Gucci is a brand most of us common folk would class as luxury and only for the rich, the very expensive clothing they provide pleases many but also takes a bite out of their pocket, in this How they all began we will be talking about Gucci.

Guccio Gucci

Starting Out

Guccio Gucci was an immigrant hotel worker in Paris and London, the young Gucci was impressed at the luxurious items he saw guests bring to the hotels he worked at, so before  leaving Paris he just had to visit the manufacturer, H.J. Cave & Sons. When he had returned to his birthplace, Florence, he established a shop in 1920 which sold fine leather goods which had a classic style. Gucci managed to maintain traditional ways of fabrication, while using industrial production methods. Starting out he used skilled workers for leather crafts, but as the company expanded, the work force had to as well, so Gucci changed to machine stitching.

Gucci store in Rome

Expansion

Getting help from his three sons, Aldo Gucci, Vasco Gucci and Rodolfo Gucci, Gucci expanded his company to have stores in Rome, Milan and additional shops in Florence. The items inside the stores were finely crafted with leather, these included handbags, shoes and the iconic Loafer. Due to material shortages in World War II, Gucci had to use a cotton canvas rather than leather. This canvas had a double G symbol with red and green bands, after the war, the Gucci crest became synonymous with the city of Florence. Aldo and Rodolfo made bold expansions making offices in New York City in 1953. Film stars starting buying Gucci products, only boosting their prominence in the luxury clothing game. Movie stars were posing in Gucci clothing, accessories and footwear in lifestyle magazines, making the company an even sought after brand.

Bamboo handle on a modern Gucci bag

Turmoil and more

Gucci's products had become one of the most copied products in the early 2000s. Gucci had started using some rather exotic animal skins to make various styles of canvas which included water-proof bags, and later on bamboo was used to make handles in 1947. The company prospered through the 70's but the 80's were a very bad year. Family disputes had bought the whole company to the brink of disaster, and after Guccio Gucci's death in 1983, Maurizio Gucci took over the company, dismissing his uncle Aldo, who ended up serving a prison sentence for tax evasion.

The company was now largely attributed with luxury goods, and they have continued to do so.