In 1921 the Florentine Guccio Gucci opened a workshop and store in his native city specializing in leathergoods. Having absorbed and refined an English aesthetic during his years working at London’s Savoy Hotel, where he had had the opportunity to study the tastes and mores of the nobles and upper classes, Gucci introduced this aesthetic in Italy. Gucci’s creations immediately stood out for their sophistication and innovation, in large part due to the masterly craftsmanship of his Tuscan artisans.

The label enjoyed such great success that in 1937 the young designer and businessman expanded his workshop and began to use exclusively his own resources in the production of his collection of bags, trunks, gloves, shoes and belts. Gucci’s products took inspiration from the equestrian world; horsebit and stirrup motifs were born from this influence and would become emblems of the Florentine firm.

What resulted was an original and exclusive style that embodied the tastes of a sophisticated international clientele. Along with the titled families of Tuscany, this clientele included wealthy foreign tourists, attracted to the designs of a label that had become a popular reference of an increasingly cosmopolitan public. The atelier was considered a definitive source for fashion and gave access to the lifestyle surrounding it. New products sold out almost as soon as they were introduced and quickly turned into icons with cult followings.

It was during the difficult years of the Fascist dictatorship that Gucci truly established itself as an enterprise synonymous with exceptional creativity. Faced with a shortage of standard materials, Gucci introduced hemp, linen, jute and, most recognizably, bamboo as alternatives. A handbag famously referred to as the ‘Bamboo Bag’ was developed in the late 1940s, destined to leave an indelible mark on the label’s history; its shape was inspired by the side of a saddle and its bamboo handle was manipulated and coloured by a heat process. The ‘Bamboo Bag’ became the favourite accessory of the most eminent personalities of the day: Queen Federica of Greece, Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor and Deborah Kerr, as well as Michelangelo Antonioni, a renowned film director who used it in his films on a number of occasions. An extraordinary mix of quality and craftsmanship, the bag is still available today, modernized in various styles and fabrications. It remains one of the most significant products the house offers.

The label flourished during these years and its operations expanded. The Rome store opened in 1938 on Via dei Condotti and soon became a destination for shopping, reaching the peak of its fame in the  60s, the glorious years of the Dolce Vita. Around this time, Gucci’s sons Aldo, Vasco, Ugo and Rodolfo were given a minority stake in the business, though Guccio retained control of the company until his death in 1953. The Milan store on Via Montenapoleone 5 opened in 1951 and two years later Gucci debuted in the United States, one of the first Italian brands to open a store in New York. Shortly thereafter stores opened in London, Palm Beach, Paris and Beverly Hills. An economic boom was taking place and a new middle class sensitive to aristocratic tastes had developed. The Gucci name had achieved worldwide acclaim and importance. It had become an established symbol of modern luxury.

A pioneer of the latest sophistications, Gucci offered products of heightened sartorial detail and design that were cherished by legendaries of the time. What is now referred to as the ‘Jackie O’ bag was given its name in honour of its greatest admirer, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and to this day remains one of Gucci’s best-selling accessory styles. The ‘Jackie O’ bag was followed by the introduction of a classic moccasin with horsebit hardware detail; since 1962, this famous moccasin has been part of the collection at The Costume Institute, Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York as an illustration of exemplary fashion accessory design. The ‘Hobo Bag’ was the next major release, soft and unstructured, a unisex style carried by luminaries such as Liz Taylor, Samuel Beckett and Peter Sellers.

In the years that followed, Gucci explored new applications and combinations of its iconic motifs, including the horsebit, the stirrup, the green-red-green web, the interlocking double ‘G’ motif and the crest. Designed by Guccio himself, the crest depicts a knight carrying luggage, a rose and helm above him, symbols of refinement and entrepreneurial power. The central reference of the brand remained drawn from the equestrian world, but other themes—the sporting cultures of tennis and golf, for example—developed their own significance, further enriching Gucci’s imagistic vocabulary. Flora, a print drawn from a variety of flowering plants and insects was created in 1966 by Vittorio Accornero, a painter and valued consultant of the firm, and was such a theme. Conceived in honour of Grace Kelly, and still vibrant today, the print was realized in 37 colours as a single design and not in repeated squares as with traditional printing techniques.

The 1970s and 80s saw a reorganization of the brand, with the opening of a new factory in Casellina, near Florence, and the consequent transformation of the old atelier on Via delle Caldaie into a showroom. Gucci continued its expansion abroad, opening stores in Chicago, Tokyo and Hong Kong. The company increased and diversified its production, carrying out significant research on new materials and working processes, for which it continued to make use of the finest craftsmen in the sector. The great classics were revamped and brought back in new shapes and colours and often inspired product in other categories. Throughout its industrial development, Gucci was careful to preserve and protect its reputation for quality and craftsmanship.

