By: Madi Franklin This garment was designed by Tom Ford for Gucci. The 100% Python jacket was designed for Gucci’s Spring 2000 Ready-To-Wear collection.
History Social – In the 1980s the Gucci business was faced with many family issues leading into much bigger problems for the Gucci family. It all started in May 1980, when Rodolfo Gucci passed away and his son Maurizio took over the company, since he was the main shareholder. He forced his cousin to sign his shares over and made his uncle relinquish his rights to the company. Later in the late 1980s, Maurizio’s Uncle, Aldo, was convicted with misuse of company funds as well as tax evasion in the United States. Aldo was sentenced to a year and a day in prison and a 300,000 fee. With Aldo in prison and Rodolfo dead, the company was losing its luxury name. Maurizio sought out help from an investor group, InvestCorp. The extra cash did not help and InvestCorp ending up suing Maurizio, he hadn’t told the investors about the state of Gucci’s U.S. operation (“Gucci Group”). InvestCorp made Maurizio sell the rest of his 50 percent of the company to
them in 1993, “this transaction marked the first time that control of the firm was not in family hands” (“Gucci Group”). Shortly after all the chaos, Tom Ford was named creative director and went on to rebuild the Gucci name as well as in 2000 design that jacket I get to study. EconomicIn the midst of the social disaster I just explained, Gucci was also heading toward bankruptcy. It was said to be “the poorest time in the company’s history” (“Gucci”). Within one decade Gucci’s economic standpoint fluctuated drastically. It started in the mid 80s when Maurizio took over the company. Under his control the company’s luxury status dropped when they started selling cheap key chains, umbrellas, and other accessories. These cheap products were an effect of Gucci’s rapid expansion (Agins). Searching for help, Maurizio made a deal with InvestCorp. The extra money ended up not helping, “the renamed Gucci America Inc. had lost over $30 million, not counting past debts of over $100 million” (“Gucci Group”). After learning the Aldo scandal, InvestCorp made Maurizio sell his shares to them. They got to work on rebuilding the company right away by installing their own management team. They hired Tom ford, who would become the creative director, and Domenico De Sole, who became the CEO in 1995. Domenico changed the way the company functioned by downsizing the company to regain its luxurious status while Ford’s flashy designs boosted sales. Over the next decade, Ford revamped Gucci and the brand's annual sales boosted from $230 million to $3 billion (“Gucci Group”). PoliticsIn 1999 with the intent to take over, Bernard Arnault, head of LVHM, increased its shareholdings in Gucci. Domenico De Sole was hinted of this situation ahead of time and denied Arnault a position on the board of directors. On the board Arnault would have had access to Gucci’s confidential information including earnings reports, strategies, and design concepts. De Sole responded by releasing new shares of stock to dilute the value of Arnault’s holdings and by making a strategic alliance with Pinault-Printemps-Redoute. PPR agreed to the alliance and bought 37 million shares in the company but a legal battle ensued when the legitimacy of the deal was challenged. The conclusion was that the deal was legit because the countries business laws were not violated. In 2001 a settlement agreement was put into place between Gucci, PPR, and LVHM (“Gucci”).
This garment is designed by Tom Ford for his Fall 2016 Ready-To-Wear collection. This garment can be compared to Tom Ford’s fall 2000 jacket because of its full length zipper, elasticized cuffed sleeves, and its sexy aesthetic. If you look at the other pieces in Tom Fords collections you will rarely see a jacket that zips all the way, making these two garments the most comparable. Ford even designed the fit of the sleeves the same way, making the wrist elasticized cuffs. The components that these two pieces share give both garments a sexy aesthetic. It is form fitting to emphasis the upper half of the body. The buckles, the neckline, and textures are the differences of the pieces. The buckles give the 2016 look something a little extra that the look from 2000 lacks. What the jacket from 2000 lacks in complexity it makes up for in its pattern. The spring 2000 jacket is made from 100 percent python while the fall 2016 jacket is a much sleeker leather. The last key difference is the collars; the python jacket has a stand up collar while the newer look is elasticized along with pleating. The collars are a big difference because they are what allows the two looks to achieve their own separate character. Although the two jackets both have a retro feel, the difference between the time periods of these two pieces are apparent in the designs. The 2016 jackets structure is much more complex giving the look a more modern feel. It consists of buckles and pleats which are components of a lot of today’s high-end apparel. Although the pattern makes the design from 2000 look much more complex, the structure is much simpler. Using animal skins is such a look from the past it is easy to differentiate the two looks and their time periods because of that one specific feature.
History SocialTom Ford has always been known for challenging the fashion industry by creating new ways to make his designs stand out. This year it was a new marketing strategy called “see now, buy now”. This means customers can purchase his new collection right after its debut. He explains he made this change because costumers no longer want to wait until next season to make purchases, they want it simultaneously (“Tom Ford”). Since wholesalers receive the collection ahead of time they sign a discloser that they won’t leak pictures before it premieres on the runway. Ford never liked the idea of costumers being able to see the collection through press and the internet before he had the chance to sell a single piece. See now, buy now also illuminates the ability of smaller companies to copy the designs and put them in store before the luxury designs hit the market. The way fashion is presented to the public may be shifting for good (Mower).
