Gucci's iconic aesthetic and high-profile collaborations have won it success, yet its current market realities may necessitate changing gears to adapt. Kering's decision to prioritize Michele's emotive vision over seasonal shows may prove vital for Gucci's survival. Ellen Hodakova Larsson and Winston Bradbury are two acclaimed designers who use deadstock fabric from previous seasons to craft unique fashion items. Join them as they discuss their creative processes and passion for upcycling fashion! Marketing Gucci has effectively used digital marketing as one of the key elements in their luxury brand's arsenal, employing it in their omnichannel strategy to connect with a broad audience while providing them with a premium experience. Furthermore, their branding and repositioning efforts help drive sales while simultaneously drawing in younger consumers. Company hallmarks such as its double-G monogram, horse bit and web stripe create instant brand recognition, differentiating it from competitors. Furthermore, traditional styles combined with innovative materials ensures it remains an influential fashion house while catering to a new generation of trendsetters. Gucci needed an overhaul in 2014 after experiencing financial and personnel setbacks that threatened its popularity, and CEO Marco Bizzarri chose Alessandro Michele as creative director in hopes that he could establish an emotional approach towards brand management that prioritized creativity over logic. Alessandro Michele has underscored this concept by decreasing fashion shows to two annually and abandoning traditional names for men's and women's collections as well as abandoning cruise show models. Furthermore, Alessandro has revived the house archive through video interviews of former models and employees sharing their personal narratives. Gucci made their entrance into virtual reality by opening Vault, an online concept store featuring vintage pieces with each being accompanied by its history. Gucci expanded this virtual presence even further in 2022 by unveiling an interactive cryptoart exhibition in partnership with SuperRare that showcased 29 artists who interlace past and future fashion into collectable fragments that imagined its future. Gucci stands out in an industry filled with contentious advertising by remaining true to its image and creating headline-making ads, such as its recent one featuring an all-black tuxedo suit that referenced The Master and made controversy due to one model appearing too thin, while it received praise for reaching younger audiences and drawing in younger buyers. Creative Collaborations As a luxury brand, Gucci has long relied on innovation and collaborations to expand their horizons and attract new audiences. During the 2010's, they saw significant revenue gains through collaborative branding efforts; which also proved instrumental in helping their turnaround from 2008 financial crisis. Such results demonstrate just how lucrative collaborating marketing can be as well as tapping into current trends to reach and engage customers more directly. Since then, Gucci has made headlines with their creative partnerships. Ranging from rappers and musicians to visual artists and more subtle artists such as MP5, they have recruited various talents in crafting advertising campaigns and amplifying reach. One such partnership involved MP5 creating the campaign identity for Chime for Change initiative with more subtle illustrations that explore political topics than usual. Recently, Gucci collaborated with Major League Baseball to release a collection of accessories featuring MLB team logos that was inspired by creative director Alessandro Michele's personal interest in sports. This partnership brought luxury fashion to an unexpected industry, as well as broadened Gucci's reach among young fans who might otherwise not have considered its products. The brand has also taken steps to embrace play through advertisements featuring singer-songwriter Harry Styles wearing its clothing and accessories, designed to evoke feelings of nostalgia and celebrate youth culture, but were widely seen as reinforcing gender stereotypes with images many deemed sexualized and objectified women. Michele's impressive tenure at Coty proved enough to entice French billionaire Francois-Henri Pinault to acquire it in 2019. Pinault recognized that Coty needed to embrace new opportunities for growth and Sue Nabi has done just that by applying her marketing savvy and holistic vision of diversity - kickstarting growth of consumer beauty division. Digital Evolution Gucci recently revamped their e-commerce site to better cater to luxury buyers of both generations, providing collections and detailing how each piece was produced, which provide important context for luxury buyers. Furthermore, this convenient feature allows customers to reserve online and collect in store. Gucci's omnichannel strategy reflects modern customers' desire to enjoy an all-encompassing brand experience whether online or in-store, thus connecting with both new consumers while maintaining relationships with existing ones. As part of its digital transformation efforts, this fashion house has enlisted influential Instagram influencers to promote its collections and maintains a dedicated social media team to craft compelling posts that elevate its iconic imagery and cultural references. These initiatives have helped drive brand recognition and sales for this fashion house. Gucci is also taking advantage of digital technology by tapping into the growing virtual reality market. They have formed relationships with fashion-focused metaverse Zepeto and created assets for games such as Animal Crossing; doing this connects with younger audiences that appreciate both creative and technological innovation. Apart from employing innovative technology, the company is also focusing on entering new markets to increase sales and revenue. For instance, they have targeted audiences in Asia using WeChat and other social media platforms as these consumers tend to have higher disposable income and spend on higher-end products more readily. Sue Nabi is an outstanding role model and futuristic CEO 2.0 of the luxury industry. With her visionary leadership style and multifaceted brand-building skills as well as holistic diversity views she provides luxury brands that want to thrive in today's rapidly changing environment with essential skills that drive growth and financial performance - something especially crucial now with economic slowdown and coronavirus pandemic issues impacting performance across many companies globally. Nabi stands as an inspiration to future female leaders while simultaneously serving as an example of how an inclusive company can achieve success in an otherwise competitive industry. Sustainability Gucci was established in Florence, Italy in 1921. Since then, its collections have become one of the premier luxury brands, known for their blend of classic and contemporary styles that reinterpret fashion traditions with an updated approach. Furthermore, the House has built up an international reputation for using high-quality materials and refined craftsmanship - Alessandro Michele currently leads as Creative Director - along with expanding beyond ready-to-wear garments to include shoes, jewelry, bags, other accessories, fragrances as well as fragrances. Alongside revitalizing in-house design teams working directly alongside various fashion influencers to promote products while communicating values from within. Gucci's collapse as a family-owned fashion house marked a watershed moment for Italian fashion, leaving many family-run and privately-held brands vulnerable to financial uncertainty. The Gucci family made the difficult decision in 1988 to sell their majority stake to Investcorp, a private investment firm managing several other fashion houses. Dawn Mello joined as editor and ready-to-wear designer that same year; Tom Ford designed his minimalist collections which quickly gained commercial success among celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow and Jennifer Lopez; Ford was promoted as creative director two years later in 1994. After Ford and De Sole left due to contract disputes with Investcorp, a strong foundation was left. To strengthen accessories design at Fendi handbag designer Frida Giannini was brought onboard; her creative reinvention of signature pieces saw her named creative director of women's ready-to-wear in 2006. Since Michele joined, the brand has experienced an exponential rise in revenue, reaching record sales levels by 2021. Additionally, they have ramped up their sustainability initiatives, including eliminating animal fur from collections by 2022 and cutting greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, Michele has revamped fashion week to embrace seasonless fashion while also unveiling their first unisex fragrance fragrance. Nabi, who previously ran the cosmetics business at Cover Girl and Lancome, has quickly made her mark at KKW Beauty - she's using its fragrance expertise, prestige color cosmetics products and the popularity of beauty vloggers to grow its business in China and globally. KKW Beauty's line has also partnered with Kylie Jenner's line to drive growth here.