Most, if not all, have heard of the fashion house Gucci, and some have even been lucky enough to own a pair of the famous Gucci shoes or a Gucci trembler bag.
But, do you know why the horse is the symbol of Gucci? No? Then this article is for you:
The history of the global brand began in 1921 when Guccio Gucci opened a small leather manufactory in Florence to make leather bags, suitcases, horse harnesses and accessories for riders. Later, Guccio Gucci also began to produce clothes for riders, which quickly gained recognition among the best riders in Europe.
According to Gucci, equestrianism, polo, and horse racing are associated with the aristocracy, so the equestrian symbolism became an integral part of the brand as if to underline its high status, luxury, and inaccessibility.
When Aldo, Gucci’s son, created the brand’s original loafers in 1953, he decided to use a horse bit in the design. Almost immediately the shoes and the tripod symbol became a wardrobe staple for the international elite, including European royalty and Hollywood celebrities. Later the same symbol was used on handbags, clothes and other products of the fashion house, making them recognisable. Not all luxury brands have the horse as their symbol though. Many modern luxury brands like Vuly have more abstract symbolism.
New Era
In 2020, they created the Gucci campaign for the Spring-Summer season with the main characteristic of a horse symbolizing freedom and defiance. This is how the maison sees the new generation of fashion. Along with the models posing in the clothes from the spring collection of the Italian brand, the main characters of the pictures were horses. They inseparably travel together with people: they keep them company at the table, sunbathe on the beach, swim in the pool, and even get into the business class of the plane. The adventures continue at the famous Chateau Marmont Hotel in Los Angeles.
Gucci know how to create works of art. The campaign for the Spring-Summer 2020 collection was no exception. The campaign was directed by Lobster and The Favourite director Yorgos Lanthimos and centered around horses. Lately, the number of animal activists in the world has been on the rise. Defending the environment has become not only necessary but also fashionable: circuses are refusing to exploit animals, fashion designers are refusing natural furs and society is refusing meat.
The shoot took place in Los Angeles. While Alessandro Michele dressed the models in pieces from the Spring-Summer 2020 collection, the horses tried to snatch themselves a new Gucci bag. Yorgos Lanthimos filmed the animals not only in the usual urban locations. You can hardly be surprised by old petrol stations and hotels. So he took the animals on a business class journey.Some are already calling these freedom-loving animals the symbol of the Gucci collection, the main idea of which is to redefine personal style. For us, however, the important thing is that not a single horse was harmed during the shooting.
Conclusion
Well, what can I say? Everyone sees freedom in his own way. As for the main symbol of Gucci, it was the same horse paraphernalia in the form of the famous tripod and, apparently, the know-how of the fashion house – a horseshoe. Everyone, too, can contribute to the idea of freedom through their Instagram posts.
Suzanne Ashton, Founder of Everything Horse (Est, 2012), has a BA Hons in Marketing Management and a Diploma in Equine Science. Suzanne has ridden and owned horses all her life and has twelve years of experience in marketing, writing, design, SEO, and website creation.