gucci

Not only is Florence home to some of the greatest artworks in the world, it’s also home to one of the greatest designers in the world; Gucci. When I was in Florence, for €7 I was able to have a tour around the Gucci museum which is an archive from the beginning, right up to recent collections. It explores the story of Guccio Gucci and is honestly a breathtaking display. You can get rather up close and personal with the designs too, so I thought I’d give you a little glimpse…

LOCATION: Piazza della Signoria, Florence, IT  🇮🇹

I know that these days Gucci may not be the most ethical brand in the world (reading Stitched Up is really opening my eyes up to how it’s not just the high street causing the problems), but the heritage of the brand is really interesting to me, especially since I’ve been spending time in Italy. The booklet that I was given upon my entry to the museum describes the story…

For me, one of the most interesting parts of the museum was seeing the progression from the very earlier designs and products to the newer collections and ranges, whether they be lifestyle or fashion. It’s actually a really great example of change (which I spoke about recently here – nice bit of self promotion, Tolly) and how brands develop over time… years in fact. There’s a wonderful archive of pieces from the earliest years, right up until now. You can even go down into the store afterwards, and experience even more of what Gucci has become.

There’s detailed insights into different, iconic Gucci elements, like the Flora print and the Double G logo. The Flora print was commissioned by Rodolfo Gucci (one of Guccio’s son), with Vittorio Accornero completing the commission, which became an eye-catching and unique design to be worn by Princess Grace of Monaco in 1966. More than forty-five years later, and the print is still being reworked and updated to keep up with the seasonal trends.

For an aspiring designer who’s never lived in the world of wearing designer clothes, it did feel quite surreal to all of a sudden be up close and personal with it. It’s like being transported into a different world, one which has been changing and evolving over the years to become an iconic symbol of power and class, as well as creativity and innovation of classic Italian design. Although as I stated at the beginning, there’s a lot to be done to even make sure brands like Gucci are doing their best, it really is quite interesting to delve into where it all began, and learn more about how something genuinely can come from just a single spark of an idea.

If you’re in Florence, I definitely recommend you taking a look at the museum, or maybe even having a coffee in the cafe, and a browse at the book store which is full of some of my all time favourite fashion reads. I promise this is in no-way sponsored, it’s just a really great gem that some people might miss in the craziness of the Uffizi Gallery, just next door!

Have you been to the Gucci museum? What do you know about Gucci? Let me know in the comments below!

Last night I sat down and watched a programme on discount stores, like TKMaxx or the Bicester Village, and it came across an interesting point. I’ve discussed it before I believe, but I thought I would just go a step further in voicing my opinions.

Another reason I am interested in discussing this, is after I saw a tweet from a blogger saying they ‘couldn’t compete with other bloggers because they only wear Primark compared to expensive clothing’. And also after the point on the programme which came up when they let people in the public feel a jumper with the label covered by a sticky note (the people had to give a price for how much they would pay, and when the sticky note was taken off, they had to re-price it. The jumper was a Ralph Lauren one, but without the label showing, the people priced it at about £10, and when the label was shown, they tripled the price and said it was worth £30, all because they saw that one label). I find it quite bizarre that people pay more, just because of the make! I have never bought anything because of it’s label, as they say, never judge a book by it’s cover.

I want to talk about the importance of branding and logos in the fashion industry, but the fact that it shouldn’t determine the price of a piece of clothing. Okay, so Ralph Lauren of course wouldn’t be Ralph Lauren without that little-man-riding-a-horse-playing-polo logo (that rhymes), and Chanel wouldn’t be Chanel without the double C’s, but how does a logo make something ‘more valuable’? Branding and logos now mean more than anything, it’s almost a sign of status. If you wear Ralph Lauren, you show that you have a bit more money than someone else, or if you have a Chanel handbag in your arm, then you can afford to splash out on a few bits of leather worth £1000. To be honest with you, I don’t even like the range of Chanel handbags (ooh, controversial I know!), but I think it’s more about status than anything else as I said. Apparently, if I wear H&M and New Look I am not as ‘cool’ and ‘fashionable’ as a luxury buyer, which of course is totally wrong.

I’m not talking about ‘logo t-shirts’ like the Kenzo tiger, I’m talking about the actual label inside tops (you know the ones you have to cut off anyway because they irritate the back of your neck?). Obviously brands have to market their clothes, they want people to know what somebody else is wearing, easily, which is of course what logos do. My question is though, why are they so important to us? Why are we so bothered about the logo that is on my new skirt? Do I look ‘bovvered’ mate, do I? Look at my face… is my face ‘bovvered’? Face? Bovvered? (Catherine Tate references in a rant… #genius)

There are three arguments in my opinion; 1 – Status (no, not the ones that you post on your ‘wall’, but as in £££ status.), 2 – Quality (fabrics etc.), and 3 – ‘Fashion’.
Status – If you are seen with a Mulberry handbag (fake or real), people might think more highly of you (or try and rob you… maybe), and might think that you have a nice job etc etc (of course, you could have got it as a gift or whatever, but this is just for an example).
Quality – A lot of buyers believe that just because it is expensive, means it’s better quality, which of course is true in some cases, but if you watched the programme you  would have seen the fact that outlet stores sometimes only sell ‘outlet only’ pieces, which are cheaper versions, of the actual designer product.
‘Fashion’ – Some people generally think that if a product has one of these logos on it, then it is fashionable, on trend and stylish, and of course the fact that if you’re favourite celebrity is seen wearing that specific designer, you must have it because it’s ‘fashionable’ to them.

Even if you are wearing a false version of a brand’s product, the only reason you bought it to be fair, is because it has the ‘logo‘ on it… right? If you genuinely liked the product, surely you would actually splash the cash for the real deal? The other fact is… just plain and simply… why? What is so super special about a designer piece? I understand if you genuinely love the product, the fabric, the way it looks on you, but if you simply just like it because it has the name on it, and you think it is worth more… why? I really do not understand ‘your’ logic. Just because it says ‘Dior’ on it, doesn’t mean it’s nice… the name might be, but do you actually look at the product? You could probably find something a little bit cheaper which is just as nice, just simply without that label. It’s nice to treat yourself of course, but it’s just a name!

Let me take a celebrity for example… I was shopping in the same shop as Dame Helen Mirren (Insta-pap shot for you here), and she was so miserable, she didn’t even have to say anything and she just didn’t come across nice, and the only reason she is ‘special’ is because she has been in films. She’s like everyone else, we’re all human, like t-shirts are all t-shirts, but with different names on the annoying-neck-irritating labels. When (yes, I just said when, one has to be optimistic these days) I become a fashion designer, I don’t really want to be a ‘designer’. I’d love to be on the catwalks at LFW, but not for being a person who sells £1000 bags just because of the name on them, I want my designs to be available to everyone, and to sell because they are nice. Do you get what I’m saying now? If not I just wasted 1000 words on this post. Great.