THE HISTORY OF THE GUCCI HOUSE IS FULL OF TRAGIC AND MYSTERIOUS EVENTS AND CIRCUMSTANCES WELCOME TO THE GREAT BORGE OF BORJIA AND THE MEDIC. FATAL DESTINIES, HAPPY MATCHES, BREAKFAST, SCANDALS, FINANCIAL CRISES, GENERAL CURSES AND TRUE "ITALIAN PASSIONS" - ALL THIS WAS COMING FROM THE DEPTH OF AGES. FOR ALMOST HUNDRED YEARS OF ITS EXISTENCE, THE GUCCI HOUSE HAS TRANSFORMED INTO A REAL FASHION EMPIRE, WHICH KNOWED THE TIME OF FLOWERING AND FORGOTTEN. NOW IT IS DIFFICULT FOR YOURSELF TO IMAGINE THAT THE BRAND ASSOCIATED BEFORE EVERYTHING WITH A GLAMOR AND WIDE ARISTOCRACY WAS CREATED BY A SIMPLE ITALIAN CRAWLER, BEGIN ORDERED WITH TIN. Guccio Gucci, the founder of the company, was born in Florence in the family of an Italian artisan in 1881. His father traded in his own straw hats. When Guccio was 23 years old, he opened his own horse harness production workshop, which he called the “Gucci House”. The workshop did not last long. The young man left the country. Since all the men of the Gucci clan had a hot-tempered and absurd character, the most likely reason for leaving was a quarrel with his father.
Guccio settled in London, where he worked at the Savoy Hotel for more than ten years, first as a porter, and then a bellboy and a lift. It was then that the young Italian was visited by the idea that the suitcases and bags of a traveling person emphasize his status and determine membership in the caste. In 1921, Gucci returned to Italy and married. With 30,000 lire earned in England, he reopened the workshop, and a year later a store where his products began to be sold: horse harness, clothing for jockeys, and suitcases. All this was made of the highest quality leather with the sophistication inherent in medieval craftsmen. The best riders in Europe preferred to wear Gucci costumes, and soon the company gained fame throughout Europe.
Golden Times and Golden Youth
The Gucci family had six children. The grown up sons: Aldo, Hugo, Vasco and Rodolfo helped his father in the work. In 1933, the eldest son Aldo invented a brand name from two intertwined letters G. In 1937, the workshop turned into a small factory and the production of handbags, suitcases and gloves began. In 1938, in Rome, on the most prestigious street - Via Condotti - Gucci brand boutique was opened. Despite the approaching war, the Gucci family flourished and, as if nothing had happened, continued to create things for the "golden" youth. They even received an order from Mussolini himself for the design of one of his palazzo.
In the early 1940s, Gucci stores opened throughout Italy. In 1950, Guccio received a patent for striped braid and suede loafers with metal inserts. He was called arrogant and arrogant. However, he could not be denied the art of persuasion: he knew how to attract buyers to his boutique and how to get them to buy goods. He was the first to offer VIP clients cards that would open access to exclusive items to famous customers.
If the company owes its creation to Guccio, then his son Aldo provided prosperity and worldwide fame. Thanks to him, the assortment of the company was replenished with legendary silk scarves and ties, and later hours. The iconic handbag with a bamboo handle owes its appearance also to Aldo's ideas, as well as to the lack of basic raw materials - leather, which was especially acute in wartime. It was he who suggested making bags from Guccio Gucci flax, jute and hemp.
In the early 1940s, Aldo, the first European manufacturer, went overseas, and America could not resist the charm of Gucci luxury. In 1953, the first Gucci store was opened on Manhattan's famous Fifth Avenue in New York.
Another Gucci, Rodolfo, explained the success of the firm as follows: "The family was the company, and the company was the family." By the way, he became a fairly successful film actor, starring under the pseudonym Maurizio de Anchor in Italian films of the 1930s and 1940s. Once, his cult film partner, actress Anna Manyaki, became his partner in the film. After the war, Rodolfo left the world of cinema and returned to his father's company. Perhaps this is also why Hollywood stars loved to wear Gucci clothes so much, because one of the members of this family thoroughly knew all the tastes and secret desires of the actors. Sophia Loren, Ingrid Bergman, Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Peter Sellerlerste, Nancy and Ronald Reagan are just some of the celebrities who have made Gucci famous. In the movie Roman Vacations, Audrey's head is covered in a signature silk scarf, and she dances in Gucci loafers. The shoulder bag worn by Jacqueline Kennedy was popularly called "Jackie Oh!" (Jackie O). Gucci's face was undoubtedly an American actress and a very beautiful woman - Grace Kelly. At her wedding with the Prince of Monaco, each of the guests received a scarf from Gucci as a gift, and the companies of the Gucci family were given the official status of suppliers of the royal court.
