Italian Guccio Gucci founded a nominal fashion house in 1921. Returning from London, where Guccio worked as a porter, bellhop 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. Soon Gucci 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 from Germany, so Guccio had to buy calfskin in Florence, known as cusio grasso - "rich leather", which was significantly overpriced. Gucci realized 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. Thus was born the famous dark brown geometric "diamond" print embossed on tan canvas, and it soon covered the suitcases and bags that made the house famous all over the world. And it is unlikely that Guccio thought that such a decision would determine 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 coexist peacefully with dogs, zebras with tigers and snakes with fabulous dragons and birds coexist peacefully on the products, 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 daily life. In 2017, for example, before the New Year of the Yellow Dog according to the Chinese calendar, the designer released a collection entirely dedicated to dogs, and drew their images from his pets, the 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.

Gucci is a world famous fashion house of Italian origin, specializing in the production of premium footwear, clothing, textiles, cosmetics and accessories. Today, the brand is part of the multinational retailer Kering. It is considered the second largest label in terms of total sales after LVMH (Moët Hennessy - Louis Vuitton).

The man who started it all...

The history of Gucci begins with one man - Guccio Gucci. He was born in (Firenze) in 1881 in a simple family of Italian artisans.

The father of the future fashion designer was engaged in the production and sale of elite ladies' hats, which allowed little Guccio from an early age to get involved in a variety of techniques and technologies for processing materials, to learn the secrets of sewing.

When young man turns 23, he decides to start his own business and thereby free himself from the constant lectures and moralizing of his father. So, in 1904, a workshop specializing in the production of horse harness appears in Florence, it gets the name "House of Gucci". However, the young and inexperienced Guccio fails to normalize the business, and soon he has to close the shop due to accumulated debts.

• Note to shopaholic tourist: The Gucci Museum in Florence is located at Piazza della Signoria, 10. Official website www.guccimuseo.com

Constant skirmishes and conflicts with his father do not allow him to return back to the family workshop, and after another big quarrel Gucci Jr. leaves his native Italy and goes to London.

Cold and stiff England meets the inquisitive and temperamental Italian not too cordially: the only job Guccio Gucci manages to get is as a porter at the luxury hotel The Savoy. However, despite all its inhospitability, it was Great Britain that awakened in a man those qualities and inclinations that later helped him create his own fashion house, which conquered not only Italy, but the whole world.

Watching the guests of the hotel, the future designer notices the various features of rich people, their desires, needs, habits. All this gives rise to the idea of ​​creating his own company in his head, which would produce bags and bags of premium quality.

It is the years of hard and monotonous work of a porter that help Gucci realize what an important role his luggage plays in a person's life. So, according to the traveler's bag, you can literally determine all its components: from a sense of style to belonging to a particular social stratum.

Foremen at the Savoy Hotel for more than ten years, Guccio Gucci could only rise to the position of a waiter in the restaurant of the same hotel. However, even such unpresentable types of work allowed the Italian to accumulate an amount of 30,000 lire, which in his native Florence was considered a real fortune. In 1921, being fired from the Savoy, Guccio decides to return to Italy in order to open a new company in it.

Return to Italy

Life's difficulties and turmoil that haunted Guccio Gucci in England not only did not break him, but, on the contrary, tempered him, having developed a unique sense of style and grace.

So, in 1922, upon returning to Florence, the Italian opens his second enterprise - a company for the production of luxury goods made of genuine leather.

This time, luck smiles at the entrepreneur, and his business begins to bear its first fruits. The shop originally featured products such as jockey suits and harnesses, as well as bags, valise bags and suitcases.

Gucci equestrian equipment, made exclusively from natural and high-quality materials, quickly won the love and recognition of equestrians who choose such outfits for important competitions. Thanks to the production of these products, rumors about the brand are gradually beginning to spread throughout Europe.

Also, in the period from the mid-20s of the last century, the growing sons of Guccio began to join the family business, and the first-born Aldo showed particular interest in the fate of the company. It was he who in 1933 came up with a unique corporate logo for the fashion house, which is an interlacing of the letters G and G - the initials of Guccio Gucci.

By 1937, the amateur family shop-workshop gradually grew to the scale of a small factory, which made it possible to organize mass production of handbags, reticules and gloves. Things are going so well for Gucci that in 1938, on one of the most famous and oldest streets, Via dei Condotti (Via Condotti), the grand opening of the first brand boutique of the brand takes place.

Then retail outlets begin to appear in large numbers in various cities of Italy, and in 1953 the official Gucci store opens in the USA in New York in the prestigious Manhattan area on Fifth Avenue. Thus, the young Italian company becomes known all over the world.

The fate of the brand after the death of its creator

In 1953, the founder of the company, Guccio Gucci, passed away, and the responsibility for the future fate of the brand fell on the shoulders of his eldest sons, Aldo and Rodolfo. According to the father's will, each of them receives 50% of the company's shares and the right to sign. Aldo soon decides to move to the United States in order to further expand the family business, while Rodolfo remains in his homeland and continues to control domestic production and sale of goods.

