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Did you know Gucci is actually called “The House of Gucci”? – Neither did I!

It is very difficult to try and abbreviate Gucci’s history, but here we go:

Founded 1906 in Florence by Guccio Gucci (?!), Gucci now belongs to the French conglomerate company Pinault-Printemps-Redoute (PPR). It is considered one of the most famous, prestigious, and easily recognizable fashion brands in the world and is the second biggest selling fashion brand after LVMH Moët Hennessy – Louis Vuitton S.A..

In 1938 the business expanded and Guccio who was responsible for designing most of the company’s most famous products opened a boutique in Rome. In 1947, Gucci introduced the bamboo handle handbag, which is still a company mainstay. After Guccio's death in 1953, his son Aldo opened the first boutiques in London, Paris and New York. Gucci targeted the Far East for further expansion in the late 1960s, opening stores in Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Korea. At that time, the company also developed its famous GG logo (Guccio Gucci's initials), the Flora silk scarf (worn prominently by Hollywood actress Grace Kelly), and the Jackie O shoulder bag, made famous by Jackie Kennedy, the wife of U.S. President John F. Kennedy.

Gucci remained one of the premier luxury goods establishments in the world until the late 1970s, when a series of disastrous business decisions and family quarrels brought the company to the verge of bankruptcy. Rodolfo’s death in 1983 caused a major shakeup in the company when he left his 50% stake in Gucci to his son, Maurizio Gucci. A turnaround of the company devised in the late 1980s made Gucci one of the world's most influential fashion houses and a highly profitable business operation.

In the early 1990s, Gucci underwent what is now recognized as the poorest time in the company's history. Maurizio riled distributors, Investcorp shareholders, and executives at Gucci America by drastically reining in on the sales of the Gucci Accessories Collection, which in the United States alone generated $110 million in revenue every year. The company’s new accessories failed to pick up the slack, and for the next three years the company experienced heavy losses and teetered on the edge of bankruptcy. Maurizio was a charming man who passionately loved his family's business, but after four years most of the company's senior managers agreed that he was incapable of running the company. His management had had an adverse effect on the desirability of the brand, product quality, and distribution control. He was forced to sell his shares in the company to Investcorp in August of 1993. Dawn Mello returned to her job at Bergdorf Goodman less than a year after Maurizio’s departure, and the position of creative director went to Tom Ford, then just 32 years old.

After a failed attempt at contract renewal with PPR in 2003, Tom Ford and Domenico de Sole decided to take their leave from Gucci Group.

Following Ford's departure, Gucci Group retained three designers to continue the success of the company's flagship label: Alessandra Facchinetti and Frida Giannini, all of whom had worked under Ford's creative direction. Facchinetti was elevated to Creative Director of Womenswear in 2004 and designed for two seasons before leaving the company after a management dispute. Ray served as Creative Director of Menswear for three years before resigning in January 2006, citing his inability to create a consistent image for Gucci during his time as head designer. 32-year-old Giannini, who had been responsible for designing men's and women's accessories, currently serves as Creative Director for the entire brand. Where will Gucci go from here?

Giannini's collections have departed from Ford's erotic 1990s looks.
Her new collection is much less raunchy than Tom Ford’s design and much more feminine sexy with the handbags apparently fringed and carpet-patterned.

Read about problems with their new collection in this aricle: