Gucci facts for kids
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Trade name
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Gucci |
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| Subsidiary (S.p.A.) | |
| Industry | Fashion |
| Founded | 1921 in Florence, Tuscany, Italy |
| Founder | Guccio Gucci |
| Headquarters | |
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Number of locations
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528 (2022) |
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Key people
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| Revenue | €9.9 billion (2023) |
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Number of employees
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20,711 (2022) |
| Parent | Kering |
Gucci is a famous Italian fashion company. It makes many luxury items like handbags, clothes, shoes, and accessories. Gucci also creates fragrances and home decorations. The company started in Florence, Italy.
Gucci was founded in 1921 by Guccio Gucci. His son, Aldo Gucci, helped make it a well-known brand around the world. For a while, the Gucci family had some disagreements. Because of this, they were no longer in charge of the company by 1993. After this, the brand became strong again. In 1999, Gucci joined a big French company called PPR, which is now known as Kering.
In 2023, Gucci had 538 stores and over 20,000 employees. It made about €9.9 billion in sales that year. Jean-François Palus is the current CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of Gucci. Sabato De Sarno is the creative director.
Contents
History of Gucci
How Gucci Started
The Gucci family has roots in Florence since the 1400s. Guccio Gucci (1881–1953) left Florence when he was young. He worked in fancy hotels in Paris and London, like the Savoy Hotel. As a bellhop, he carried luggage for rich guests. This taught him a lot about their style and what they liked in travel items. He also worked for a luxury train company, learning even more about high-end travel.
In 1921, Guccio Gucci opened his own shop in Florence. It was called Azienda Individuale Guccio Gucci. He sold imported leather luggage there. He also started a small workshop where local craftspeople made his own leather goods. Soon, the workshop grew and needed sixty artisans.
During a time when leather was hard to find, Guccio Gucci started using other materials. These included raffia, wood, and linen. He also created the "rombi" pattern, which is still a Gucci signature. In 1937, Gucci launched its first handbags.
Guccio's wife and children helped in the shop. His son, Aldo Gucci, joined the company in 1925. Aldo helped his father open a new shop in Rome in 1938. They also started selling more accessories like gloves and belts. During World War II, Gucci artisans even made boots for the Italian army.
Because materials were scarce during the war, Gucci made handbags from cotton canvas. These bags had a special double-G symbol with red and green stripes. After the war, the Gucci family crest became a symbol of Florence.
Growing Big After the War
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After the war, Guccio Gucci shared parts of the company with his three sons. In 1947, Gucci launched the famous Bamboo bag. The company also created its first well-known saying: Quality is remembered long after price is forgotten. In 1952, the iconic Gucci moccasin shoes were launched. Guccio Gucci passed away in January 1953.
In November 1953, Gucci opened its first store in the United States, in New York City. More stores opened in New York, leading people to call that area "Gucci City."
In the 1960s, Gucci opened stores in London and Paris. The double-G logo, now famous, was introduced in 1964. In 1966, the Flora scarf was designed for Grace Kelly, who was a princess and a big fan of Gucci. In 1968, Gucci opened a store in Beverly Hills, California. Many Hollywood stars started wearing Gucci.
Gucci became very popular in the United States. This helped the brand grow all over the world, with stores opening in Tokyo and Hong Kong. By 1969, Gucci had ten stores in the US. The US President John F. Kennedy even called Aldo Gucci "the first Italian ambassador to the United States."
Gucci also partnered with car companies. In 1970, they made a special Rolls-Royce luggage set. They also worked with American Motors Corporation to create a special Gucci version of the AMC Hornet car. This was one of the first American cars to have a luxury design package by a famous fashion designer. Gucci also launched its first perfumes and watches in the 1970s.
In 1985, the Gucci loafer shoe became so famous that it was added to the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Modern Gucci Era
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In the late 1990s, the French luxury company LVMH started buying shares of Gucci. To avoid being taken over, Gucci teamed up with another French company, Kering (then called PPR). This led to a big competition between the two fashion groups. Eventually, they reached an agreement in 2001.
After some changes in leadership, Frida Giannini became Gucci's creative director in 2006. She brought new ideas to the brand. In 2010, Gucci worked with Christie's auction house to keep track of its history. In 2011, to celebrate its 90th birthday, Gucci opened the Gucci Museum in Florence. Between 2010 and 2015, Gucci opened 220 new stores, reaching a total of 500 worldwide.
In 2015, Alessandro Michele became the new creative director. He brought a fresh, unique style to Gucci. He brought back classic Gucci designs like the double-G logo and the Jackie O. bag. He also created new popular items like the Dionysus handbag. Michele's designs were known for being "geek-chic" and often blurred traditional gender lines.
