Lady Gaga and Adam Driver on the set during the ‘House of Gucci’ filing in Como, Italy.
Vittorio Zunino Celotto / GC Images / Getty Images
Vittorio Zunino Celotto / GC Images / Getty Images
Gucci is very familiar with falling in and out of passion. The Italian brand’s relationship with consumers has long traced the arc of wild passion followed by a weakened interest, before a new creative mind rekindles the romance.
In these blocking times, Gucci is not feeling particularly adored. Sales in 2020 fell for the first time in half a dozen years. Consumers who just a year ago clamored for Gucci’s minimalistic and geek chic floral designs, suddenly found the noisy appearance unsuitable for the era of home sweatpants or the somber aesthetic advocated by Yves Saint Laurent or Celine.
Now, an upcoming film about love, revenge and death at “Gucci’s House” promises to provide a much-needed lift in the year that Gucci turns 100. The eponymous film is based on historical facts, featuring singer Lady Gaga as Patrizia Reggiani, the rejected ex-wife who planned the murder in 1995 of her ex-husband, the heir to the Maurizio Gucci family, played by Adam Driver.
Life of lust
Although it is hardly an uplifting storyline, the themes of lust, lust and luxury perfectly capture the industry, he said. Gachoucha Kretz, associate professor of marketing at the HEC Paris business school.
“The release of this film is very good for Gucci,” said Kretz. “The brand’s DNA will not be harmed, as it has an exceptional cast acting in a glamorous and elegant biopic.”
Then there are the clothes. The November 24 release date may take many months, but the still images are already creating a stir on social media. In one, Driver sports a cream-colored knit sweater while Lady Gaga wears a white fur hat, cascading necklaces over a black jumpsuit adorned with gold buttons, the ensemble radiating to her nearly 47 million Instagram followers.
The star-studded cast also includes Oscar winners Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons and Jared Leto, who have appeared in previous Gucci campaigns.
Consumers have long cried out for Gucci’s maximal floral designs, but the pandemic has started a more subdued aesthetic.
Photographer: Pietro S. D’Aprano / Getty Images
The convergence of film, crime and high fashion has existed for decades. Giorgio Armani got a big boost in 1980 with “American Gigolo”, where Richard Gere’s soft color palette and smooth lines gave rise to the masculine look of a generation. The murder of Gianni Versace in Florida in 1997 became “The Murder of Gianni Versace: American Crime History” and aired three years ago.
Dark life
Yves Saint Laurent’s life was transformed into two separate films in 2014, which retraced the French designer’s rise to international stardom, as well as his struggles against a self-destructive tendency and drug addiction. Despite the gloomy tones, the brand’s sales almost tripled in the next five years.
Patrizia Reggiani, left, during the 1995 murder trial of Maurizio Gucci.
Photographer: Luca Bruno / AP Photo
Gucci is not directly involved in the film about the sinister family tale, based on Bloomberg journalist Sara Forden’s book, “The Gucci House: A sensational story of murder, madness, glamor and greed.” Maurizio Gucci himself sold his remaining stake in the brand 1 and a half years before his murder, for which Reggiani spent 18 years in prison.
But the company made its file available to director Ridley Scott, and the images that emerged publicly show a parade of plaid jackets, polka dot dresses and a creamy turtleneck in a glamorous old-world setting, from the resort in the snowy mountains to the shores of Lago de As.
Illuminating the founding family that founded Gucci in 1921 in Florence, Italy, helps the brand polish its credentials with a European customer base, at a time when big spenders from China and the Middle East stopped visiting Paris, Rome and London .
Fancy style
Gucci’s success, particularly in Asia, helped drive the brand close to 10 billion euros ($ 11.8 billion) in revenue in 2019. Under the leadership of CEO Marco Bizzarri and Creative Director Alessandro Michele, sales more than doubled between 2015 and 2019.
The drop last year, however, was more pronounced than in other brands in the Kering SA stable, like Yves Saint Laurent. Meanwhile, sales at Bottega Veneta have increased, suggesting that consumers may be getting tired of Michele’s extravagant aesthetic.
Critical acclaim for “House of Gucci” is yet to come, but the fact that Gucci chose not to play a direct role in the project could work to your advantage anyway, said Mario Ortelli, founding partner of the luxury consultancy Ortelli & Co. in London.
“If it is a success, you can catch that wave,” said Ortelli. “If not, you may want to keep your distance.”