Almost immediately after his departure from Italy, in the 1950s, Aldo opened a network of new Gucci stores, dispersed in countries such as the United States, France and England. A decade later, thanks to the efforts of a young Italian, brand outlets begin to appear in China and Japan.

It is the 50-70s of the last century that are especially significant for the fashion house, since the style features of Gucci were laid during this period.

• So, in 1947, a legendary handbag with bamboo handles was created, then there are the first images of Gucci's signature striped braid, now present in the design of almost all the models produced by the brand.
• In the 1960s, the first full-fledged lines in the history of the company are launched. women's clothing and perfumery, then, on the public, the famous moccasins are shown, in which metal elements were used for the first time.
• In 1972, Aldo signs a contract with the major American label American Motors, which is beneficial for the company. According to the terms of the agreement, the designers and fashion designers of the brand were to develop unique configurations for the Hornet car.

Gucci is gradually turning into a world famous fashion house, whose fans are the main stars and celebrities of the time (Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor and many others).

At the end of the 70s of the last century, in 1977, Aldo's son, Paolo, suddenly appeared at the helm of the company. He becomes vice-president of the fashion house, and also takes full responsibility for its division - Gucci Parfums.

Due to the weakened attention of another son of Guccio Gucci, Rodolfo, almost all power is concentrated in the hands of Aldo and his family members, while Rodolfo himself has only a 20% stake.

A crisis

The end of the 1970s is considered the beginning of a protracted crisis period for the brand. This is led to by a series of wrong decisions from a strategic and commercial point of view, which were made by the owners of the label of that time - Paolo and Rodolfo. Heated family feuds and conflicts only exacerbated the situation.

So, in 1979, Paolo and Aldo Gucci launched a new line, the Gucci Accessories Collection, to support Gucci Parfums. The offered goods were distinguished by their low cost relative to the rest of the brand's products (shoes, cosmetics, bags, clothes).

Very quickly, Gucci accessories turn from a symbol of luxury and elegance into small cheap knick-knacks that almost every second person owns. “Airport gooey brand” is how Graydon Carter, editor-in-chief of the popular Vanity Fair fashion magazine, characterizes the once-successful fashion house in the early 1980s.

The deplorable situation of Gucci began to improve only towards the end of the 1990s and early 2000s, when a young aspiring designer Tom Ford joined the firm. It is he who marks the era of the company's revival, creating unique collections that amaze with their simplicity, but at the same time sophistication.

Gucci renaissance

In 2003, the company was miraculously saved from impending bankruptcy. Tom Ford's final show, featuring the designer's latest collection, designed in collaboration with the fashion house, brought Gucci back to its former glory. The presented clothes were distinguished by simplicity of texture, unusual for the label, as well as minimalism in details. The models demonstrating the collection were dressed in strict dresses of a simple style and silhouette and more resembled not the stars of the fashion industry, but actresses of silent films.

Also, the company benefited from the sensational news of the departure of Tom Ford from his post. creative director brand. The announcement came just days after last Milan Fashion Week, which provided the company with huge sales.

After Ford left the Gucci Group, the company's board of directors decided to extend the contract of Alessandro Facchinetti and Frida Giannini, designers who worked under the former creative director.

In 2006, Facchinetti, then creative director of the women's line, designed a new collection "Spring-Summer 2006", which was rich and bright colors, unusual and bold prints. The collection was the first since Ford's departure to be highly acclaimed by critics and shoppers alike, and received accolades from leading fashion publications.

Gucci today

To date, the latest released collection of the brand is "Autumn-Winter 2017". Her presentation took place at the last fashion week in Milan. The young creative designer Alessandro Michele, who replaced Frida Gianni as director and ideological inspirer, was the creator of the women's clothing line.

Clothing for the autumn-winter show is characterized by a riot of colors, colors and materials. To create wardrobe attributes, a wide variety of fabrics and textures were used, great attention was paid to small details: buttons, collars, cufflinks, etc. Texture is the key leitmotif of the collection.

It is difficult to trace any one stylistic idea in the presented images. Models defiled along the catwalk in light chiffon dresses made in romantic style, and in full of rhinestones and sequins trouser suits, from which a mile away blows "Hollywood" chic, glamour. Almost all things new collection had bright and eye-catching applications, stripes, brooches or prints of rhinestones and precious stones. Simple strict suits with elongated jackets in rather cold shades were slightly out of the general mass.

As for shoes, almost all models were distinguished by such an interesting detail as natural pearls incorporated into the heel. Traditionally, several new versions of classic loffer shoes and moccasins were demonstrated, the absolute opening of the show was high over the knee boots with stilettos or thick heels.

You can shop for Gucci products in the Italian fashion capital at Via Montenapoleone, 5.

