Gucci, Rock Star Of Fashion And Style

By Gary Reed


Wardrobe, ranging from clothes to accessories to shoes and bags has become a way of life for many. You cannot just ignore it, nor live without it. You wear them everyday. Every person somehow nurtures a certain need for looking good. Or at least, looking comfortable but pleasing enough to go outside.

It is sometimes a contradiction. In a good way it is both basic and luxurious. Simple and outrageous. Most of the time, it is a healthy dose of all of them put together, when you think about it. Just as much as how Gucci is all about these things too, while maintaining its high end quality among its now growing contemporaries.

Nevertheless it is well loved, and has always remained so, for many decades. This is often attributed to the fact that its designs are so timeless while innovative, that the famous handbags can be kept for years and passed as a family heirloom. Coming from a store specializing in leather goods, the company has come a long way.

A lot of times, it may even be the first brand name you have heard of as a child. For sure your mother has talked about it at one occasion, maybe more. About their high end bags and sought after shoes, no one can miss it. At least, no woman aware of trends will.

The company and the man responsible for it are considered legends in the business. The rock star of the fashion world, safe to say, is Guccio. If that is not catchy enough nothing else is. The first shop he opened was based in his home country, in the city of Florence, Italy.

After being inspired by celebrities like Marilyn Monroe, he designed luggage bags and more leather goods with the help of skilled craftsmen. Within a few years, he was able to build a reputation for himself and founded the brand house soon after. Quite good for someone who risked it but he was meant to do so, with his creative vision.

Then came the 1930s when everybody made horse racing in Europe a favorite past time, especially among the rich. This inspired him to start designing hardware and later on shoes, resembling horse bits and made for equestrian activities. The shoes became sought after by the elite circle and the house gained success yet again.

In the 1930s, he made a breakthrough in the industry by designing loafer shoes with gilded snaffle. These had been iconic too, earning a place in a famous museum in New York, and the only one there is. The company was compromised in the early 90s when it appeared as losing its real identity.

To save it from completely going down, they hired American designer Tom Ford as art director. He was able to turn it all around, thereby remaining in the position until 2005. He is still widely credited for what he did to get the company back on its feet. Reputation still counts for much, and the brand shows that it really matters, by not taking it for granted and making the legacy live on.




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