Paolo Gucci is a famous Italian fashion designer and businessman who is largely credited with designing the famous double G logo for Gucci. During his career he became vice president and one time chief designer for the brand. He was also a talented artist who contributed greatly to the design of the company’s clothing.
Historical context
In the late 1980s, there was a large family conflict surrounding Paolo Gucci. His uncle, Rodolfo Gucci, tried to prevent him from trading under the Gucci name, but he was able to convince his cousin, Maurizio, to let him.
The movie, House of Gucci, follows the life of one of the family’s most famous members. It also includes a look at the business side of the company, including financial conflicts within the family.
The movie takes place during the ’80s, but the family was involved in a long series of legal squabbles and feuds. Some of the conflicts included allegations of tax evasion, assault, and dilution of the trademark.
As the film’s title suggests, the movie centers around a son, Paolo, who wants to be a designer. However, the family’s creative differences led to a crisis in the company.
Career
Paolo Gucci was a fashion designer, and one of the chief players in the battle for control of the fashion dynasty founded by his grandfather. He was the grandson of Guccio Gucci, who established the brand in 1906.
Although he was only a child when his grandfather died, Paolo went on to become the chief designer at the company. The business grew and he had a big hand in the development of the iconic “double G” logo.
However, he was eventually fired by his father, Rodolfo, who also later joined the family business. His death in 1995 ended the saga of the Gucci dynasty.
After his death, the family decided to buy back the rights to the brand. This was a major victory in the copyright battles between the members of the family.
Personal life
Paolo Gucci was a man who had his share of ups and downs in his life. He had ambitious dreams for his business. In his heyday, he claimed to have designed 80% of the catalog for Gucci. His designs appeared on 4,000 products. But he also had his own financial woes.
After his divorce, he spent five weeks in jail in New York for failing to pay back alimony. When he left his wife, he had two children. And when he died, he was living in poverty in London.
Despite the fact that he was a renowned designer, he was a businessman at heart. He owned two upstate New York farms.
One of his biggest projects was to develop a fashion house using his name. Unfortunately, the company’s board took a dim view of his venture. They sent a warning to all suppliers.
Family rifts with sons
The Gucci family has been involved in various rifts. The family feuds began during the late 1970s. This period saw power struggles between Maurizio and Paolo’s faction. However, the feud didn’t affect the company’s finances.
During this time, the family had a tendency to turn away from business. They preferred to indulge in their social status instead. As a result, the family became increasingly arrogant. Their greed and foolish expansion proved to be costly.
After the death of Guccio, the family split the company between the three sons. Maurizio became the majority owner. Aldo and Paolo were given a small portion of the ownership. But Maurizio was unsatisfied with his son’s ideas for the business. He wanted to change the company to a modern corporation.
Death
Paolo Gucci is a former designer for the Gucci family. He was born into a wealthy Italian family. But he squandered his inheritance on risky business ventures. And when he died at 64, he left behind a legacy of lawsuits and financial woes.
In an attempt to save his beloved company, Paolo spent millions of dollars on a series of lawsuits against his family. Eventually, his lawsuits triggered a downward spiral for the Gucci family.
The “Guccification” of the name has become a play on the word “justification” to show how much better something is than what it is. This is especially true in the case of the family’s storied fashion brand.
Patrizia was the mastermind of this scheme. She enlisted the help of her uncle Aldo to lure Maurizio back into the family business. They were able to convince him to come home, but he jumped the gun and pushed the pair too far.