
, Gucci also launched the 'Gucci Award for Women in Cinema' to underline the impact of women in film-making.
From 2005 to 2015, Gucci donated $20 million to
UNICEF
UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Devel ...
's Schools for Africa program. Once Chime for Change was created, it became the funding vehicle of the Gucci-UNICEF partnership. Chime for Change was founded in February 2013 by
Frida Giannini
Frida Giannini (born in Rome, 1972) is an Italian fashion designer. She was the creative director of the Italian fashion house Gucci from 2006 to 2014.
Education
Giannini studied fashion design at Rome's Fashion Academy.
Career
After brief stint ...
,
Salma Hayek
Salma Hayek Pinault ( , ; born Salma Valgarma Hayek Jiménez; September 2, 1966) is a Mexican and American actress and film producer. She began her career in Mexico with starring roles in the telenovela ''Teresa'' (1989–1991) as well as the ...
and
Beyoncé
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...
as a global campaign for the improvement of education, health and justice for women worldwide. In June 2013, Chime for Change organized the Sound of Change Live concert which generated $4 million to fund 200 projects in 70 countries. In December 2013, Gucci inked a partnership with
Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
and
Women Who Code
Women Who Code (WWCode) is an international non-profit organization that provides services for women pursuing technology careers and a job board for companies seeking coding professionals. The company aims to provide an avenue into the technolo ...
to create the women-focused hackathon Chime Hack.
Gucci sells a yellow t-shirt that reads "My Body My Choice" and redistributes its proceeds to Chime for Change. In July 2013, activist
Lydia Emily
Lydia Emily, aka Lydia emily Archibald, is a street artist, muralist, and oil painter. Her signature style is realistic oil portraits with political and current themes. Her portraits are always painted on the Sunday ''New York Times'' sealed to ...
was commissioned to paint a mural on
Skid Row, Los Angeles
Skid Row is a neighborhood in Downtown Los Angeles. The area is officially known as Central City East.
As of a 2019 count, the population of the district was 8,757. Skid Row contains one of the largest stable populations (about 9,200–15,000) ...
of a woman named Jessica, who is a survivor of
human trafficking
Human trafficking is the trade of humans for the purpose of forced labour, sexual slavery, or commercial sexual exploitation for the trafficker or others. This may encompass providing a spouse in the context of forced marriage, or the extrac ...
. In January 2019, Chime for Change launched the murals campaign "To Gather Together" promoting
gender equality
Gender equality, also known as sexual equality or equality of the sexes, is the state of equal ease of access to resources and opportunities regardless of gender, including economic participation and decision-making; and the state of valuing d ...
and designed by the artist MP5. In 2020, Gucci launched an "Unconventional Beauty" ad campaign, including a model with
Down syndrome
Down syndrome or Down's syndrome, also known as trisomy 21, is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of all or part of a third copy of chromosome 21. It is usually associated with physical growth delays, mild to moderate intellectual dis ...
.
During the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
, Gucci pledged €2 million to two crowdfunding campaigns, the first to support the Italian
Civil Protection
Civil defense ( en, region=gb, civil defence) or civil protection is an effort to protect the citizens of a state (generally non-combatants) from man-made and natural disasters. It uses the principles of emergency operations: prevention, miti ...
Department, and the second for the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund.
Environment
In 2015, Gucci launched its own
environmental profit and loss initiative. In October 2017, Gucci announced it would ban furs from its stores in 2018. In June 2018, the brand launched 'Equilibrium', its platform to communicate on its social and environmental efforts and progress. In September 2019, Marco Bizzarri announced Gucci's intention to go entirely carbon neutral. In 2020, Gucci joined the
UNDP
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)french: Programme des Nations unies pour le développement, PNUD is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human dev ...
-led Lion's Share Fund to support wildlife conservation.
In popular culture
Eponymous adjective
"Gucci" is often used as an eponymous adjective; for example, "I feel Gucci!" or "that’s so Gucci!" are used to describe feeling luxurious or referencing something as being luxurious. The earliest known instance of Gucci used in this sense is
Lenny Kravitz
Leonard Albert Kravitz (born May 26, 1964) is an American singer-songwriter. His style incorporates elements of rock, blues, soul, R&B, funk, jazz, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic, pop and folk.
