Gucci

As of 2004, the Gucci Group maintained whole or partial interests in the following companies or brands:. See surf culture. Using the capital obtained from the PPR issue, the Group has steadily expanded beyond just the Gucci brand through a series of takeovers. And, many wealthy homeowners have tried to prevent free access to beaches in violation of English and American common law traditions, in which "the strand" is not private property. Giannini's Spring 2006 collection was lauded for its color and energy, recreating the buzz around the company's ready-to-wear that was first heard after Ford's 1995 season. Oil spills and toxic algae growth can threaten surfing regions. 32-year-old Giannini, who had been responsible for designing men's and women's accessories, currently serves as Creative Director for the entire brand. Global warming may produce bigger waves...or a return, through altering ocean currents, to a new ice age.

Ray served as Creative Director of Menswear for three years before resigning in January 2006, citing his inability to create a consistent image for Gucci during his time as head designer. Global warming, environmental damage, and increasing riparian development may continue to increase pressure on the sport. Facchinetti was elevated to Creative Director of Womenswear in 2004 and designed for two seasons before leaving the company after a management dispute. This type of surfing has seen a rise in popularity recently. Following Ford's departure, Gucci Group retained three designers to continue the success of the company's flagship label: Alessandra Facchinetti, Frida Giannini, and John Ray, all of whom had worked under Ford's creative direction. These surfers see surfing as more than a sport; it is an opportunity to harness the waves in and to relax and forget about their daily routines. In 2005, Tom Ford began designing a line of cosmetics for Estee Lauder, and planned to launch his own line of ready-to-wear and accessories under a Tom Ford label. Other surfers, however, known as "soul surfers", hold less aggressive views towards others.

The announcement of his departure led to a complete presale of many items in New York department stores, and waitlists for his last accessories formed just days after the collection showed in Milan. The expression "Surf Nazi" appeared in the 1980s to describe territorial and authoritarian surfers. His collection for Yves Saint Laurent followed the lead of the previous season’s Gucci women’s wear, with form fitting kimonos and Asian patterned dresses, while the menswear collection featured classic-looking tuxedos and smoking jackets. Many surfers are seen as territorial, hence the expression "locals only"; or as the rock group The Surf Punks put it, "my beach, my wave, my girl, so fuck you!". Ford priced up the ready-to-wear and used exotic fabrics like alligator and boar hide.
Anywhere else waves hit the shore. Print advertisements featured models in sleek, simple gowns inspired by the glamour of 1920s silent film stars. While the continental shelf of the west coast drops off quickly, on the east it extends a great distance, creating drag and making smaller and less powerful waves.

Ford’s last show for Gucci returned to the roots of his first successful collection: the culture of celebrity. The west coast of the Americas tends to have better surfing areas than the east coast. After a failed attempt at contract renewal with PPR in 2003, Tom Ford and Domenico de Sole decided to take their leave from Gucci Group. Surfing is a global sport; one can find a surfer in almost every coastal nation in the world. The second largest shareholder is Crédit Lyonnais with 11%. These automatically combine the above variables into a presentation of how good the surf will be. PPR now owns 68% of the group. The availability of free model data from the NOAA has allowed the creation of several Surf forecasting websites.

Courts in the Netherlands ultimately upheld the PPR deal, as it did not violate that country's business laws. Local wind conditions, water temperature, solar radiation, the crowd factor, hazardous aquatic life, water pollution, and aggression of local surfers are other factors that can have impact on the experience one might have surfing at a particular break. Arnault’s share was diluted to a paltry 20%, and a legal battle ensued to challenge the legitimacy of the new Gucci-PPR partnership. Based on the structure of the ocean floor, a location may break better on a particular tide, say, an incoming high tide or a low-low tide. Francois Pinault, the company’s founder, agreed to the idea and purchased 37 million shares in the company, or a 40% stake. For instance, there are beach breaks (soft sand bottom) that generate slower, mushy waves and reef breaks (coral reef or rock bottom) that tend to generate faster, more powerful waves. He also approached French holding company Pinault-Printemps-Redoute (PPR) about the possibility of forming a strategic alliance. The structure of the ocean floor is the biggest factor that determines the broad characteristics of waves at a particular break.

