Just as other designer handbag companies, Gucci started out in the luggage and leather goods business. 50 years ago Gucci began as a small family business in the country side of Italy, selling its crafted leather goods. Later they expanded to Rome as their business started to grow. This was about the same time that Gucci started making their high quality designer handbags, one of which being their famous bamboo handle handbag, as well as their trademark designs of striped webbing.
Soon after the bamboo handle design Gucci became almost an instant international success! Gucci then created more lines of handbags, such as the moccasin handbag with metal bit, which just increased their popularity in the fashion world. At this point even Hollywood stars such as Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn started toting around Gucci handbags. This was just the ticket Gucci needed to be catapulted into the fashion elites list of favorite brands.
Of course as time passed, Gucci's popularity rose among the fashion trends and Gucci's market grew beyond their famous handbags. Gucci decided to expand beyond just the scope of the US and European markets to Asia as well. This was about the same time that Gucci's started seeing a decline in not only popularity but quality as well.
Gucci was a family ran business, with quarreling members. This caused many disagreements about what path in the fashion industry Gucci should take. During the 70s these disputes almost brought Gucci to the verge of bankruptcy. It was this problem that Gucci decided to go into other ventures such as perfumes and and other small cheap accessories. This caused the once prominent stand with fashionable customers to deteriorate dramatically. The overall business of Gucci declined rapidly during the 80s to the point of fashion publications cracking jokes about the brand.
By the 90s, Gucci changed management, went public and have restructured their business. This hard work has paid off for the brand and has shot them back in the fore front of designer handbags and accessories. Though Gucci may have had troubles in family and in business throughout much of the 60s-80s, their products usually have maintained a very high quality. This quality of product, especially their handbags, has been the only thing that kept them in business during those turbulent times. Gucci handbags have certainly stood a test of time, which isn't easy in the trendy and competitive world of fashion!