Seven plus or minus seven "I"
Senior Guccio Gucci died in 1953, and this was the first step towards the collapse of the once friendly family. The brothers sued for a long time and argued among themselves about what part of the family capital is the property of everyone. As a result of lengthy litigation, 50% of the company's shares went to Aldo, who led the company. With a truly Italian temperament, the Gucci brothers quarreled and worked. If they lived in the Middle Ages, their family would soon cease to be so numerous. But an enlightened twentieth century stood in the courtyard, and Gucci had a whole army of lawyers and lawyers at his service.
There was not a single representative of the family who would not have claims against others and would not file lawsuits. They were not stopped even by the closest blood ties. Paolo, the son of Aldo, who later served as the lead designer of the company, endlessly sued his father. And bills for the services of lawyers, when Paolo ran out of money, calmly paid Aldo. At one of these trials, Judge Miriam Altman refused to consider the complaint, arguing this: "I know every thing that is sold by Gucci, and I know that two-thirds of its selling price is paid by family members to lawyers."
Despite all the squabbles that shook the family, in the 1960s and 1970s, Gucci achieved the greatest success and prosperity of the company. Her assortment was replenished with legendary shoes, which were moccasins on studded soles. The production of perfumes, watches, furs, and women's clothing was launched.
It was in the 1960s that stores opened in Hong Kong and Tokyo. The famous GG logo is being developed, a Flora silk scarf, Jackie O handbag, purchased by Jacqueline Kennedy, is being created.
The company brought in $ 800 million each year. By the way, the watch has replenished the Gucci collection due to a breakdown on the telephone line. Mr. Severin Wunderman, who was trying to reach his client, was accidentally connected to Aldo Gucci, and the salesman did not miss a happy occasion. The owner of a multi-million dollar business and an obscure watch seller later became good friends. Wunderman founded and led the Gucci Timepieces Swiss division, which designs and manufactures jewelry and watches. Currently, their sale brings about 10% of the total revenue of the company. The famous Italian writer Grazia Lori says what Gucci's things meant at the time: “When I was in Milan in the 1970s, our students, like their parents, were divided into“ left ”and“ right. ”And this precisely defined by clothes. "Left" guys wore jeans and loose sweaters. "Right" flaunted in Gucci loafers, and famous silk scarves were tied to school bag handles (also from Gucci). "
And passions in the overgrown Gucci family were heating up. In an effort to stand out with his "merits", Aldo in 1979 develops a collection of GAC accessories, the purpose of which is to support the sale of the perfume department. In the created line were cosmetic bags, pens, lighters, and the price for such products was much lower than for other items from the company catalog. This was precisely the mistake of Aldo. Appearing in thousands of US stores, this product entails a drop in brand prestige. From a brand synonymous with chic and elegance, Gucci is turning into a company selling “vulgar” products.
In the wake of falling demand, Gucci's Board of Directors meetings are filled with clarification of relations between relatives and often turn into noisy bickering, and in 1982 it came to a fight. After this meeting, Paolo, who threw an ashtray, left the company, and the Gucci Perfume division separated from the company. In 1983, after the death of Rodolfo, his shares passed by inheritance to his son - Maurizio. Relatives immediately sue, claiming that the young man, in order not to pay inheritance tax, forged a will. Maurizio, sentenced to one year's imprisonment, flees the country. Not knowing what this will bring the uncle, who had sympathy for the nephew who grew up without a mother, decides to help him.
Aldo's personal lawyer has secured the cancellation of the sentence. Maurizio returned to Italy and entered into inheritance rights. Paolo, who holds a grudge against his father, leaves no thought for revenge. He submits to the US government documents proving that Aldo evaded taxes. The elder Gucci is found guilty and in 1986 imprisoned in an American prison. It was rumored that Paolo's cousin Maurizio, the "black man" of the family, who practically brought Gucci House to disaster, suggested this successful idea.
