House of Gucci, Tom Ford and Domenico De Sole – Mimi Tang on the Italian luxury label’s Asia success story
- When former Gucci Asia-Pacific head Mimi Tang joined in 1998, the region made up less than 3 per cent of global sales; it was over 30 per cent when she left
- She says Tom Ford had irresistible charm, Domenico De Sole was a rare CEO who respected local management, and one House of Gucci scene rings very true to her
The family saga of murder and betrayal at the centre of House of Gucci, the new movie directed by Ridley Scott starring Lady Gaga, has made headlines for its stranger-than-fiction quality.
The operatic film centres on Patrizia Reggiani, played by Gaga, and her successful plot to murder her husband, Maurizio Gucci. It also sheds light on the corporate machinations that ultimately led to the Gucci family’s demise and the birth of the Gucci brand as we know it: a global juggernaut with hundreds of stores around the world.
Long is the list of European family-owned fashion labels that have been taken over by larger groups in the past two decades to spur growth and expansion. Gucci is arguably the poster child for these often messy takeovers that have changed the luxury industry from a system of small players based in Italy and France to one of consolidation, in which a handful of mega-conglomerates rule.
Ford and De Sole’s characters both appear in the film but it’s the latter who plays a pivotal role in the story. Played by Jack Huston, De Sole is portrayed as a sort of eminence grise, a savvy lawyer who works behind the scenes and eventually gets the top job through a series of smart moves that did not endear him to the Gucci clan.