In honor of the recent release of the House of Gucci movie, it’s only right to do a deep dive into the history of one of the most highly renowned luxury fashion houses in the history of the world. The movie stars Lady Gaga, playing Patrizia Reggiani, based on the true story of the murder of her divorced husband: Mauricio Gucci. While the movie has a plot of its own, this post will detail the roadmap for the famous fashion house and its impact on the world of fashion.
Gucci is an Italian fashion and leather goods brand currently owned by the French company, Kering. Gucci operates nearly 300 directly operated stores worldwide.
The founder, Guccio Gucci, was inspired to create the brand in 1897 when working as a bellboy at the prestigious Savoy hotel. Seeing the luxury suitcases and trunks carried by the hotel guests, he shaped the brand around the pastimes of the aristocrats (like horseback riding), creating the brand’s signature horse-bit decorative element.
The brand was officially founded in Florence in 1921, specializing in equestrian accessories. The first successful launch and print of suitcases were crafted by a special formulation of hemp marked by a pattern of small, dark brown interconnecting diamonds on a tan background.
Guccio Gucci and his wife, Aida, had three children: Aldo, Vasco, and Rodolfo. Rodolfo opened the first Milan store in 1951.
Aldo introduced pigskin, which became a signature house material. He opened the first Gucci store in America in NYC in 1953. That same year, Guccio Gucci died, and the Gucci loafer with the metal horse-bit was created. It is now a permanent piece in the metropolitan museum of art in NYC. The house’s crest was then trademarked in 1955.
The Gucci Logo
Aldo, who took over the store when Guccio Gucci died, brought the iconic double G logo to life. The logo was supposedly created to represent Guccio Gucci’s name, which displays two linked G’s, like the links of a bracelet. In rare instances, alternate logos have been used, like a knight logo used for a short time in the 1950s. Today, Gucci is one of the longest-standing brands to continue using the same logo without major changes, making products from the past just as sought after as those made today.
The official Gucci logo color scheme consists of red and green stripes with gold double G’s in the middle. Now, the Gucci color scheme is widely accepted as a stamp of luxury, finding its way onto countless numbers of products like slides and sneakers.
While Gucci started as a luxury brand for leather and home goods, it expanded to clothing and accessories, featuring the double G logo on its clothing in the 60s.
The store started gaining attention from American celebrities a few short years after the opening of the New York store- aiding the brand’s uphill claim to fame. “The Jackie” bag worn in public by Jacqueline Kennedy also brought a lot of attention and recognition to the brand, as did the “Gucci Flora” print scarf that Rodolfo made in honor of Grace Kelly.
The golden era of Gucci soon fizzled out due to internal family politics but was ultimately rekindled through the rebranding done by Tom Ford who designed the women’s RTW clothing collections and was appointed creative director in 1994.
In 2015, Allesandro Michelle was appointed creative director. He has been quite successful in increasing revenue and relevancy of the House of Gucci in recent years, seeing incredible success in rebranding to cater to a younger millennial audience to stay relevant and up to date with the current generation on the rise at the time. Gucci is considered a highly sought-after brand in the world of fashion.
The brand expels prestige for several reasons, including its material choices, rare elements of a design created by top-tier designers, and its quality of production, creating its highly sought-after clothing and accessories. The goal from the beginning was to target the upper class, creating a distinguished line of products that relished in quality and prestige. This idea still rings true today, with the likes of celebrities and other wealthy people still purchasing from Gucci.
If the exciting history of Gucci brings you any amount of interest, then you’re probably excited to see the House of Gucci movie. What are your thoughts on the high cost of Gucci’s luxury brand items? Do you have a favorite Gucci product or design? Leave a comment below!