De Sole reacted by issuing new shares of stock in an effort to dilute the value of Arnault’s holdings. The two main types of waves for surfing apart from the pointbreak are the reef break (waves breaking over a coral reef or rockbed) and the beach break (waves breaking onto sand bars). Domenico De Sole was incensed by the news and declined Arnault’s request for a spot on the board of directors, where he would have access to Gucci’s confidential earnings reports, strategy meetings, and design concepts. When waves break along a section of coastline at an angle almost perpendicular to the land, these special locations, known as point breaks, can produce very long-lasting waves that can be surfed for several hundred meters. In 1999, LVMH staged an effort to acquire Gucci Group through a creeping takeover, purchasing 34.4% of the company’s stock. Coastlines that face east or south (in the Northern Hemisphere) or north (in the Southern Hemisphere) that are exposed to tropical storms and hurricanes can also be surfable on a consistent basis. Arnault jumped at the chance. In general, the western coast of any continent usually has better breaks since winds (and, therefore, waves) tend to travel from west to east.

Realizing that his company didn't have the assets to execute the takeover, Prada’s Patrizio Bertelli offered to sell the shares to someone who could: Arnault. The swell window determines the potential of a break to receive waves. Prada, in an effort to replicate LVMH's success at consolidation, had purchased a sizeable stake in Gucci Group in an ill-fated attempt to take over the company. There are two primary factors that contribute to the general characteristics of waves at a particular break: (1) the "swell window" or the exposure of the location to wave-generating areas of fetch, and (2) the structure of the ocean floor (composition, shape). Four years later, he sorely regretted that decision. As waves near their ultimate destination (land), the bottom of the wave begins to run aground as the water becomes more shallow. Arnault balked at the $500 million price tag and was unsure that Gucci could ever be revived. To learn more about surf meteorology, see StormSurf's Tutorials.

Just before Gucci Group’s IPO in 1995, Investcorp approached LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault with a proposition to sell him the entire Gucci brand, including its lucrative watch and fragrance divisions. These waves use a drafting effect similar to race cars and cyclists to travel vast distances efficiently. In the late 1990s, Gucci became mired in a standoff with one of fashion's biggest conglomerates, LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton. Wind blown consistently over a large area of fetch, or open water, generates waves. It issued further shares in 1996. Surfing conditions at a particular location or "break" that is known for surfing (see below) are almost never ideal. Gucci Group became a publicly traded company in 1995, incorporated in the Netherlands, and listing on the New York and Amsterdam Stock Exchanges. This spectacular activity is extremely popular with television crews, but because such waves rarely occur in heavily populated regions, and usually only a very long way out to sea on outer reefs, few spectators see such events directly.

By his third collection, it became clear that the highly suggestive advertisements and scanty clothing were not passing fads at the generations-old fashion house, but rather the attribute that would set Gucci apart from its competitors. In many instances surfers would not survive the battering of the 'sets' (groups of waves together) without drowning. The defining characteristic of Ford’s work was what came to be known as the “Gucci sex factor.” His spring 1996 collection, which was reminiscent of the flower child fashions of the early and mid-1970s, continued Ford’s signature trend of sky-high hemlines and plunging necklines. Jetskis not only allow surfers to ride these waves but allow them to survive 'wipeouts'. People Magazine called him one of the 50 most beautiful people of the year. Some waves reach speeds of over 60 km/h; jetskis enable surfers to reach the speed of the wave thereby making them rideable. He graced the pages of entertainment and fashion magazines alongside advertisements that featured his company’s sexy new look. These waves were previously unrideable due to the speed at which they travel.

Practically overnight, Ford became one of the most celebrated new stars in entertainment. A practice popularised in the 1990s has seen big wave surfing revolutionised, as surfers use jetskis to tow them out to a position where they can catch previously unrideable waves (See also: tow-in surfing). Gucci’s warm reception among the glitterati had an unintended side effect: the elevation of Tom Ford from designer to sex symbol. A non-competitive adventure activity involving riding the biggest waves possible (known as "rhino hunting") is also popular with some surfers. Image:Gucci2.jpg. It is common to hear debate rage between purists of the sport, who still maintain the ideal of 'soul surfing', and surfers who engage in the competitive and, consequently, commercial side of the activity. In the years that would follow, nearly every major celebrity in Hollywood came to Ford for formalwear on awards night, and celebrity sightings once again became commonplace in the company’s boutiques. Although competitive surfing has become an extremely popular and lucrative activity, both for its participants and its sponsors, the sport does not have its origins as a competitive pursuit.

