You probably know the famous Gucci perfumes or Gucci bags. But do you know Guccio Gucci as an entrepreneur?

The Gucci family became famous not only for its success in the business world, but also for personal dramas - stories of ups and downs, Italian passions and family curses.

These personalities are so interesting that a director like Martin Scorsese decided to immortalize them in his film.

Florence gave the world a creator whose success story still amazes everyone.

Guccio Gucci founder Gucci houses(English) House of Gucci- Italian fashion house, manufacturer of clothing, perfumes, accessories and textiles).

His father specialized in the production of straw hats, following in his footsteps, his son decided to start his own business and opened a workshop for the production of harnesses for horses.

However, the first attempt at writing did not bring success, and because of quarrels with his father, the guy decided to leave the country altogether.

Having settled in London, the guy gave about ten years of his life to work at the hotel " Savoy“But not in vain.

Here he watched the rich and their quirks, that's how the idea came up to create an accessory that would emphasize the status of its owner.

Photo 1. From horse harness to high fashion

Upon returning to Italy, Gucci married and opened his own business, with 30 thousand lire earned in England.

So the production of horse harness, clothes for jockeys, suitcases was opened. Soon the entrepreneur decided to open a company store of his products.

What was the highlight of Gucci products?

First of all, all products were made exclusively from leather, and only then should we pay tribute to the quality of products, as well as the sophistication that was inherent in medieval craftsmen.

All riders appreciated the quality of its products, so the company gained popularity throughout Europe. But the company's success did not stop there.

In many decisions and issues, the children of Gucci himself began to take part.

It is worth paying tribute to the eldest son Aldo, who developed the brand name - two intertwined letters G.

Photo 2. Gucci brand logo

The workshop expands and begins to produce not only handbags, suitcases, but also gloves.

Photo 3. Gucci boutique

Via Condotti- This is the most prestigious street in Rome, where the Gucci boutique first appeared.

Such success may make your head spin, but this is not about him. Even before the war, the company prospered, creating accessories for the "golden" youth.

In just a few years, Gucci stores had already spread throughout Italy. Silk scarves, ties and watches are all the ideas of Gucci's eldest son, who successfully expanded the company's range.

Thanks to the same son, a bag with a bamboo handle appeared in the world, which made it possible to solve the problem of a shortage of leather in wartime.

Grace Jacqueline and Kelly Kennedy highly appreciated this accessory.

Gucci ( Gucci) - this is the first European company that dared to go overseas and even fashionistas in fashion could not resist the luxury of its products. New York.

The name Gucci has been a symbol of luxury, wealth and sophistication for several decades. Stylish accessories, watches and jewelry from Gucci are always in demand and embody a combination of classic ideas of beauty and fashion with modern fantasies of lovers of extravagance. Gucci is the preservation of the best traditions and the embodiment of the most daring decisions, it is a variety of styles from everyday to solemn, it is a standard of impeccable taste recognized all over the world.
The history of the Gucci house dates back to the 19th century from a modest Italian straw hat maker who would soon become the father of the famous Guccio Gucci, the founder of the company. Guccio also began with a very simple craft - with the production of horse harness, and his workshop, in which this harness was produced, received the historical name "House of Gucci". Unfortunately, the business turned out to be unprofitable, and Guccio left him, moving to London, where he worked for a long time in a hotel: as a porter, a bellhop, then an elevator operator ... It was there that the observant guy noticed how much his luggage says about a person: the appearance and quality of bags, suitcases and suitcases can always be assumed social status person and his wealth. It was then that Guccio came up with the idea of ​​​​producing exquisite leather products - stylish, emphasizing the wealth and respectability of the owner.
For ten years of work at the hotel, Guccio managed to save up a certain amount, which was enough to open a new workshop. To implement this idea, Guccio returned to his homeland, to Italy, where he began to produce Leather Products- in addition to the already tested horse harness, he produces leather clothes for jockeys and travel suitcases. By investing maximum skill and talent in his products, Guccio has achieved the highest quality products. He took only the best raw materials and created truly valuable things from them, which he then sold in his own store, opened at the workshop. They started talking about Gucci, first in the circle of fans of horse racing and hippodromes (by that time all jockeys already preferred to perform in Gucci suits), then more widely, and now the fame of him began to spread with great speed throughout Italy, and then throughout Europe.
Production expands and turns into a small factory. Guccio attracts his already grown sons to work. One of them, Aldo, in 1933 comes up with a trademark - a symbol in the form of an interlacing of two letters G. The Gucci house begins producing original accessories: handbags, gloves, travel trunks, ties, silk scarves, and then watches. Business is booming, Gucci stores are opening all over Italy.
The war turned out to be a great disaster, but for Guccio Gucci it did not become an obstacle, but rather opened up new horizons. Due to interruptions in the supply of leather raw materials, flax, hemp, jute and bamboo began to be used as the material for bags, products made from these materials began to enjoy unprecedented success with buyers.

