Gucci Brand | Fashion Industry Brands

GUCCI
on the rack
by Ian Cocoran
May 7, 2001

Think Italian, think elegance, think style and think Gucci – the ubiquitous uniform of the well heeled and cultured, and a prerequisite label for today’s upper class. But what do we think about Gucci.com? Is it set to help the brand get dressed for success, or would it have been better off left hanging in the closet?

First impressions of Gucci’s

Internet offering are that its more of a wallflower than an active participant and that the company is suffering from an attack of inertia when dealing with the potential of the world-wide-web. Quite the opposite of the clothing that’s made the fashion house iconic, the homepage is drab and exudes mediocrity when it should, instead, come to the ‘net with a strut and a swagger.

The content is basic, the photographs bland and the lackluster site sections seem to pervade in monotony as navigation around this limp-wristed effort becomes a whole lot more of a chore than a pleasure. The collection section is especially poor, with some lifeless stills and an interview with the Creative Director, Tom Ford, representing the best that Gucci can offer in their attempt to enhance the kudos that’s associated with the brand. But if you think that’s bad just wait till you get to the Culture section, where the self-indulgent profile of Domenico De Sole is matched only in excitement by the seemingly pointless shots of Gucci stores – each about as useful as a handbrake on a canoe.

Ian Cocoran is an Operations Director with one of the world's largest chemical distributors. He has an MBA in Marketing from the Buckinghamshire Business School and lives in Glasgow, Scotland, with his wife Kate and daughter Lucy.

*Due to the constantly changing environment of websites, some reviews may no longer reflect the current website for this brand.


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