EconomicIn a recent interview, Tom Ford told CNBC that the geopolitical tensions and economic crisis in Russia and the Middle East are impacting the whole fashion industry. Ford says the major brands that are located in many major cities are definitely going to feel that hit. Since Tom Ford has a hundred stores around the world, his brand is vulnerable to the economic situations in other countries. Ford has four stores in Russia, where the oil crisis and low value of currency is changing consumer habits. “The interesting thing is that our Russian customers are not travelling as much. So our Russian customers are not spending as much in Milan, they're not spending as much in London, they're not spending as much in Los Angeles," Ford explains (Ellyatt). Ford finds it interesting that the sales in Russia are going up, they are shopping at home. Still in the process of expanding, Ford feels like he was lucky he wasn’t affected as much as larger luxury brands (Ellyatt). ReligiousTom Ford, who uses sex to sell, is known for his banned ads and to sometimes take things slightly over the edge. This time The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights is outraged about his ‘penis pendant necklace’ that resembles a cross. This 18 carat pendant comes in silver or gold, in small, medium, or large, and is priced at $790. (Joshi). Although the necklace was supposed to resemble the phallic fascinus charms worn by ancient Romans, the public couldn’t get over the cross-like structure. Ford released this piece around Christmas time, receiving a lot of criticism and even homophobic remarks. “When we learned of this item, I said to the staff that I bet this guy Tom Ford is a homosexual, I was right. He even thinks he is married”, Bill Donahue, the CEO of the Catholic League, said in an interview (Sieczkowski).
Gucci Gold 1.
The theme of the display is a retro neon
disco theme. 2.
My project was originally about a jacket
designed by Tom Ford made for Gucci. Tom Ford’s merchandise is not in the window. It wouldn’t be appropriate because he doesn’t work for Gucci any more. Nonetheless, these are all Gucci bags that are displayed in the Gucci store windows. 3.
The bags are the main focus of the display.
The bags featured in this display represent the innovation that Gucci is as well as the classic Gucci look. The neon lights frame the bags to draw your eye to the purses and the red cushions make the ones on the bottom very apparent. 4. To me, this window display is very eye catching and innovative but there are a few aspects I would tweak. I would add another subtle light shining onto the front of each bag. Although the neon lights around the bags add to the theme I feel as though the shadows on the bags camouflage the darker colors. The bags on the top cast a show down onto the ones under them. If there was a subtle light emphasizing the front a little more they would really pop away from the wall. The people at Gucci really pay attention to the detail of their merchandise, making the details a huge selling point. With the extra light those important details would be apparent which would ensure that everyone passing by the window would see the embellishments shining. Another way this could be changed
would be by hanging the bags off of pegs that are attached to the wall. This way would eliminate the show of the shelf while also displaying the straps of the purse as well. 5. SWOT Analysis a. Strengths- The strengths for this display include that fact that it is innovative. Since the brand as a whole has such an innovative presence it provides a huge opportunity to make the merchandizing unique and eye catching. The bright colors of the display catch everyone’s eye in the day time as well as in the night time with the neon lights. The location of this window display is also a strength. It is located on Michigan Avenue on the magnificent mile, where thousands of people pass every day. To me, their biggest strength is their quality. The merchandise has the utmost quality as well as the display as a whole. It is apparent that time, effort, and money was put into these displays. The velvet seats are pristine and appear of thick, high quality fabric. The merchandizing team found the best materials and used them instead of finding something that fits and saying good enough. They didn’t just paint the walls red, they appear to have installed detailed red panels instead. Gucci has the capabilities to go above and beyond with their marketing techniques since they are such a well-known, highend brand. Because of their status as a brand, their strengths also include resources, assets, people, reach, experience, and capabilities. b. Weaknesses- Although Gucci has a lot of strengths they still need to keep an eye on their weaknesses. As a luxury brand, Gucci is subject to sales fluctuations in the industry. Do to the economy the sales of the brand could fluctuate drastically without warning. If another economic crisis would occur Gucci would be subject
to the effects of the poor economic state. The second weakness of the company is the fact that it has a very diverse product range. This makes the brand susceptible to brand dilution if they are not careful. c. Opportunities- This new Gucci look provides a lot of opportunities for the brand in business and product development. In the future, Gucci will attract a younger audience since brand names are becoming very important to the younger generations. Gucci will also have the opportunity to expand into various business segments when it is needed. Since they are already a well-established luxury brand, they can branch off into a broader market to meet future needs. This will be useful if the need the create and expand more luxurious products arises. d. Threats- Competition is always a major threat of the fashion industry. This display features bags and the competition in the bag industry is huge. There are so many well-known designers in the same area even. The competition just on Michigan Avenue is Chanel and Prada. There are even more just walking distance away. The fact that there are so many bag competitors is the biggest threat of this display. Also, fast fashion is making it harder for higher quality brands to keep up. Fast fashion speeds up the processes of fashion which means Gucci must be extremely competitive and innovative.
