the House of Gucci

The House of Gucci started when founder Guccio Gucci opened a leather-goods workshop and store in Florence in 1921. By the sixties and seventies, Gucci was one of the world’s premier luxury-goods brands, with loyalists like Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, and Jackie O keeping its cachet elevated.

 But in the late seventies, family in-fighting and unsound business decisions set things back considerably, and it wasn't until American designer Tom Ford came onboard in 1990 that the luxury brand transformed again into a contemporary power player, solidifying Gucci as a billion-dollar empire of interlocking Gs.

 Along with CEO Domenico De Sole, Ford turned the house around in a relatively short time. His breakout collection was fall 1995, with brightly colored fitted blazers over new-disco satin shirts and hip-huggers changing the way fashion looked overnight and establishing him as an international tastemaker—and master of the "sex sells" approach to high design. 

In 1999, the fashion world was riveted by the battle royale that erupted when French luxury group LVMH tried to acquire Gucci. However, rival PPR triumphed, created the Gucci Group, and acquired Yves Saint Laurent (which Ford designed for a few years), Stella McCartney, Alexander McQueen, and more. 

But as Ford’s contract ended, he and De Sole battled with PPR’s executives, and both left in April 2004. Replacing him wasn’t easy; Alessandra Fachinetti quit after two seasons and was replaced by in-house accessories designer Frida Giannini, who runs both menswear and womenswear.   
She’s fared well so far; her collections have enjoyed commercial success, although she has yet to shake up the sartorial climate on a Ford-esque scale.