Between Kitsch and Tom Ford
In the 1980s, the company's affairs deteriorated sharply. Raised by a nanny and a car mechanic, the boy had no idea about real life, did not know the price of money, and did not know how to build relationships with people. In 1989, he became president of the company. Unaware of the consequences, he does everything possible to bring the bankruptcy of the company closer. Gucci items no longer create an atmosphere of luxury and chic. They are a concentration of trendy trends that balance on the verge of kitsch. Maurizio dismisses people who have worked for the company for decades, discontinues the legendary handbag with a bamboo handle, relocates the company's office to Milan, which spends more than half a million dollars on the construction of the building. But the biggest blow to the reputation of the company is the uncontrolled sale of licenses for the production of things with a company logo to various small firms, which are mainly located in Asia.
In the early 1990s, wearing Gucci clothes was considered bad taste, and the company was almost ruined. Co-owners of the company, the grandchildren of Guccio: Roberto, Paolo and Giorgio, in order to save their capital, sold the shares of the Bahraini financial company Investcorp. To improve the situation, the new owners are invited to the post of economic director Domenico de Solle, who in 1990 hires American designer Tom Ford. And although the first show in 1994 was not successful, but this allowed him to feel the audience and a year later to release a collection consisting of satin shirts and velvet trousers with a belt below the waist. This was exactly what, as it turned out, consumers needed.
Ford was able to once again raise the prestige of Gucci House to its former height. He watched everything: the interior of the shops and the uniform of the employees. In parallel with bags and suitcases, which have already gained popularity, clothes and accessories are beginning to be produced. Queen of Jordan Rania, Gwyneth Paltrow, Elizabeth Harley, Nicole Kidman, Madonna, Tom Cruise, Mick Jagger, Sting - these are just an incomplete list of those who dress from Gucci. A few years later, Tom Ford becomes the creative director of the Gucci House, having managed to restore the brand status in a short time, and his interpretation of classic shoes with bridle decor becomes a real hit.
In 1993, Maurizio sold his stake to Investcorp for $ 100 million. From then on, no one from the Gucci family remains at Gucci.
Peak of Passion
In the spring of 1994, Milan was shocked by a high-profile case - on March 27, Maurizio Gucci, 45, was shot dead near his Milan office. Despite the fact that the perpetrator made many mistakes, and the police managed to compose his identikit, the murder remained unsolved for several years. Versions of involvement in the murder of the Sicilian mafia and former partners were rejected. The most suspicious was Patricia Reggiani, Maurizio's second wife, whom he divorced several years ago. However, there was no evidence of her involvement in the murder.
Maurizio's first marriage was fleeting. It is known that his first wife was a graphomaniac. In one of her opuses, she wrote: "It is a privilege to be killed by a hit man." Maurizio's second marriage, in which two daughters were born, lasted 12 years. During the divorce, Patricia Reggiani received $ 1 million, a yacht and two houses, one of which was in New York. The washerwoman’s daughter, according to her, who was left “without a future”, turned to psychotherapist Giuseppina Auriemma, who was fond of occultism, for help. They became friends. At one of the seances, spirits advised women to get rid of Maurizio. The advice was very timely. It was rumored that Maurizio was going to marry a third time and deprive his daughters of an inheritance. The ladies turned for help to the owner of a small hotel who hired killers.
Several years have passed. The police officer, who was monitoring the owner of the pizzeria Orazio Chekal, who was suspected of drug trafficking, accidentally overheard a telephone conversation in which he demanded that Patricia pay extra for the murder of her husband. Soon, the whole sweet company was in the dock. The widow, who was sentenced to 25 years, continues to claim that she is innocent. The review is delayed due to one strange circumstance. Anyone who picks up the case materials immediately reveals symptoms of an incomprehensible illness: nausea, skin rash, and choking. The “Curse of Maurizio,” or the germs that have bred in the archives of the Supreme Court, are not to blame for this, but court officials and lawyers refuse to touch the papers. Most likely, Patricia, who has become famous all over the world with the phrase: “I’d better cry in Rolls-Royce than enjoy life riding a bicycle,” will serve his prison term completely.
Economics multiplied by talents
Thanks to a successful economic policy, de Sollet, who revoked his licenses, invested in expanding his business and acquiring well-known fashion companies, as well as the talent of Tom Ford, whose collections have always been successful, Gucci is once again becoming a leader in the fashion world. For the 1995/96 “Jet Set” collection, Tom Ford received the title of “Best Fashion Designer of the Year”. No one doubted anymore: the lost glory of the Italian brand not only returned, but also increased several times.
In 1996-97, the collections of Tom Ford “Euro Hippies” and “Studio 54” were no less noticeable.
