Gucci

HISTORY

The Gucci family claims its origins are rooted in the merchant city of Florence since around 1410. Guccio Giovanbattista Giacinto Dario Maria Gucci (1881–1953) left Florence for Paris, and settled in London in 1897 to work at the high-end Savoy Hotel. While working as a bellhop there, he would load/unload the luggage of the hotel's wealthy clients, learning about their tastes in fashion, quality, fabrics, and traveling conditions. He later worked four years for the Compagnie des Wagons-Lits, the European rail company that specialized in upscale travel leisure, thus further enhancing his experience with luxurious traveling lifestyles. After World War I, he worked for the maker of fine luggage Franzi.

In 1921, Guccio Gucci opened his shop in Florence, selling imported leather luggage and producing his own leather goods with local craftsmen. As demand grew, he expanded to a larger workshop with 60 artisans. In 1935, due to Italy's trade embargo, Gucci adapted by using alternative materials like raffia and jute, creating the rombi motif and the "cuoio grasso" leather. In 1937, Gucci launched its handbags. His son, Aldo, joined in 1925 and helped expand the brand, opening a Rome store in 1938 and introducing more accessories. During World War II, Gucci artisans made boots for the Italian infantry. 

The company made handbags of cotton canvas rather than leather during World War II as a result of material shortages. The canvas, however, was distinguished by a signature double-G symbol combined with prominent red and green bands. After the war, the Gucci crest, which showed a shield and armored knight surrounded by a ribbon inscribed with the family name, became synonymous with the city of Florence. 

In the history of Gucci, up until the end of the Gucci family era (1980s), the design, promotion, and production of Gucci products were handled by the members of the Gucci family.