A Brief History of Gucci

By Tommy Martin

1869 Guccio Gucci was born in Florence

1906 Guccio Gucci started a small saddler shop in Florence

1920 Guccio Gucci opened the first Gucci watch shop in Florence

1921 The First Gucci boutique was opened in Florence. Gucci Label was officially founded

1923 The first Gucci boutique in Rome was opened. Gucci started to expand outside Florence

1947 Gucci launched the first handbags collection featuring the bamboo handle and red striped webbing

1953 The first Gucci flagship store in New York was opened on Fifth Avenue; Guccio Gucci Died

1960 The iconic GG logo was created with the combination of Guccio Gucci's initials

1965 Gucci opened another store at 699 Fifth Avenue

1966 Gucci presented the Flora silk scarf which is favored by Grace Kelly

1967 Gucci presented Jackie O shoulder bag, made well-known by Jackie Kennedy

1968 Gucci opened stores in Hong Kong and Tokyo, starting expansion on Far East

1979 Aldo Gucci developed the Gucci Accessories Collection and saved company from the danger of bankruptcy

1983 Rodolfo Gucci died which caused a huge shakeup on the company; Paolo Gucci proposed a cheaper version of the brand called 'Gucci Plus'

1984 Domenico De Sole joined Gucci America Inc

1989 Investcorp acquired 50 percent of Gucci while Maurizio Gucci retains the other half and runs the company; Dawn Mello, the former president of Bergdorf Goodman, moves to Milan as creative director

1990 Aldo Gucci died

1990 Tom Ford moved to Milan from New York to join Gucci as the company's women's wear designer

1993 Maurizio Gucci sold his shares to Investcorp and leaves the company for good

1994 Tom Ford was appointed as creative director; De Sole was appointed as chief operating officer

1995 Gucci went public had its first initial public offering on the AMEX and NYSE; Madonna dressed head-to-toe Gucci at the MTV Video Music Awards; De Sole became chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Gucci Group N.V.

1996 Tom Ford won the CFDA Award for international designer of the year

1997 Gucci acquired a watch licensee, Severin-Montres, and renamed it Gucci Timepieces

1999 Gucci made alliance with to fashion conglomerate Pinault-Printemps-Redoute to fight against an acquisition by fashion conglomerate LVMH; Gucci acquired Yves Saint Laurent and Sanofi Beautè and a controlling stake in Sergio Rossi; Tom Ford became creative director of Yves Saint Laurent ready-to-wear

2000 Gucci acquired 51 percent of Alexander McQueen and Bedat & Co; Gucci acquires luxury watch producer Boucheron

2001 Gucci acquired a majority stake in Bottega Veneta, 50 percent of Stella McCartney and all of Balenciaga; Gucci ended three-year litigation with LVMH. Pinault-Printemps-Redoute sold all shares on Gucci as agreement. Gucci share price reduced to $85.52 per share

2003 Gucci announced it wouldn't renew the contracts of Tom Ford and De sole

2004 Alessandra Facchinetti, Frida Giannini and John Ray were appointed as creative director of Gucci


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