Kravitz won the Grammy Award for Best Male Roc ...
describing his bedroom as "very Gucci"
in the September 1999 issue of ''
Harper's Bazaar
''Harper's Bazaar'' is an American monthly women's fashion magazine. It was first published in New York City on November 2, 1867, as the weekly ''Harper's Bazar''. ''Harper's Bazaar'' is published by Hearst and considers itself to be the st ...
.
''
Movies
After initially announcing plans for a movie about the Gucci dynasty in 2007, filmmaker
Ridley Scott
Sir Ridley Scott (born 30 November 1937) is a British film director and producer. Directing, among others, science fiction films, his work is known for its atmospheric and highly concentrated visual style. Scott has received many accolades thr ...
detailed specifics about his movie in November 2019; titled ''
House of Gucci
''House of Gucci'' is a 2021 American biographical crime drama film directed by Ridley Scott, based on the 2001 book ''The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed'' by Sara Gay Forden. The film follows Patriz ...
'', the movie would star
Lady Gaga
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...
as
Patrizia Reggiani
Patrizia Reggiani (; Martinelli; born 2 December 1948) is an Italian convicted criminal and former socialite. She was convicted in a highly publicized trial of hiring a hitman to kill her ex-husband, Maurizio Gucci.
Early life and marriage t ...
and
Adam Driver
Adam Douglas Driver (born November 19, 1983) is an American actor. He is the recipient of various accolades, including nominations for two Academy Awards, four Primetime Emmy Awards and a Tony Award; making him one of few performers nominated ...
as
Maurizio Gucci
Maurizio Gucci (26 September 1948 – 27 March 1995) was an Italian businessman and the one-time head of the Gucci fashion house. He was the son of actor Rodolfo Gucci, and grandson of the company's founder Guccio Gucci. On 27 March 1995, he wa ...
. ''House of Gucci'' 's world premiere took place at the
Odeon Luxe Leicester Square
The Odeon Luxe Leicester Square is a prominent cinema building in the West End of London. Built in the Art Deco style and completed in 1937, the building has been continually altered in response to developments in cinema technology, and was the ...
in London on November 9, 2021. In 2000,
Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Scorsese emerged as one of the major figures of the New Hollywood era. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominatio ...
had also announced plans to make a movie about the Gucci family.
Guinness World Records
* 1974: The ''Model 2000'' Gucci watch broke the record for selling more than one million units in two years.
* 1998: The Gucci "Genius Jeans" set the record as the most expensive pair of jeans. The jeans were distressed, ripped, and covered with African-inspired beads and were priced at US$3,134 in Milan.
Counterfeiting
During the 1970s, the explosive popularity of Gucci turned the brand into a prime target of the counterfeiting industry.
The Gucci workshops elaborated the brindle pigskin tanning technique that became a Gucci signature, and a tanning process difficult to counterfeit. In 1977 alone, Gucci launched 34 lawsuits for counterfeiting.
By the mid-1980s, the brand was involved in "thousands of confiscations and lawsuits all over the world".
In 2013, the UK's Intellectual Property Office issued a ruling that Gucci had lost the rights to its GG trademark in the UK "to a version of the GG logo in four categories, which encompassed garments such as bracelets, shoulder bags, scarves and coats".
However, "according to Gucci, the ruling does not affect the use of its GG logo in the region" because "Gucci is the owner of several other valid registrations for this mark, including a Community Trade Mark (covering the European Union) for its iconic GG logo and those rights are directly enforceable in the U.K."
In November 2008, the website TheBagAddiction.com was shut down after being sued by Gucci for selling counterfeit products. In 2013, Gucci cracked down on 155 domain names used by counterfeiters to sell fake Gucci products.
In 2015, Gucci's parent company
Kering
Kering () is a French-based multinational corporation specializing in luxury goods. It owns the brands Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Gucci, Alexander McQueen and Yves Saint Laurent.
The timber-trading company Pinault S.A. was founded in 1963, b ...
sued the Chinese website
Alibaba
Ali Baba (character), Ali Baba is a character from the folk tale ''Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves''.
