Fashion is the most powerful form of art there can be, I've said it countless times. There is just something so grand about the history of it and the people who choose to tell it. The truth is, if you haven't truly been part of it, you can't understand it nor, feel empowered by it. On the other hand, as someone who's life has been revolving around Fashion for as long as I could remember, I find it, and my peers will agree on that matter, delightful to come across storytellers of past generations who are able (and willing) to grant us access to some of the most private and personal moments of their lives.
It was with great enthusiasm that I accepted, after a few emails back and forth with the firm of Communications representing Patricia Gucci's new memoir, the assignment to dive head first into the 300-something pages hard copy found in my mailbox last week. Finally put it down this morning…
The tale coming together in the end is a tailspin of a not so modern romance. Patricia Gucci was born a secret– one of which was illegal at the time it took place in Italy. The lovechild whose birth could have spelled ruination for her father, Aldo Gucci, recalls her late-father's humble beginnings, from her Grandfather Guccio saving up money, working as a page at The Savoy Hotel in London, in the 1890's, to the expansive empire we know it to be today. She relied on her own memories, a collection of love letters and interviews with her mother, and an archive of previously unseen photos to compose what she defines today as a "tribute to her Father".
The memoir feels so quintessentially Gucci. If, like myself, you grew up with a fascination for the iconic and ever-so Italian brand, whether it is an obsession over the infamous G print or, a strong appreciation for Gucci’s current Alessandro Michele-helmed era, I recommend picking it up as a bedside or travel read, as it reads just like a novel. The story is poignant and glamorous, probably worthy of a Greek tragedy or at least, that is how I felt until the very last lines.
You can also read all about how you can give your home the Gucci look, here.
Get your hard copy of In the Name of Gucci: a Memoir by Patricia Gucci now through your favourite bookstore or visit these retailers online for the electronic version:
Photo credits: Piero Gemelli©
