Gucci

Founded by Guccio Gucci in 1921 as a Florence based luxury luggage bottega, Gucci’s trademark equestrian styling helped the label become one of the world’s most recognisable and coveted fashion houses. Tom Ford injected sex appeal in the mid 1990s. His low-slung velvet trousers, expertly proportioned silk shirts and sky high stilettos took the ailing company and made it Italy’s most successful brand.

Gucci is now headed by Frida Giannini; she has taken Ford’s sensuality and added a softer feminine intelligence to the designs, which delve deeply into the label’s illustrious past. Gucci personifies a unique duality in its brand, combining innovation with traditional craftsmanship and trendsetting with sophistication.