Guccio Gucci
Guccio Gucci (1881-1953) was the son of a Florentine leather craftsman. As a young man, he went to Paris and then London, where he gained an appreciation of cosmopolitan culture, sophistication, and aesthetics. He returned to Italy in 1920 and opened the first Gucci shop in Florence with a capital of only 30.000 lira. Guccio began with finely crafted accessories for horseback riders. As the firm grew, Guccio's sons - Aldo, Vasco and Rodolfo - opened new shops in Florence, Rome, and Milan. In 1953, against their father's strong advice, Aldo and Rodolfo opened the first overseas boutique in New York City. This was also the year that Guccio died, and the beginning of a long period of clashes within the family which threatened to dissolve the company. In 1988, the children of Guccio Gucci's son Rodolfo, who held together 50% of the interest sold their interst to the Bahrein based company Investcorp. 1989, Rodolfo's son, Maurizio Gucci, was made President of the Group.

Gucci then greatly reduced the number of products it offered and concentrated on reestablishing the company's reputation for beautifully crafted artisan products, the basis of the family tradition.

This continued until 1993, when Maurizio Gucci family sold his entire interest in company to Investcorp, allegedly for 100 to 140 million Dollar. This marks also the end of the business leadership of the Gucci family in the company. Maurizio Gucci was shot down in front of his office in 1995. His ex-wife was arrested in early 1997, being charged with the planning Gucci's murder, together with her psychiatrist.

The success of the restructuring of the company is tied two two names: Dawn Mello and Tom Ford. The first - previously head of purchase with Bergdorf-Goodman - was hired as creative director and the latter as designer. Though Mello returned to New York in 1994 both are believed to have contributed greatly to recent success of the company.