GUCCI

Guccio Gucci (1881-1953) worked as a hotel attendant as a young man, where he was amazed by the flood of luggage guests were taking with themselves. Originally, he dealt with preparing saddles, which also his shop opened in Florence in 1923 was specialised in. He started to manufacture shoes from 1947, and later he began jewellery making, and at that time he started to use the two interwoven stirrups as the trademark of the company. He was selling classic fine leather clothing, handbags, shoes, and accessories together with his three sons. During World War II. their water-proof canvas bags were branded with a double GG symbol.

In 1947, the still iconic Bamboo canvas bag with bamboo handle was brought to life not by a creative idea, but by necessity, as there was a shortage of leather material during World War II. in Europe. Gucci had worked out a special technology to form the Japanese import bamboo reed without damaging it, which enabled Gucci to use it as a bag handle. The uniqueness of this necessary innovation amazed all fashion-lovers, so since then this bag has been one of the trademarks of this brand.

By the beginning of the 1950’s, thanks to opening its New York shop and the film stars wearing its products on magazine front pages, the Gucci brand had become a status symbol and a luxury brand domineering the whole fashion industry. The flourishing of the following decades was shadowed by family affairs. However, in the 90s a new Creative Director, called Tom Ford arrived to lead the brand, who could literally revive the brand from its ashes, which took off on an unprecedented increase. Under the innovative leadership of current Creative Director Alessandro Michele, the Gucci brand has redefined luxury for the 21st century and further cemented its position as one of the world’s most sought-after fashion houses.