The history of the Gucci brand illustrates the precariousness of luxury brand names. Guccio Gucci founded his leather business in Florence in 1906, having been inspired by the beautiful leather luggage of guests at the Ritz Hotel in London where he had worked in the kitchen. After World War II when leather was scarce, Gucci printed his company's interlocked-G's logo on canvas luggage and accessories in bright red and green. This phenomenal success in placing high prices on what was inherently less expensive to produce fueled the imagination of the second-generation Guccis. Interlocked G's were licensed shamelessly and any number of products enjoyed Gucci cachet, despite degenerating quality. In the 1970s, Gucci leather loafers with a gilt horse-snaffle were an expensive favorite of the nouveau riche. By the 1980s, the luxury brand had become a bad joke. In the 1990s, some selectivity was restored, Tom Ford was garnering hype for vulgar but media-generating clothes, and Gucci seemed a business reborn.

Further Reading:

McKnight, Gerald. Gucci: A House Divided. New York, Donald I. Fine, 1987.