Gucci

In 1881 a talented man named Guccio Gucci was born in Florence, Italy. He was the son of a Florentine leather craftsman. By 1906 Guccio’s talent became apparent as he founded the House of Gucci as a saddler shop in Florence. Gucci had a great appreciation for the sophistication and aesthetics of cosmopolitan culture and thus led to the opening of his first shop in 1921 crafting, manufacturing and selling leather goods and luggage in his native town of Florence. By 1938 Gucci opened their first retail shop on the Via Condotti in Rome. By this time Gucci had developed a great skill for designing refined leather goods and started to branch out by making gloves, trunks, belts and shoes, his style had now begun to be noticed by an international market.

In the 1940’s Gucci designed a leather bag with bamboo handles, due to the shortage of materials during the difficult years of a fascist dictatorship in Italy. The Bamboo handle bag became an iconic symbol for Gucci and is still available today. In the 1950’s Gucci’s trademark green and red symbol which was derived from the saddle girth, was recognised worldwide with retail stores in New York and Milan. In 1953 Guccio Gucci passed away and his family took the label to greater heights opening stores in Paris, Beverly Hills, London, Palm Beach, and Tokyo. By the 1960’s Gucci became well-known amongst the rich and famous, stars such as Audrey Hepburn were seen wearing the famous shoulder bag and Jackie Kennedy was photographed wearing the Gucci shoulder bag that led to it being called the ‘Jackie O’. Gucci also designed a beautiful floral silk printed scarf for Grace Kelly. During the mid 1960’s the legendary interlocking G’s logo was designed.

By the 1990’s, Tom Ford became Gucci’s new executive head designer innovating the classic designs and commanded a varied line of products including leather fashions, perfumes, colognes, cosmetics, sunglasses, shoes, accessories and watches. By 1995 Gucci becomes a public company and was named ‘European Company of the Year’ by 1998. In 2005 Gucci began a partnership with UNICEF. In 2006 Gucci’s head creative designer reintroduced the rich heritage and its unrivalled craftsmanship by reinventing classic designs such as the Grace Kelly scarf and the bamboo bag.

Gucci have designed many popular fragrances. Many well-liked and well-known perfumes and colognes, some include Envy by Gucci Perfume was created in 1997, Gucci Rush was created in 1999 and the most recent Gucci by Gucci Pour homme.

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