From season to season, Gucci House is getting better, turning into one of the most profitable concerns in Italy. In 2001, Gucci financed Stella McCartney's own label, which left Chloe House, and her first Spring / Summer 2001 collection was very successful. In addition, the Italian House buys the Rive Gauche ready-to-wear line owned by Yves Saint Laurent, and Tom Ford also takes charge of the design for this collection. In 2003, in Milan, Tom Ford opens a new style page from Gucci. Using the most luxurious fabrics, he creates a collection that balances between innovation and vulgarity: an exquisite cut, a mass of parts revealing the body - all this attracted a lot of new customers to Gucci.
In April 2004, Gucci Group, which includes such eminent companies as Yves Saint Laurent, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen, Sergio Rossi and many others, was bought by the French corporation Pinault Printemps Redoute (PPR).
Gucci's house is again in a fever.Due to disagreement with the new leadership, de Solle and Tom Ford leave him. The farewell collection of the great designer was shown in February 2004 at Milan Fashion Week. The atmosphere was tense to the limit, the emotions of the audience were in full swing, and the fantastically beautiful collection, combining all the best that marked the era of Ford in Gucci, caused an incredible twenty-minute flurry of applause.
In addition to Tom Ford, more than a dozen fashion designers left the company, including Alexander McQueen. Almost immediately thereafter, Robert Pole became Chairman and CEO of Gucci Group. On his initiative, a new philosophy was announced in all divisions of the group: “Freedom within,” which allowed each brand to develop its own style, while promoting common core values. Mark Lee becomes President and CEO of Gucci House.
However, the loss of the main character - the creative director - could not have passed without a crisis: Gucci again had a turning point. Ford is being replaced by 28-year-old Alessandra Fakkinetti, who, before Gucci, was engaged in the collection of Miu Miu for Prada.
Alessandra began to act very carefully, completely preserving the sexually-glamorous style of the House, which became key thanks to Ford. The only thing she allowed herself was to introduce African-Indian motifs with their floral-animalistic prints and a rich color palette. After the creation of two collections, Fakkinetti unexpectedly announces his departure "because of disagreements with the management."
And the leadership of the House urgently forced to look for a new designer. Fortunately, getting a finger into the sky turned out to be very successful: Frida Gianini, who holds this post to this day, was invited to the position of fashion designer of women's collections. Prior to joining Gucci as an accessory designer, Signora Gianini worked for Fendi for 5 years, and in 2006 was included by Time magazine in the ranking of “100 Most Influential People in the World”.
The debut of Frida Gianini as creative director of Gucci House took place during the show of the Spring / Summer 2006 collection, full of new textures and solutions. Gucci's financial affairs are back on track. Under the creative leadership of Frida, the company launches a line of children's clothing, creates a collection of jewelry, consisting of 10 unique exhibits. These accessories were presented on the red carpet of the Cannes Film Festival by actresses Jennifer Lopez and Salma Hayek.
The years from 2005 to 2008 became record-breaking in the history of the company: the volume of goods turnover increased by 46% and exceeded 2 billion euros, profit increased accordingly. Gucci's signature boutiques have been opened in leading fashion capitals, including Tokyo, New York and London, reaching 258 exclusive stores worldwide. In 2005, Gucci House first decided to take up charity work and became a UNISEF partner to support African orphans and children from poor families, having raised over $ 7 million since then. In January 2009, Patricio di Marco became President and CEO of Gucci House, succeeding Mark Lee.
Prior to this appointment, Patricio di Marco led the House of Bottega Venetta, and was a member of the Gucci Group Board of Directors. Under his strict guidance, all leather goods - bags, shoes, accessories, and Gucci ready-made clothing collections continue to be produced exclusively in Italy. This is a distinctive feature of the House, which is considered in the modern world of fashion as an anomalous phenomenon, almost an anachronism. However, Gucci are confident that they must preserve the legacy of unsurpassed quality and craftsmanship that was once presented to the picky European aristocracy by Guccio Gucci himself, and try to carry this spirit through generations. The new motto of Gucci House - for modernity and novelty - is fully consistent with the spirit of its first owner, and is now successfully embodied by its followers.
Today, Gucci continues its development and is one of the leaders in the global fashion scene. According to a 2007 Nielsen study, the Gucci brand is considered the most coveted among other luxury fashion brands in the world. According to experts from the Interbrand Best Global Brands 2008 Study, Gucci is ranked 45th among the leading brands in the world (and not only in the fashion industry), and also leads the list of leading Italian companies.
The Gucci logo adorns not only leather products and various accessories, but also 11 clothing lines, as well as shoes, watches, perfumes and furs. And, apparently, this is not the end of the story, but only its continuation ...