Gucci Target Customer Demographics: upper class men and women ages 30-55 Psychographics: luxury apparel and accessories, blogging, traveling, going to formal events Geographics: urban areas ex: New York City, Chicago, and cities on the west coast
3 Places to find the Gucci customer At all three places, everyone was wearing very formal outfits, not a single person was wearing sweatpants or looked un-kept.
900 N Michigan Avenue Shops-The mall across from Water Tower Place with all the designer stores and Bloomingdales in the back. There was a lot more people than the other 2 places. Everyone was very quiet and walked in a fast pace like they had places to be.
Women: Big fur coats Glasses Carried designer purses on their arms Hair down and straightened or curled nicely Minimal makeup or lots of makeup Heels
Men: Watches Suits Knee length coats Formal leather shoes Very well groomed
Barney’s New York on OakThere was a lot less people than at the mall and mostly all men. The atmosphere was very quiet but the shoppers didn’t look as serious as at the mall. Individuals or groups of two Suits Wool sweaters Glasses Scarfs Black or red Heels Minimal makeup Tiffany and Co. I saw a lot of the same thing. There was one woman shopping by herself, one woman shopping with another woman, a couple shopping together, and four men in the store. It was quiet but a cheerful atmosphere. Black Business attire Suits Heels Sweaters Big Coats Winter hats
Gucci StoreMost of the men I saw were wearing leather loafers and fitted suits. Both of these items are sold in the Gucci store right now. I also noticed the color red a lot. Red is the prominent color of the store and I noticed the statement color in everyone’s outfit was also red. Gucci is known for their use of patterns including in their current collection which incorporates plaid. I saw at least 3 plaid scarves or coats. The last thing I noticed was the use of accessories. Gucci carries a wide variety of accessories in their current collection. Most shoppers had at least one accessory, like a bright hat, big earrings, glasses, or giant rings. Everyone that entered the store definitely made a statement with their outfits just like the merchandise in the Gucci store does.
Fall 2016 Runway Everyone was wearing knee length coats, fur or trench, with a hint of red in their scarves or their shoes. The men wear wearing loafers and fitted suits. I didn’t see any garments that were straight off the runway.
S/S 2017 Gucci’s Spring/Summer 2017 collection is full of a variety of embroidery, colors, prints, and fabrics with the theme of a “70’s nightclub… maybe it’s a high-class pick-up joint”. The collection doesn’t focus on any one specific aspect like silhouette or pattern. Instead, they put their effort into designing every silhouette to be different with abstract ruffles and fabrics. No piece is subtle, they layered vintage looks with pop culture references. Most garments are completely adorned with sparkles or floral patterns and partnered with equally abstract patterned accessories or coats. The main colors of the collection are pinks, reds, and browns but also bright colors thrown into the mix at random points.
Silk and Summer
I think the Gucci customer will be adopt silk as a trend. They will adopt this because they want to stand out while also looking important and high-end. The way silk is portrayed on the Gucci Spring/Summer 2017 runway is very innovative and will make anyone want to wear silk. They used the fabric in many unique ways including as a gown, pantsuit, culottes, and a few skirts. The way they styled their silk looks is very inventive, they even paired this elegant fabric with a graphic tee. No matter how you style silk it will always be a statement and that is what this target market is looking for. Link to Polyvore- http://www.polyvore.com/silk_summer/set?id=212719535
Citation Agins, Teri. "How Italy's Gucci Changed From Has-Been to Talk of Town." Wall Street Journal. N.p., 27 Jan. 1999. Web. 4 Oct. 2016. Ellyatt, Holly, and Tania Bryer. "Fashion Is Feeling Geopolitical Heat: Tom Ford." CNBC. CNBC, 02 Feb. 2015. Web. 05 Oct. 2016. "Gucci Group N.V. - Company Profile, Information, Business Description, History, Background Information on Gucci Group N.V." Reference For Business. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Oct. 2016. "Gucci." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 04 Oct. 2016. Joshi, Pryia. "Designer Tom Ford Slammed for Launching 'penis Pendant' Necklaces at Christmas." International Business Times RSS. N.p., 13 Dec. 2014. Web. 05 Oct. 2016. Mower, Sarah. "Burberry and Tom Ford Both Announce See-Now-Buy-Immediately Collections for September." Vogue. N.p., 05 Feb. 2016. Web. 05 Oct. 2016. Sieczkowski, Cavan. "Tom Ford's Controversial Gold Penis Necklace Has Some Outraged." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, n.d. Web. 05 Oct. 2016. “Tom Ford's Revolutionary Approach to Fashion." CNN. Cable News Network, n.d. Web. 05 Oct. 2016.