When Italy is mentioned, some think beautiful country sides, red wine and delicious tomatoes. However, some might think fashion, leather and Gucci. The House of Gucci, or simply Gucci, is an Italian fashion label that produces leather and fashion goods. The Gucci brand has reached new heights over the past few decades, landing a spot on the top selling brand on a global scale.
The History of the House of Gucci
The name Gucci stems from the original creator of the powerhouse, Guccio Gucci. He was the son of an Italian merchant, so he was familiar with the Italian business world from a young age. He founded Gucci in 1921, when the House of Gucci was primarily selling leather bags to horsemen and attachable leather bags for saddles.
Gucci quickly became famous because of the quality of his leather bags. People were willing to pay more money for quality leather, because they knew Gucci was only willing to hire the best craftsmen and workers he could find.
As the business grew and expanded to Rome, his four sons joined the business. The House of Gucci became a family business than soon expanded. New stores opened in Milan, Manhattan, Hong Kong and Tokyo.
Gucci Brand, Products and Designers
It was in the 1960s when the Gucci brand made a mark on the Asian market. It was also during this time that the Gucci brand logo was invented. The double GG logo was designed to praise the original inventor Guccio Guccio. The GG logo was printed on handbags and the branding process included adding silk scarves to the Gucci brand.
The Gucci brand took a hard beating in the 1970s, as the brothers who ran the company made some poor decisions, which almost made the company go bankrupt. To repair the damage, an accessories collection with perfumes was added to the Gucci brand. Within years, the perfumes were selling better than any other accessory created for the line during this time. Bad decisions were continuously made and in the 1990s, Tom Ford took over the Gucci brand. He took it in a new direction to give the brand a new vision and appeal.
Although Ford made tremendous changes to the Gucci brand, he decided to leave the company behind. The creative team that worked under Ford’s direction continues to direct the company in the new direction that Ford implemented.
As of 2011, the Gucci product line consists of handbags, shoes, ready-to-wear garments, baby clothing, belts, jewelry, perfumes and fragrance, hats and gloves, scarves, sunglasses, travel and business accessories, wallets, watches and even pet products and outfits. The existing product line suits women, men and children.
The Gucci brand works closely with designers and other brands who strive for high-quality and new innovation in the fashion industry. Gucci works closely with the brands of Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Boucheron, Sergio Rossi, Stella McCartney and Yves Saint Laurent. Since the Gucci empire is growing with influential designers, it is no wonder that some people think of high quality fashion when Italy is mentioned.
Malene Soegaard - Malene spends her life analyzing fashion and movies. She operates two print magazines and is a published author.