Celebrities, fashion models, and wealthy young patrons around the world were clamoring for pieces from the new collection. There is a professional surfing world championship series held annually at surf beaches around the world. Soon thereafter, Gwenyth Paltrow graced the red carpet in the season’s signature look, a red crushed velvet tuxedo with an unbuttoned blue dress shirt, and British actress Elizabeth Hurley donned that season’s patent leather spiked boots to a movie premiere. Competitors are then judged according to how competently the wave is ridden, including the level of difficulty, as well as frequency, of maneuvers. In 1995, Madonna appeared at the MTV Video Music Awards to collect an award for “Take A Bow” in head-to-toe Gucci. Riders, competing in pairs or small groups, are allocated a certain amount of time to ride waves and display their prowess and mastery of the craft. While Ford’s 1995 ready-to-wear line was met with rave reviews by industry insiders, it was the celebrity following that would propel Gucci back to the top of the industry. Competitive surfing is a comparison sport.

You just knew that wearing those clothes would make you look like you were living on the edge—doing it and having it all!". Most people only see the pros riding and miss (when televised) or ignore the time-consuming paddling out and waiting required to get a surfer into position. "The girls looked like they had just stepped off someone’s private jet. The drama of surfing obscures the sport's mundane aspects. "It was hot! It was sex!" Joan Kaner, fashion director for Neiman Marcus, exclaimed. However, such situations do not exist if the waves 'dump' or 'close-out', meaning that they break in large parts at a time. The collection was reminiscent of the jet-set clientele that created a buzz around the label in the 1970s, with its unbuttoned silk shirts and tight velvet hip-huggers. This is the holy grail of surfing, where the surfer maneuvers into a position where the wave curls over the top of them, forming a "tube" (or "barrel"), with the rider inside the cylindrical portion of the wave.

Ford's 1995 ready-to-wear line for Gucci dazzled fashion critics. Surfers' skills are tested not only in their ability to control their board in challenging conditions, but by their ability to execute various maneuvers such as the 'cutback' (turning back toward the breaking part of the wave), the 'floater' (riding on the top of the breaking curl of the wave), 'off the lip' (banking off the top of the wave), the 'aerial' (arcing through the air above the wave) and, if the surf conditions allow it, tuberiding. But where Ralph Lauren embodied the WASP culture of New England, Ford created a lifestyle brand for the hedonistic, urban-dwelling fashionistas who emblemized the brand in years past. Surfing's appeal probably derives from an unusual confluence of elements: adrenaline, skill, and high paced maneuvering are set against a naturally unpredictable backdrop—an organic environment that is, by turns, graceful and serene, violent and formidable. Lauren, as Ford described, was “the only designer to really create an entire world… you know exactly what his people look like, what their houses look like, what kind of cars the drive,” a mantra he would adopt at Gucci years later. In warmer climates swimsuits, surf trunks or boardshorts are worn; in cold water surfers can opt to wear wetsuits, booties, hoods, and gloves to protect them against lower water temperatures. His scandalous advertisements made the brand synonymous with eternal youth and the mystery of adolescent sexuality. Equipment used in surfing includes a leash (to keep a surfer's board from washing to shore after a 'wipeout', and to prevent it from hitting other surfers), surf wax and/or traction pads (to keep a surfers feet from slipping off the deck of the board), and "skegs" (also known as fins) which can either be permanently attached ("glassed-on") or interchangeable.

Klein, much like Ford, was a “superstar designer,” the exemplar of his own brand: stylish, suave, and modern. Long Island is also a very popular spot for surfing. Ford had long been an avid follower of two of America’s top designers, Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein. The sport has spread to most places where waves of sufficient size and shape appear, including Brazil, Costa Rica, France, Ireland, México, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, and many island states including Barbados in the Caribbean and Tahiti in the Pacific. De Sole, who had been elevated to CEO, realized that if Gucci was to become a profitable company, it would require a new image, and so he agreed to pursue Ford’s vision. The sport exploded in popularity in the 1950s and 1960s, when cheaper, more maneuverable, and lighter boards made of fiberglass and foam became available and the teenaged baby boomers headed to the beach in droves to enjoy the maneuverability and stunts made possible by the new boards. Ford had worked for years under the uninspiring direction of Maurizio and Mellow and wanted to take the company’s image in a new direction. Originally developed by Hawaiian islanders (see Ngaru), before the 15th century, "he'e nalu" spread in the early 20th century to the mainland USA and Australia, where heavy timber "plank" boards were ridden directly towards beaches.

