A Bit About Gucci
As a young man, Guccio Gucci (1881–1953) worked as a bellhop at the Savoy Hotel in London, where he coveted the stylish suitcases he saw wealthy guests arrive with. This gave him the motivation to open a leather goods shop of his own. In 1938, his sons Vasco, Aldo, and Rodolfo joined the business and it expanded into Rome.
In the 1950-60s A-list celebrities like Elizabeth Taylor donned Gucci's bamboo handled totes and of course we all know the story of Jackie Kennedy with her Gucci hobo which then took her name. Then Grace Kelly, on a visit to the boutique in Milan, inspired Rodolfo Gucci to work on the Flora print in 1966.
The early 1970s saw store openings in Tokyo and Hong Kong, but by the late 1980s, Gucci was without the capital it was used to. Rodolfo Gucci took charge in 1982, but the family all dropped out of the business by 1993 when Maurizio, transferred his shares in the company to Investcorp, ending the family’s involvement in Gucci.
Enter Tom Ford’s racy ads, and a pivot to sex and colour. The new millennium brought new ownership and a more toned-down vision from the amazing Creative Director, who started in 2006, Frida Giannini. In 2015 Allessandro Micheles vision then gave Gucci yet another rebirth, and wow, what a change from a global market perspective. They are now bigger then ever.