Ali Baba or Alibaba may also refer to:
Films
* Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (1902 film), ''Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves'' (1902 film), a F ...
for listing a lot of "obviously fake Gucci products" on its website. In April 2016, Gucci's anti-counterfeiting legal actions backfired when the targeted products were the
papier-mâché
upright=1.3, Mardi Gras papier-mâché masks, Haiti
upright=1.3, Papier-mâché Catrinas, traditional figures for day of the dead celebrations in Mexico
Papier-mâché (, ; , literally "chewed paper") is a composite material consisting of p ...
shaped exactly like Gucci products and burned by Chinese people during the ancestral
Qingming Jie
The Qingming festival or Ching Ming Festival, also known as Tomb-Sweeping Day in English (sometimes also called Chinese Memorial Day or Ancestors' Day), is a List of observances set by the Chinese calendar, traditional Chinese festival observ ...
tradition. In April 2017, Gucci won a lawsuit against 89 Chinese websites selling fake Gucci products. In October 2018, Marco Bizzarri warned the Chinese ecommerce giants
Alibaba
Ali Baba (character), Ali Baba is a character from the folk tale ''Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves''.
Ali Baba or Alibaba may also refer to:
Films
* Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (1902 film), ''Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves'' (1902 film), a F ...
and
JD.com
JD.com, Inc., also known as Jingdong (), internationally known as Joybuy and formerly called 360buy,[ ...](_blank)
that Gucci could not open shop on their websites as long as they would not remove the many fake Gucci products out of their listings. In December 2019, Gucci sued three dozen websites selling fake Gucci products.
Controversies
In April 2016, the
UK's Advertising Standards Authority banned a Gucci online video ad because it starred an "unhealthily thin" model.
In February 2019, Gucci removed a black
balaclava sweater with a rollup collar and a cut-out red-lipped mouth from its shelves after it had been compared to a
blackface
Blackface is a form of theatrical makeup used predominantly by non-Black people to portray a caricature of a Black person.
In the United States, the practice became common during the 19th century and contributed to the spread of racial stereo ...
costume. Alessandro Michele responded that his inspiration came from the flamboyant
Leigh Bowery
Leigh Bowery (26 March 1961 – 31 December 1994) was an Australian performance artist, club promoter, and fashion designer. Bowery was known for his flamboyant and outlandish costumes and makeup as well as his (sometimes controversial) perform ...
but apologized for the way it had been interpreted. To address this issue, Gucci launched the 'Gucci North America Changemakers Scholarship' program dedicated to foster diversity within the fashion industry with a $5-million annual fund to support non-profits and community-based programs involved with "the African-American community and communities of color at-large". In May 2019, the
Sikhs
Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism (Sikhi), a monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ...
community in
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
criticized Gucci's cultural appropriation of a religious item when the Italian brand commercialized
turban
A turban (from Persian دولبند, ''dulband''; via Middle French ''turbant'') is a type of headwear based on cloth winding. Featuring many variations, it is worn as customary headwear by people of various cultures. Communities with promine ...
s at $800 apiece. In July 2019, Gucci appointed a Global Head of Diversity to address the brand's latest issues with cultural diversity. In October 2019, Gucci launched a $1.5-million scholarship program for US students traditionally underrepresented in the fashion industry.
In May 2019,
Kering
Kering () is a French-based multinational corporation specializing in luxury goods. It owns the brands Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Gucci, Alexander McQueen and Yves Saint Laurent.
The timber-trading company Pinault S.A. was founded in 1963, b ...
agreed to pay a $1.25-billion tax settlement with the Italian fiscal authorities following Gucci's tax irregularities during the 2011-2017 fiscal periods.
During a September 2019 show that resembled a défilé of mental patients, catwalk model Ayesha Tan Jones held up their hands-on which "mental health is not fashion" was written, a reaction to the brand's inappropriate commercial use of the imagery of mental illness.
See also
*
Made in Italy
Made in Italy is a merchandise mark indicating that a product is all planned, manufactured and packed in Italy, especially concerning the design, fashion, food, manufacturing, craftsmanship, and engineering industries.
History
Made in Italy ...
Bibliography
*
*
*
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Italian companies established in 1921
1980s fashion
1990s fashion
2000s fashion
2010s fashion
2020s fashion
Altagamma members
American Motors
Bags (fashion)
Clothing brands of Italy
Clothing companies established in 1921
Fashion accessory brands
High fashion brands
Jewellery companies of Italy
Luggage manufacturers
Perfume houses
Shoe companies of Italy
Watch manufacturing companies of Italy
Manufacturing companies based in Florence
Design companies established in 1921
Eyewear brands of Italy
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Luxury brands