Dawn Mello returned to her job at Bergdorf Goodman less than a year after Maurizio’s departure, and the position of creative director went to Tom Ford, then just 32 years old. . He was forced to sell his shares in the company to Investcorp in August of 1993. Epoxy boards are stronger and lighter than traditional fiberglass boards. His management had had an adverse effect on the desirability of the brand, product quality, and distribution control. An emerging surf technology is an epoxy surfboard, made from a different material. Maurizio was a charming man who passionately loved his family's business, but after four years most of the company's senior managers agreed that he was incapable of running the company. Most modern surfboards are made of urethane foam (with one or more wooden strips or "stringers"), fiberglass cloth, and polyester resin.

The company’s new accessories failed to pick up the slack, and for the next three years the company experienced heavy losses and teetered on the edge of bankruptcy. Surfing (Hawaiian: he‘e nalu, "wave-sliding") is a very popular recreational activity and sport in which individuals are propelled across the water by the force of waves, while standing on a flat, wide board. Maurizio riled distributors, Investcorp shareholders, and executives at Gucci America by drastically reining in on the sales of the Gucci Accessories Collection, which in the United States alone generated $110 million in revenue every year. Dale Webster, northern California surfer who surfed over 10,000 days in a row. In the early 1990s, Gucci underwent what is now recognized as the poorest time in the company's history. Bruce Gabreilson, founder of official high school surfing leagues and creator of Internet's first surfing site. Dawn Mello hired Ford in 1990 at the urging of his partner, writer and editor Richard Buckley. Whitmore befriended filmmaker Bruce Brown and provided much assistance in the creation of Endless Summer 1 and 2.

Raised in Texas and New Mexico, he had been interested in fashion since his early teens but only decided to pursue a career as a designer after dropping out of Parsons School of Design in 1986 as an architecture major. John Whitmore introduced surfboards to SA and pionered many advances in surfboards and techniques. The last addition to the creative team, which already included designers from Geoffrey Beene and Calvin Klein, was a young designer named Tom Ford. Layne Beachley, Australia. At the helm of Gucci America was Domenico De Sole, a former lawyer who helped oversee Maurizio’s takeover of the company and the purchase of the company’s remaining shares by Investcorp, a Bahrain-based holding company between 1987 and 1989. Bethany Hamilton, Kauai and shark attack survivor. In 1989, Maurizio managed to persuade Dawn Mello, whose revival of New York's Bergdorf Goodman in the 1970s made her a star in the retail business, to join the newly-formed Gucci Group as creative director. Rob Hooper.

The firm was named "European Company of the Year 1998" by the European Business Press Federation for its economic and financial performance, strategic vision as well as management quality. Shane Dorian. The Gucci brand is considered one of the most frequently mentioned brands. Sunny Garcia. A turnaround of the company devised in the late 1980s made Gucci one of the world's most influential fashion houses and a highly profitable business operation. Andy Irons, Kauai. Maurizio sought to bury the fighting that had torn the company and his family apart and turned to talent outside of the company for Gucci’s future. Kelly Slater, Florida, considered one of the best surf competitors ever.

(This action would later have a drastic impact on the outcome of the company’s dispute with the world’s largest luxury goods company, LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton.) Following the decision, the rest of the family left the company and, for the first time in years, one man was at the helm of Gucci. Tom Curren, First dominant pro thruster surfer. Maurizio allied with Aldo’s son Paolo to gain control of the Board of Directors and established the Gucci Licensing division in the Netherlands for tax purposes. Simon Anderson Australian, first to win competitions on thrusters. Rodolfo’s death in 1983 caused a major shakeup in the company when he left his 50% stake in Gucci to his son, Maurizio Gucci. George Freeth. By the mid-1980s, when Aldo was convicted of tax evasion in the United States by the testimony of his own son, the outrageous headlines of gossip magazines generated as much publicity for Gucci as its designs. Bill Andrews, La Jolla Local http://adaywithba.com.

