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One hundred years ago , in Florence ’ s scenic Tuscan city , Italian artisan Guccio Gucci began building a leather-goods business that would go on to stand the test of time . Under the direction of Aldo Gucci ( son of Guccio ), Gucci diversified their leather offerings to include fashion pieces becoming a worldwide-known brand and an icon of the Italian Dolce Vita .
The Gucci story began back in 1897 when Guccio Giovanbattista Giacinto Dario Maria Gucci left Florence for Paris , finally settling in London he found work as a bellboy at the high-end Savoy
Hotel discovering a love for fine leather , luggage and the fashions of the well-heeled travellers .
Returning to Florence in 1921 , Gucci bought his first shop selling imported leather luggage and saddles to the wealthiest in Italy but as the invasion of Ethiopia in 1935 by Mussolini led the League of Nations ( a predecessor to the United Nations ), to impose a trade embargo on Italy , leather became scarce prompting Gucci to use alternative materials such as raffia , wicker , wood , linen and , jute . A year before the start of World War II , Guccio ’ s sons Aldo , Vasco and Rodolfo joined their father in the business along with his adopted son , Ugo opening a second store in Rome ’ s Via Condotti where Aldo convinced his father to expand adding accessories such as gloves , belts , wallets and keychains to their portfolio .
After the war , leather became scarce and once again Guccio Gucci and his artisan ’ s looked to use other materials and discovered that Japanese bamboo was not only durable but also provided a distinctive look , thus , the iconic Gucci bamboo bag was born . It was also during these lean years that Gucci started using pigskin and the famous green-and-red Gucci stripe made an appearance .
Expansion followed with new stores opening in Milan and the US at the Savoy Plaza Hotel on East 58th Street in New York , the very place where Guccio had worked as a porter , sadly just 15 days after opening the store Guccio died aged 72 with the business passing to his sons .
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