Rizzoli New York, 384 pages Available at National Book Store
MANILA, Philippines - Everyone’s encountered Gucci’s red and green stripes in some way, shape or form. Mine was through a bag my mother gave me, which had the works: the stripes, the interlocking “G”s and the horse-bit buckle. It was a bag that served me in good stead and is still usable today, despite the fact that I hauled it around every day for years.
Which is a pretty solid testament to the durability of Gucci’s craftsmanship. Another is Gucci: The Making Of, a fashion doorstop that chronicles the fortunes of the legendary Italian fashion house. The book has no author as such, but in between the glossy photographs are essays presented like little pullouts on rich, parchment-like paper. An interesting touch — even if a bit self-indulgent — is a recreation of a letter from Michelle Obama on White House stationery to Gucci creative director Frida Giannini, thanking her so much “for the beautiful Jackie bag. It was such a thoughtful gesture, and I was interested to learn about its storied history.”
That history is fleshed out in previously unpublished photographs from magazines, films and the Gucci historical archive, taking the reader from Gucci’s artisanal beginnings through the Tom Ford years to the current iteration under Giannini, who edited the book. Published in conjunction with the opening of the new Gucci museum in Florence, this book is one hell of a souvenir.
In it, you are taken behind the scenes to learn about Gucci’s fabrication methods and signature materials, plus its long-term love affair with high society and Hollywood icons. From Madonna and Sarah Jessica Parker to TomKat and Salma Hayek, the book features Hollywood’s brightest fashionistas in their Gucci best.
I love the essays (by contributors Stefano Tonchi, Katie Grand and Peter Arnell, among others), who give personalized tributes to just what makes Gucci such an iconic Italian brand, as well as a company that always somehow stays modern, with one crafty hand in the future, and a finger ever on the pulse of fashion.