Gucci: Beyond the Wildest Dreams

Like most fashion houses, Gucci is born from a dream, in this case from Guccio Gucci, who in 1921, after working at the Savoy Hotel, returned to Italy and opened a leather goods company and small luggage store in his native Florence.

Gucci SS12 catwalk show in Milan, source: vogue.it

Faced with a shortage of foreign supplies during the Fascist dictatorship in Italy, Gucci began experimenting with other atypical luxury materials and used burnishing bamboo cane to create the handle of a bag, the first of many iconic Gucci products and still a favourite today.

 © Laurent Humbert, L’Officiel, March 2010 

During the 50s, Gucci created another trademark of the brand, the green-red-green web, inspired by the traditional saddle girth, which was an instant success and led to the opening of stores in Milan and New York, building up its global presence.

Guccio and Rodolfo Gucci, Florence store
Courtesy Gucci Historical Archive



He died in 1953 but his vision lives on. After the infusion of a sense of daring and provocation by Tom Ford who took the fashion world by storm, today Frida Giannini is the creative mind at the helm of the brand, after conquering her position with confidence and style.

In celebration of Gucci's 90th anniversary and the opening of the Gucci Museum in Florence, Gucci: The Making Of is an insightful tribute to the heritage and influence of this iconic, multi-faceted Italian fashion house.




Courtesy Gucci Historical Archive

Edited by Gucci's Creative Director, Frida Giannini, it includes different essays and commentaries by contributors such as Katie Grand, the Editor in Chief of Love Magazine and Christopher Breward, Professor at The London College of Fashion, amongst others.

The book, published this month, is a dynamic record of a brand which has become worldwide synonymous with Italian handcraft luxury and fashion authority - Gucci. I'm sure it surpassed his founder's wildest dreams.

© GUCCI: The Making Of
By Frida Giannini
(£50, Rizzoli New York)


Other fashion books:
Coco Chanel, an Ongoing Inspiration
Alice in Wonderland
Christian Louboutin: Shoe Artist
Homage to Diana Vreeland, a Fashion Icon