Born in 1881, craftsman''s son Guccio Gucci founded the House of Gucci as a saddlery shop in Florence in 1906. Guccio''s first talent was his craftsmanship in leather goods. He started out selling leather bags to horsemen in the 1920¡¯s and progressed to luxury luggage as his clients graduated from equine transportation to horseless carriages. In 1938 Guccio Gucci opened their first retail shop on the Via Condotti in Rome.

In 1947 the immediately recognizable Gucci icon, the leather bag with bamboo handle, is created. During the 1950¡¯s the trademark red striped webbing is introduced, taken from its original form place on a saddle girth. This became an emblem much as the leather moccasin with leather bit.

......

In the 1990¡¯s, Tom Ford, the newest executive head, has brought Gucci back to the center of chic, and now commands a varied line of products including leather fashions, perfumes, colognes, cosmetics, shoes (including the moccasin with the distinctive Gucci snaffle-bit), the "Flora" foulard created for Grace Kelly by Rodolfo Gucci, suitcases, watches, jewelry, silk scarves, sports articles, belt clasps (the one with the Guccio Gucci initials, was introduced 1964), ties, and eyeglasses.