In Russia, the brand's boutiques are open in the following cities:

• Moscow (5 stores);
• Sochi (1 store);
• Nizhny Novgorod (1 store);
• St. Petersburg (1 store);
• Yekaterinburg (1 store);
• Samara (1 store);

1. Famous Hollywood actress, Grace Kelly, was a big fan of the legendary Gucci Flora scarf.
2. For the first lady of the United States, Jackie Kennedy, the designers of the fashion house created a handbag Jackie O.
3. Currently, the Gucci Group includes a number of world-famous brands, among them: Yves Saint Laurent, Sergio Rossi, Oscar de la Renta, Roger & Gallet, Stella McCartney, Alexander McQueen and others.
4. The brand headquarters are located in 4 countries: Italy (Florence), France (Paris), Great Britain (London), USA (New York).
5. Fashion houses are actively involved in charity work. So, in 2013, a new charity project "Chime for Change" was founded.

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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 we should 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 legendary fashion house was created by Guccio Gucci in 1921 in Italy. For almost a century of history, the brand has undergone many changes, the world's most talented designers were at the helm - Tom Ford, Alessandro Michele, Frida Giannini - all this created the Gucci that millions of buyers around the world know and love.

In 2015, Alessandro Michele became the creative director of the company, who formed a really bright and bold brand image and managed to organically weave the most recognizable elements of the brand into his own concept.

From collection to collection on the catwalks, iconic interlaced metal details reminiscent of stirrups (a reference to the "cowboy past"), the signature "flora" print, which was so loved by Princess Grace Kelly of Monaco, the iconic ruby ​​red and emerald cotton braid and bags with bamboo Jackie O handles. Acquainted with latest collection of the legendary brand Gucci can be found on the official website of Intermoda.

Eccentricity and philosophy

"New Gucci" relies on self-irony and originality, thus attracting buyers. Sandals that the brand offers to wear over tights, awkward pillbox hats, strangely shaped glasses, deliberately massive earrings - Alessandro Michele ridicules all the rules of elegance and creates new, no less effective ones. Buy bold products from worldwide famous brand Gucci You can in our online store.

The course towards retro, taken by the brand in 2015, is still one of the main sources of inspiration for Michele. The motif of the "Alchemist's Garden" and its inhabitants, as if descended from the pages of biology textbooks - branded bees, dragonflies, scarab beetles and butterflies - can be traced in each collection and is filled with philosophical meaning. Behind the bright printed prints are reflections on life and death in the spirit of Japanese philosophy.

Irony and intelligence

The 2019 Gucci collection, which is already presented on the official website of Intermoda, continued the theme of the Alchemist's gardens - golden prints of insect images and a new interpretation of the "flora" print, bright floral embroideries and rich colors. For tailoring models, both fabrics with a rich texture were chosen - velvet, dense denim, as well as weightless silk and viscose contrasting with them.

Women's coats and kimonos fitted silhouette, black and white joggers, A-line dresses combined with crystal rhinestone trim, branded scarves with floral patterns - the line combines trends and eras, while remaining harmonious.

Signature elements successfully complement the new trends - ruby-emerald braid echoes the garden's gamut, bamboo bag handles support the naturalistic direction. Metal "cowboy" elements become a stylish detail classic models- bags and shoes business style. You can get acquainted with the 2019 collection from Gucci and purchase products with original details in our online store.

10 chose

The famous Italian fashion house in 2015 began a new phase. At this stage, Gucci has a very unexpected new creative director, Alessandro Michele. He was allowed to redesign the collection of the previous creative director, Frida Giannini. And he did it in a matter of days, showing in a week male fashion already his version of Gucci. This rarely happens: get an assignment and immediately show the collection. In his men's winter 2015/16, there is a lot of respectable retro and hipster style, flirting with gender. While we are looking forward to what the women's collection will be like, let's remember the main symbols of this great fashion house...

Red-green stripes

Web strips appeared in the 50s. They demonstrate the brand's connection to equestrianism (where the brand came from).

In 1972, one of the first cars to which a fashion designer had a hand was born: the Hornet was branded inside, green and red.

However, these stripes did not seem branded to everyone. Years of legal battle between Gucci and American brand Guess ended in favor of the latter. According to the ruling of the Milan court, neither the image of the stripes nor the letter G is an exclusive trademark.

Stirrup detail

Horsebit is another hello from the equestrian past of the brand. This detail was also born in the 50s. You can see it on bracelets, watches, bags and bottles…

loafers

Gucci's most famous footwear is the Horsebit loafer. They turned 60 in 2013. They are still the epitome of convenience and style.

Bamboo bag

The iconic bag of the brand was born in 1947. They decided to make the famous bamboo handle in order to prolong the life of the bag (after all, it is the handle that breaks first). In addition, it is very beautiful, especially when the clasp is also bamboo.

Vanessa Redgrave (1966) and Princess Diana (1991) with Gucci bags.

Bamboo, as well as its imitation, often appear in other accessories of the brand. The bags themselves also change over the years.

Jackie O bag

Another bag with history is named after Jacqueline Kennedy, or rather Jacqueline Onassis, or, as she was called, Jackie O.

Flora print

Once Grace Kelly, having come to the brand's boutique in Milan, could not choose a scarf to her taste. Legend has it that illustrator Vittorio Accornero designed the famous flower pattern overnight.