THE HISTORY OF GUCCI

Gucci was founded by the son of an Italian leather goods maker, Guccio Gucci. However impactful the brand Gucci founded became, it had not always been Guccio's goal to found Gucci. Guccio had originally not wanted to follow in his father's footsteps, and as such, he explored different countries in Europe, working as waiters and concierges and such. One suche exploration landed Guccio working as a porter in a high-end hotel in London. As expected, with high-profile guests, Guccio was exposed to many flamboyant luggages from all over the world. This inspired him to return to Florence, finding work for a luggage brand. Shortly after, Gucci's first store was opened in 1921 in Florence.

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When Gucci started out, many of his designs were inspired by and meant for horse-racing. This founding impact is one that has lasted through today, with the classic horse bit detailing on various bags and shoes, as well as the iconic red and green woven stripe, which was inspired by horse saddles. In spite of this very specific field of choice, however, Gucci quickly gained a reputation for its craftsmanship and quickly started showcasing its designs all over the outfits of notorious figures.

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In the mid-1930s, Gucci had to start experimenting with materials outside of leather as a result of an embargo against Italy. This ultimately resulted in a special woven hemp creating the signature Gucci pattern of dark brown diamonds on a tan backdrop. It was also around this time that Guccio had his three sons, Aldo, Rodolfo, and Vasco, join him in his business to help expand on its success.

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Gucci continued its expansion as it opened its first store in Milan in 1951, and two years later, in 1953, Gucci moved to America, opening its first store in New York City. Two weeks later, however, this major milestone was followed by Guccio Gucci's passing.

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Despite the tragedy, Gucci flourished for the next decade in the states, with many high-profile celebrities carrying Gucci's symbol around. Jacqueline Kennedy was one of these notorious people, and the bag she was often seen frequenting was consequently given the name, "The Jackie."

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As Gucci started to expand to Tokyo and Hong Kong in the mid-1970s, the golden period of success took a downward turn. The three brothers were constantly fighting, and Rodolfo's son took over Aldo's place in the company. Ultimately, this led the brand near bankruptcy.

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In attempts to remedy the situation, Dawn Mello from Bergdorf Goodman was brought in as the new creative director. She reintroduced the classic loafer in multiple colors, but that was about as impactful as she was. After she returned to Bergdorf Goodman in 1994, Tom Ford became Gucci's true hero. Ford mixed Gucci's branding with sex appeal through the form of slip dresses and stilettos; this concept was unparalleled by other high-end designers as the time, and gave Gucci a distinct flavor in the mouths of consumers--enough so that Gucci gained value to become worth ten billion.

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Ford left in 2004 after some disputes with Gucci's agency, but soon after, Frida Giannini took over. Giannini moved away from the sex appeal that Gucci had to instead focus on the distinct branding that makes Gucci recognizable. That is, she revamped the GG logo and the red and green stripe, icons of that sort. This approach was successful for a while, but eventually stopped drawing interest or adding anything novel to Gucci, and Giannini was laid off.

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All of this leads us to the present, with the latest creative director Alessandro Michele, who was instated in 2015 and continues to impact and refine Gucci's image.