Ask any fashion-girl what bag she's coveting this season, and we bet a Gucci Dionysus is on the list of contenders. At the helm of Creative Director Alessandro Michele, the iconic label's sort of "gone viral" — modeled on the cover of magazines and toted on the arms of celebrities. I even pulled out my grandmother's vintage shopper that's big enough to carry my lap top. (Full disclosure: I've been wearing it almost everyday.)
But with an iconic brand like Gucci in the spotlight, it's not just about the new and now. The fashion house's history begins in the early 1920s, and you've got quite the timeline to study. Read on for 19 little-known Gucci facts you've never heard, then study up on Chanel, and everyone's go-to retailer Zara, too.
Guccio founded the empire in Florence, Italy in 1921. His specialty was luggage, since one of his first jobs was working in the Savoy Hotel in London as an elevator operator. There he welcomed the likes of Marilyn Monroe, who later carried his accessories.
It was the first-ever Italian luxury goods brick-and-mortar opened stateside. This was also the same year Guccio Gucci died, and his four sons took over managing the fashion house. Today, the brand has over 550 stores. Above, Grace Kelly leaves a boutique in Rome in 1959.
While original models of the footwear are displayed in New York’s Museum of Modern Art, street style stars these days are all about the fur-lined styles.
Due to material shortage, the Gucci team resorted to cotton canvas instead of leather during World War II. This is when the signature red and green bands were developed.
At first, women’s ready-to-wear and accessories were under her watch, but she took control of the entire brand the following year. Ms. Giannini started working for Gucci in 2002.
Born in Rome, Alessandro was Senior Accessories Designer at Fendi, then spent time at Tom Ford in 2002.
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12Gucci Had No Problem Collaborating With a Spinoff Graffiti Artist
Image Source: Getty / Venturelli
For Fall ’16, Michele collaborated with GucciGhost, aka Trouble Andrew, a graffiti artist who splashed his signature playful prints onto shoppers, crossbody bags, and even a midi skirt.
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13The Dionysus Is the Bag All the Fashion-Girls Want