Gucci also opened new important places. In 2016, they opened the Gucci Hub in Milan, which is their main office. In 2017, they launched Gucci Décor for home items. In 2018, they opened the ArtLab, a big center near Florence where they develop new leather goods and shoes. In 2022, Alessandro Michele left his role.
In January 2023, Sabato de Sarno became the new creative director. His first collection, called 'Gucci Ancora' (meaning 'Gucci again'), aimed to bring a fresh look to the brand. In July 2023, Jean-François Palus became the new CEO.
How Gucci is Organized
Gucci's main company, Guccio Gucci S.p.A., is based in Florence, Italy. It is part of the French luxury group Kering. In 2023, Gucci had 538 stores and over 20,000 employees. It made €9.9 billion in sales.
Who Leads Gucci
For a long time, members of the Gucci family managed everything about the brand. Today, different leaders guide the company.
- CEOs (Chief Executive Officers)
- Since July 2023: Jean-François Palus
- 2014–2023: Marco Bizzarri
- 2008–2014: Patrizio di Marco
- 2004–2008: Mark Lee
- 1994–2004: Domenico De Sole
- Creative Directors
- Since January 2023: Sabato De Sarno
- 2015–2022: Alessandro Michele
- 2006–2015: Frida Giannini
- 1995–2004: Tom Ford
- 1989–1995: Dawn Mello
Gucci's Special Projects
Culture and Art
In 2011, Gucci opened the Gucci Museum in Florence to celebrate its 90th anniversary. In 2018, it reopened as the Gucci Garden. It also has a restaurant called Gucci Osteria, which has won awards for its food. A second Gucci Osteria opened in Los Angeles in 2020.
Gucci also helps preserve historical sites. In 2017, they helped restore the Boboli Gardens in Florence. In 2019, they helped restore the Rupe Tarpea and Belvedere Gardens in Rome.
Helping Society
Gucci supports many social causes. In 2008, they started the Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund. This fund helps make movies that promote social change. They also created the 'Gucci Award for Women in Cinema' to celebrate women in filmmaking.
From 2005 to 2015, Gucci gave $20 million to UNICEF's Schools for Africa program. In 2013, Gucci, along with Salma Hayek and Beyoncé, started Chime for Change. This is a global campaign to improve education, health, and justice for women and girls worldwide. They organized a concert that raised $4 million for projects in 70 countries.
Gucci sells a yellow t-shirt that says "My Body My Choice." The money from these sales goes to Chime for Change. In 2019, Chime for Change launched a mural campaign to promote gender equality. In 2020, Gucci featured a model with Down syndrome in an ad campaign, promoting "Unconventional Beauty."
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Gucci donated €2 million to help with relief efforts in Italy and around the world. In 2023, Gucci gave another €300,000 to UNICEF to support quality education for children globally.
Caring for the Environment
Gucci is also working to be more environmentally friendly. In 2017, they announced they would stop using real fur in their products starting in 2018. In 2018, they launched 'Equilibrium', a platform to share their efforts in social and environmental care.
In 2019, Gucci announced its goal to become completely carbon neutral. This means they aim to have no net release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. In 2020, Gucci joined the Lion's Share Fund to help protect wildlife. They also launched their first fully sustainable collection, "Gucci Off the Grid," using recycled and natural materials.
Gucci has received awards for its environmental work, like the Climate Action Award in 2022. In 2023, they won an award for their work in circular economy, which means making fashion more durable and less wasteful. They plan to open a research center in Tuscany to study how to make fashion more sustainable. In 2023, Gucci introduced a bag made with Demetra, a material that is not from animals. For this, they won the prize for best vegan bag from PETA.
Fighting Fake Products
In the 1970s, because Gucci became so popular, many fake products started appearing. Gucci developed special tanning techniques for its leather that were hard for counterfeiters to copy. The company has filed many lawsuits against those who sell fake Gucci items.
In 2013, a ruling in the UK affected some of Gucci's rights to its GG logo. However, Gucci stated that this did not stop them from using their famous GG logo in the region.
Gucci continues to fight against fake products online. They have sued websites that sell counterfeit items. In 2015, Gucci's parent company, Kering, sued Alibaba for listing many fake Gucci products. In 2018, Marco Bizzarri warned Chinese e-commerce companies like Alibaba and JD.com that Gucci would not open official stores on their sites unless they removed fake products. Gucci keeps taking legal action against websites selling fake goods.
See also
In Spanish: Gucci para niños
- Made in Italy