In 1947, a small leather handbag with a bamboo handle appeared, which made a splash (such famous ladies as Ingrid Bergman and Jacqueline Kennedy adored this model).

famous actress Grace Kelly just fell in love with the creation of Gucci. For a long time she was the face of the brand, and when she became the Princess of Monaco, she appointed Gucci as the official supplier of the princely court.
After the war, Aldo Gucci went to conquer America and achieved rapid success in this - already in 1953, the first Gucci store opened on Fifth Avenue in New York.

In the history of almost every popular global brand, there comes a moment of decision to release jewelry. Gucci did not escape this, to the great delight of its fans. The first jewelry collection from Gucci was released in the early 70s and was received with great enthusiasm.
Being a real Italian family, literally and figuratively, the Gucci often went through very turbulent times. Intrigues, division of business shares, quarrels, ups and downs, curses and even mystical accidents - all these numerous events picturesquely decorate the history of the company. The most difficult period fell on the 80-90s, when the Gucci House began to sharply lose its positions. The situation was saved by a talented designer Tom Ford, who was not a member of the family, but was hired to strengthen the position of the company. Ford did a brilliant job, practically resurrecting Gucci's high global status. It is he who brings back the gone fashion for gold jewelry, creating new collections of jewelry, as well as an autumn-winter collection of clothes, sparkling with numerous buckles, clasps, brooches and pendants made of gold metal. In addition, Ford owns the development of universal suits for business people - stylish, incredibly comfortable and at the same time amazingly sexy, which are given additional charm by gold accessories. Thus, in 1997, the Gucci jewelry line began a second life, which does not stop to this day, although nowadays not a single member of the family, the descendants of the famous Guccio Gucci, remains at the helm of the Gucci Fashion House. Gucci jewelers and designers unpredictable. They "play" with precious stones, framing them in white and yellow gold, use bright and bold trends to create unique collections that are distinguished by the characteristic style of Gucci.

In 2010, the podium for the demonstration jewelry Gucci became the 63rd Cannes Film Festival. At the evening dedicated to the opening of the festival, a luxurious collection of nine pieces of jewelry was presented, each of which was a masterpiece of jewelry art. Salma Hayek and Jennifer Lopez were the first models to demonstrate these magnificent pieces of handmade work by the best Italian craftsmen. A distinctive feature of expensive Gucci jewelry is their unobtrusiveness. They fit perfectly into any image, give it completeness and charm. Gucci products are designed for wealthy people with ample opportunities. They embodied not only high quality and impeccable form, but also a special style - prosperity and restraint, bright individuality and classical traditions.
Despite the fact that the Gucci Group is no longer just a family business, but is a corporation with a wide network of stores, which includes trade marks Roger & Gallet, Stella McCartney, Bedat & Co., Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen and others, Gucci's unique creations continue to lead the lists of the most fashionable and sought-after products, and the brand's style continues to be one of the most recognizable in the world. The most famous regular customers of Gucci: Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor, Jennifer Lopez, Tom Hanks, Sting.
In 10 years, the House of Gucci will celebrate its centenary. The venerable age of the company does not detract from the value of its design developments, which are still distinguished by freshness and novelty, combined with a clear adherence to their own style. Jewelry from Gucci jewelers can be safely called ideal, and this is by no means an exaggeration. Whatever material is used by the craftsmen: gold or silver, diamonds or even an ornamental stone, the result is invariably amazing.
The House of Gucci offers its customers all kinds of jewelry: rings, bracelets, pendants, earrings and cufflinks for both men and women. Each collection of products has its own unique flavor, especially memorable developments are the lines: "bamboo", "safari", "military", "hi-tech".
Men's collections are worth mentioning separately. The modest splendor of men's bracelets, cufflinks and pendants is intended for those who can afford a lot, but prefer to communicate it in a dignified and polite manner. One example of the inimitable art of Gucci designers is men's collection 2007, in which the combination of silver and ebony elements has found a bizarre harmony. Unsurpassed audacity is one of the main qualities of Gucci jewelry, regardless of whether they are feminine or masculine.
Without Gucci jewelry, the world would be a paler place, that's for sure. A famous statement says that every fifth person in the world wants to wear something from Gucci. It is possible that this figure is greatly underestimated ...