Meanwhile, infighting was taking its toll on the operations of the company back in Italy: Rodolfo and Aldo squabbled over the Parfums division, of which Rodolfo controlled a meager 20% stake. Shaun Tomson, one of the last top pros of the single fin era. It didn’t take long before counterfeiters ravaged the company’s pomp by flooding the market with cheap knockoffs, further tarnishing the Gucci name. Pipeline. But by the 1980s, Gucci had lost its appeal, becoming a tacky airport brand.". Gerry Lopez, Mr. "In the 1960s and 1970s," writes Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter, "Gucci had been at the pinnacle of chic, thanks to icons such as Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, and Jacqueline Onassis. Terry "TubeSteak" Tracy, The Original Big Kahoona http://www.tubesteak.org.

The newly-founded wholesaling business had brought the once-exclusive brand to over a thousand stores in the United States alone with the GAC line, deteriorating the brand’s standing with fashionable customers. SP. Within a few years, the Parfums division began outselling the Accessories division. Jake Mattocks, Mr. Though the Gucci Accessories Collection was well received, it proved to be the destabilizing force that brought the Gucci dynasty crashing down. Rell Sunn, Queen of Makaha, O‘ahu. Aldo relegated control of Parfums to his son Roberto in an effort to weaken Rodolfo’s control of the overall operations of the company. Scott Bass Surfer Magazine online editor and pioneer of stand-paddle surfing.

GAC consisted of small accessories, such as cosmetic bags, lighters, and pens, which were priced at considerably lower points than the other items in the company’s accessories catalogue. Australia, dominant surfer of the twin fin era. In 1979, Aldo developed the Gucci Accessories Collection, or GAC, intended to bolster the sales for the Gucci Parfums sector, which his sons controlled. Mark Richards, Newcastle. At the time, brothers Aldo and Rodolfo controlled equal 50% shares of the company, though Aldo felt that his brother contributed less to the company than he and his sons did. Greg Noll, big wave pioneer, rode biggest wave of his era at Makaha. Gucci remained one of the premier luxury goods establishments in the world until the late 1970s, when a series of disastrous business decisions and family quarrels brought the company to the verge of bankruptcy. Greg Cipes, United States.

Kennedy. Robbie Page, Australia. President John F. Keala Kennelly, Kauai. At that time, the company also developed its famous GG logo (Guccio Gucci's initials), the Flora silk scarf (worn prominently by Hollywood actress Grace Kelly), and the Jackie O shoulder bag, made famous by Jackie Kennedy, the wife of U.S. Bob Simmons, Initiated change in surfboards from flat logs to modern styles. Gucci targeted the Far East for further expansion in the late 1960s, opening stores in Hong Kong and Tokyo. Tom Blake, Early 20th century surf pioneer, added fins to surfboards.

As the Gucci expanded overseas, board meetings about the company’s future often ended with tempers flaring and luggage and purses flying. Laird Hamilton, Hawaii, California, Big wave Rider and tow-in surfing inventor. Disputes regarding inheritances, stock holdings, and day-to-day operations of the stores often divided the family and led to alliances. Duke Paoa Kahanamoku, olympian and Ambassador of Surfing. Even in Gucci’s fledgling years, the family was notorious for its ferocious infighting. Rusty. After Guccio's death in 1953, Aldo helped lead the company to a position of international prominence, opening the company’s first boutiques in London, Paris and New York. Volcom.

Guccio and his wife Aida Calvelli had a large family, six children in all, though only his sons—Vasco, Aldo, Ugo, and Rodolfo—would play a role in leading the company. Oakley. During the 1950s, Gucci also developed the trademark striped webbing, which was derived from the saddle girth, and the suede moccasin with a metal bit. Ezekiel. In 1947, Gucci introduced the bamboo handle handbag, which is still a company mainstay. Reef. Guccio was responsible for designing many of the company's most notable products. DaKine.

In 1938, Gucci expanded and a boutique was opened in Rome. Hurley. As a young man, he travelled to Paris and London, where he "gained an appreciation of cosmopolitan culture, sophistication, and aesthetics." Gucci opened his first boutique in the family’s native Florence in 1921 and quickly built a reputation for quality, hiring the best craftsmen he could find to work in his atelier. Roxy. Guccio Gucci was the son of an Italian merchant from the country’s northern manufacturing region. O'Neill. Like many other high-fashion companies, Gucci began as a small, family-owned saddlery and leather goods store. Mambo.

. Quiksilver. It was founded by Guccio Gucci (1881-1953) in Florence in 1921. Rip Curl. Gucci, or the House of Gucci, is an Italian haute couture establishment. Billabong. Bedat & Co (85%). Blue Horizon (2004).

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