In 1982 Gucci became a public limited company and, after a series of strategic decisions within the family, leadership was passed on to Rodolfo’s son, Maurizio. Investcorp, an Anglo-Arab holding company, purchased 50% of the shares belonging to Aldo and his descendants in 1989; Maurizio retained the remaining 50%, continuing as president of the company until 1993, when he transferred his entire share to Investcorp.

A tribute to its extraordinary vitality and ability to attract new talent, in only three years Gucci was reborn. Two internal resources—Domenico De Sole and Tom Ford—were responsible for relaunching the brand. Ford, a designer of American origin who had overseen the design of women’s ready-to-wear since 1990, was appointed Creative Director of Gucci in 1994. De Sole, who had been serving as the head of Gucci America, was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Gucci in 1995.

A new era of style commenced. Gucci’s designs were groundbreaking, coveted by consumers around the world. This was fashion that mixed tradition and innovation, luxury and modernity. The house achieved incredible global renown and cultivated the following of a high-powered, accomplished elite: celebrities, royals and prominent social figures including Madonna, Nicole Kidman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Queen Rania of Jordan, Sting, Tom Cruise, Mick Jagger and Brad Pitt wore its fashions. Gucci had become a brand with a definitive statement—one that was as much about quality and refinement as it was about sex and provocation. The horsebit moccasin was transformed into a stiletto, brightly coloured silk satin shirts were cut close to the body, trousers were low-waisted and hip-hugging in velvet and the work of Charles Eames inspired what would become a famous dress in silk jersey with side cut-outs and metallic hardware detail.

In 1998 the European Press Foundation elected Gucci “European Company of the Year” for its excellent managerial performance. Thanks to its strategic alliance with Pinault-Printemps-Redoute (PPR), the following year Gucci developed into Gucci Group, establishing itself as one of the leading conglomerates in the international luxury goods industry. Over the next few years, key acquisitions such as Yves Saint Laurent, YSL Beauté, Sergio Rossi, Bottega Veneta, Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney, Balenciaga, Boucheron and Bedat served to further strengthen Gucci Group’s luxury portfolio; these brands still belong to the Group today. At the same time, the management continued to significantly grow the potential of the Gucci brand by opening new stores, buying out franchisees and introducing new product lines.

When their contracts expired in April 2004, Domenico De Sole and Tom Ford left the company. Robert Polet soon thereafter assumed the role of Gucci Group Chief Executive Officer, replacing De Sole. In November 2004, Mark Lee took on the role of President and Managing Director of the Gucci Division, and in July of the following year, was appointed to the position of President and CEO of the Gucci Division. Today, the creative direction of Gucci is the responsibility of Frida Giannini.

Under Lee’s leadership and Giannini’s creative direction, Gucci has revisited its most authentic roots. The trove of iconic references has been re-explored: icons have been given a new life and a contemporary edge. Flora was reworked and applied to the range of Gucci accessories, including bags, shoes and watches—items that became instant bestsellers. ‘La Pelle Guccissima’—an entirely original, heat-printed signature leather—was launched under Giannini’s direction in two variations: one bearing the double G motif and the other the horsebit motif. This signature leather is destined to become the label’s next icon, expressing in its workmanship and impeccable quality a strength that is singularly Gucci’s.

The Gucci Division remains the financial mainstay of Gucci Group. In 2004 the Gucci Division recorded sales of 1,590 million Euro on total Group revenues of 2,721.4 million Euro, posting 13.3% growth on a comparable basis over 2003. In March 2005, Gucci owned 200 directly operated stores worldwide: 65 in Europe, 36 in the United States, 50 in Japan and 49 in the rest of Asia, including 7 stores in mainland China. These stores are located in the most prestigious areas for luxury shopping in the finest cities of the world: Madison Avenue in New York, Ginza and Shibuya in Tokyo, Bond Street in London, Avenue Montaigne in Paris and Montenapoleone in Milan.

Reinterpreting its past has been central to Gucci’s own reinvention. The label has evolved from a small Florentine workshop specializing in luggage into a global leader in the production of the finest leather accessories: handbags, shoes, belts and small leather goods. Gucci’s expansion into other product categories—including men’s and women’s ready-to-wear, scarves, ties, lingerie, watches, jewelry, eyewear, fragrances, home and gift collections and its exclusive ‘Made to Order’ services—has transformed the company into the modern luxury empire it is today.

What has remained always true, always fixed, is the brand’s Italian heritage, alive still today in the Tuscan craftsmanship of its Casellina atelier. Age old traditions and techniques are honoured alongside the technological advances that allow Gucci to stay current and competitive. All of this has allowed Gucci to cultivate a loyalty amongst a global clientele of highly accomplished individuals who can trust in the brand to deliver fine design, superb quality and relentless chic. In its modern incarnation, Gucci gives the men and women who understand it best a lasting impression of sensual power. As one of the leading luxury brands in the world, it is Gucci’s aim to continue to grow while bringing its unwavering standards for quality and its keen sense for innovation boldly into the future.


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