The Italian Guccio Gucci founded the fashion house in 1921. Returning from London, where Guccio worked as a porter, bellboy and elevator operator at the legendary Savoy Hotel, he brought with him memories of the excellent suitcases and bags that he carried for ten years with the hotel's guests. Combining the manners of English sewing with handmade Florentine artisans, he opened a small atelier and shop in Florence, on Via della Vigna Nuova, in which he sold horse ammunition, riding boots and suitcases. True, Guccio did not sew his products from such expensive materials as he saw in London, but thanks to special techniques for dyeing and processing leather, he achieved no worse results. Gucci soon succeeded in his business: riders wanted to perform only in Gucci equipment, and film stars and the richest women in Europe traveled with luggage adorned with a pair of golden G letters intertwined.

Nearly 100 years have passed since the founding of the house and until the last show in Milan. Within the walls of the fashion house, there must have been a thousand scandals, several creative directors have changed, hundreds of thousands of ingenious sketches and perfume compositions have been created, and members of the Gucci family managed to quarrel, make peace and quarrel among themselves again, get rich, go bankrupt and once again rise to the top of fashion , and also sell shares of the house to François-Henri Pinault, the owner of the French luxury conglomerate Kering. Today we understand how the main symbols of the Gucci house appeared and changed.

A tiny porter with a bag in one hand and a suitcase in the other is the first emblem that flaunted on all Gucci products without exception. Displaced by silver and gold, it kept the memory of the fateful Savoy Hotel. When Aldo, the eldest son of Guccio, grew up, he immediately joined the business. It was he who outlined the logo of the fashion house known to everyone today: two golden letters G intertwined with each other - the proud initials of Guccio Gucci.

During the Second World War, the company risked losing important supplies of materials from Germany, so Guccio had to purchase calfskin in Florence, known as cusio grasso - " rich skin", which was significantly overpriced. Gucci understood that now he was forced to use such material more economically, so he went in search of Italian suppliers of linen and Neapolitan hemp, with which he planned to replace the skin. This is how the famous dark brown rhombus geometric print appeared, Embossed on tan canvas, it soon covered the suitcases and bags that made the house famous all over the world, and Guccio hardly thought that such a decision would define the history of his brand.

Today, these two elements continue to live and reign in Gucci design. Alessandro Michele, creative director of the house since 2015, still decorates belts, bags, gloves, headbands and shoes with them, and not so long ago, last year, ironically over fakes, he completely painted scarves with the wrong brand name - GUCCY. A year earlier, Michele invited graffiti artist Trevor Andrew, known under the pseudonym GucciGhost, to his studio and sprayed almost the entire autumn-winter collection with spray cans, and Andrew's "rhombuses" flowed like stains from paint over all sweatshirts and t-shirts.

A Gucci silk scarf embellished with a floral pattern by artist Vittorio Accornero was made as a gift to Grace Kelly in 1966. The Princess of Monaco and her husband went to the boutique for the Bamboo bag, which everyone was talking about then. There they were met by Rudolfo Gucci, the son of the founder of the fashion house, and invited Grace to choose any product of her choice. She wanted a handkerchief, but none of the ones in the shop were to her liking. So, the next day, Accornero drew a new sketch of a scarf painted with bizarre plants - Flora.

During Grace's public appearances, the drawing attracted so much attention that they decided to apply it to other Gucci items - dresses, bags and blouses. And half a century later, Frida Giannini, the predecessor of Alessandro Michele, remembered the Flora drawing and again dedicated the collection to him. She did the same with Bamboo bags, dressing them in all sorts of exotic leathers and painting them in intriguing colors - from rich amethyst to discreet khaki.

