Born in 1881, craftsman’s son Guccio Gucci founded the House of Gucci as a saddlery shop in Florence in 1906. Guccio’s first talent was his craftsmanship in leather goods. He started out selling bags to horsemen in the 1920’s and progressed to luxury luggage as his clients graduated from equine transportation to horseless carriages. In 1938 Guccio Gucci opened his first retail shop on Via Condotti in Rome.
The family business, surviving both the depression and World War II, prospered on its use of a distinctively flawed leather called ‘’ cuoio grasso’’, the ruffled surface of which, superimposed with the twin Gs of the family name, became a global sensation in the years after the war.
Unfortunately, a family schism began full of family fights but ironically the company kept growing! Bad publicity wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Celebrities like Jackie O. started making public appearances holding Gucci bags.
But by 1989 nearly 50% of the business had been bought out by Investcorp since Gucci had almost gone bankrupt. Fortunately with Tom Ford now as head designer Gucci name restored its glitz and became more valuable than ever!
Today, 20 years later, Frida Giannini is the creative director of Gucci and during her tenure, Gucci profits have risen around 25%, to an estimated
£660m.
Gucci has just turned 90 and the Gucci Museo in Florence has opened its doors to celebrate it. A new public museum in a 14th-century palazzo in which handbags, coats and jewellery from Gucci archive are on display alongside work by contemporary artists. The museum shows how the brand has outgrown fashion and become a part of culture, being part of the permanent collection of Moma in NY since 1985 or giving its name in a list of songs!!!!
So next time in Florence you know what not to miss!!!