After the Second World War, Europe experienced a crisis of values ​​and economy. By coincidence and the ingenious entrepreneurial talent of Guccio and Aldo, in 1947 Gucci introduced the Bamboo bag to society. From all the bags on the market, it was distinguished by a handle made from a bamboo whip. Firstly, such a technique made it possible to save expensive and almost inaccessible leather and wood, and secondly, it extended the life of the bag: a bamboo handle is much more difficult to erase than a leather one.

In 2017, Bamboo turned 70 years old and, in honor of the anniversary of Alessandro Michele, released an updated collection of bags. To create new models, the designer turned to snake and crocodile skin, and replaced the classic bamboo clasps with figures of butterflies and tiger heads.

If under Frida Giannini and before her, animals appeared in the Gucci collections, then mostly insects: butterflies fluttering from scarf to scarf and buzzing bees are a sign of nobility in Europe. With the advent of Michele, everything changed: he seemed to know that millennials and centennials would grow up as ardent animal rights activists and would worship cats. Since the revolutionary 2015, bags, shoes, small accessories, almost every item from the collections, and even advertising campaigns, have become a zoo. Cats and dogs, zebras and tigers and snakes coexist peacefully on the products. fairy dragons and birds, and on the set, giraffes walk together with leopards.

Michele draws his ideas from the world around him, watching young people and what is happening in his Everyday life. In 2017, for example, before the New Year - the Yellow Dog by Chinese calendar— the designer released a collection entirely dedicated to dogs, and drew their images from his pets — Boston Terriers Orso and Bosco.

A separate place in the new aesthetics of Gucci is occupied by royal snakes - coral snakes - without which no collection can do now. They crawl on backpacks, sweatshirts, sneakers and even evening dresses, embroidered with flowers and insects.

DNA: on a par with Louis Vuitton Gucci are famous for their accessories. Until now, Gucci is primarily bags, only then clothes. Almost all leather goods are with a company logo and / or red-green stripes. The design is always classic - no unnecessary details, infantile prints and catchy colors. When it comes to clothing, Gucci does not and never has its own style - the collections have always changed very much under the influence of trends and the vision of the creative director. This, however, did not and does not prevent the brand from creating really worthy things.

Range: men's, women's, children's clothing, footwear, accessories, jewelry. Recently, and unsurprisingly, the brand has made a significant emphasis on the aesthetics of the 1970s - releasing short dresses A-line and pleated skirts below the knee. Floral print is almost everywhere.

Price policy: bags cost from 800 to 4 thousand dollars, a jumper will cost 1.5 thousand dollars, moccasins or loafers - 900 dollars, a scarf - 500 dollars, a skirt - 2 thousand dollars, a dress - 2.5 thousand dollars.

Story: Florentine Guccio Gucci opened his workshop for the production of saddles, riding boots and suitcases in 1904, inspired by the design of the luggage of the guests of the Savoy Hotel, where he worked as a waiter. The company was a steady success until the death of Guccio Gucci in 1953. During this period, the famous bag with bamboo handles, fabric with a pattern of interlaced ribbons and suede moccasins with metal fasteners - all can now be seen in the Gucci Museum in Florence.

The entire subsequent history of the company until 2001 is a serial series with numerous family conflicts, stories of betrayal and bad business decisions, an endless struggle for a controlling stake, accusations of each other in financial fraud and even one murder.

During this period, the company's logo appeared (the interlaced letters GG), the shoulder bag made famous by Jackie Kennedy, the famous Flora silk scarf designed by Grace Kelly. This scarf is still produced in a limited edition, each copy is drawn by hand. The company has also survived several major crises. One (1980s) - due to the launch of small accessories, which greatly influenced the percentage of sales of exclusive products. The brand began to be associated with cheap trifles - this was a strong blow to the brand's positioning. The second crisis (1990s) occurred due to the limited sales of these same accessories.

One way or another, the company pulled through. Largely thanks to Tom Ford, who is responsible for the rebranding of the brand. Ford began to produce very revealing clothes and put a strong emphasis on sex in advertising campaigns. Often it bordered on vulgarity, but it turned out to be very popular in the 2000s. In addition, he significantly increased the value of prêt-a-porter clothing - in general, he became an important figure not only in the history of Gucci, but in general in the history of fashion. Today, Gucci is the second largest manufacturing company in terms of sales after LVMH.

Collection women's clothing from Gucci, Milan fashion week
(collection spring-summer 2013)