Mireille Karadanaian is an entertainment journalist, whose passion for reviewing upcoming TV shows and movies has existed since a young age. She writes reviews and feature entertainment stories for The Hollywood Insider’s inclusive and authentic platform, contributing to the important stories being told in media today. Mireille loves discussing the impact today’s media is making on younger generations who emulate what they see on screen and the Internet, a double-edged sword. Her stories often include the importance of creating content that inspires inclusion, positivity, and productive messages to all audiences and generations. Mireille’s love of covering TV shows, movies, and exciting questions that are being asked in the media world is seen in her writing and her ability to not just report facts but also tell a story.
Dec 7, 2021
Table of Contents
Photo: ‘House of Gucci’
Patrizia Reggiani has been nothing but an outsider her entire life. Accustomed to the role, she finds her life flipped upside down when she marries into the luxurious Gucci family. Her current alienation from a humble lifestyle feeds her ambition and she triggers a butterfly effect within the Gucci legacy, inviting betrayal, revenge, and eventually murder upon the family’s name.
The biographical crime drama is directed by Ridley Scott, adapted from the 2001 book written by Sara Gay Forden, ‘The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour and Greed.’ The novel inspired Scott’s vision for the film, wanting to tell the story of the downfall of the Gucci dynasty and the darker side of a name we only associate with luxury and class now.
‘House of Gucci’ – Full Commentary & Behind the Scenes
Reggiani, Maurizio, and the Real-Life Murder Story
After much deliberation, Gaga joined the cast to play Reggiani, Adam Driver, Jared Leto, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Jack Huston, and Reeve Carney also finding respective roles in Scott’s film. Gaga’s character, Reggiani is based on the real woman, Patrizia Reggiani who served an 18-year prison statement for killing her husband, Maurizio Gucci. When interviewed about the dark intentions that spurred the violent act, she said,
“I was angry with Maurizio about many, many things at that time. But above all, this. Losing the family business. It was stupid. It was a failure. I was filled with rage, but there was nothing I could do. He shouldn’t have done that to me.”
Her distaste continued after the film, ‘House of Gucci was announced, with Reggiani hating on the adaptation for its insensitivity and the lack of communication that had occurred.
“I am rather annoyed at the fact that Lady Gaga is playing me in the new Ridley Scott film without having had the consideration and sensibility to come and meet me. It is not an economic question. I won’t get a cent from the film. It is a question of good sense and respect.”
The History Behind Gucci: Humble Origins to Multimillion-Dollar Corporation
The film and the Gucci name hold a lot of history and luxury behind it, seamlessly melding the world of fashion and film in Scott’s production. Guccio Gucci first opened his store in Florence on Via Vigna Nuova in 1921. Little did he know that the quaint little store would transform into one of the most successful industries in the world, his name becoming intertwined with the sex-driven, hip-hop, gender-fluid era of fashion.
Especially in this modern retelling, there is a great appreciation for the incorporation of trends that defied what was expected of Gucci at the time. Ford, who took over after Maurizio Gucci’s death, added a lot of sex appeal to the brand, creating scandalous ads and high-fashion that were very starkly opposite the grunge subculture of that time. When he left, Alessandro Michele took over, he introduced a genderless take on fashion, especially men’s fashion, which revived Gucci’s popularity. Most notably, he had actors Jared Leto and Harry Styles outfitted in Gucci-style dresses and evening gowns, defying the gender stereotypes.
Gucci’s Influence on Trends, Patterns, and Changes in the Fashion Industry
Gucci even infiltrated into the hip-hop genre of music, being the most referenced brand in hip-hop songs. The brand is mentioned 53 times only in one song, ‘Gucci Gang’ by Lil Pump. In the 1980s, Gucci was featured by Dapper Dan, a Harlem designer who created off-brand Gucci monograms for his debut record, ‘Paid in Full.’
His legacy lies not just in the trends he inspired but the resourcefulness that became synonymous with the Gucci name. In WWII, the League of Nations embargos Italy which caused a leather shortage. Gucci, eager to keep his business afloat began creating luggage from woven hemp, with the signature logo of the connecting dark brown diamonds. This inspired other hallmarks of the brand, including the bamboo handle handbag, the double-G monogram, the red bar between the two green stripes, and even Gucci loafers that have metal horse-bit clasps.
The film features many of the above-mentioned iconic products, Lady Gaga’s accent and commanding presence adding to the luxury and illustriousness. Despite the undertones of backstabbing and murdering and all things dark and gritty, there is an opulence in the film that reeks of the Gucci name and history. There are silk cravats and jewels galore, fur coats bigger than the actors themselves, and the Gucci logos on virtually everything and everyone.
Juxtaposition of Fashion and Fame in ‘House of Gucci’
Janty Yates, the film’s costume designer commented on the flamboyance of their outfits and personalities, aiming to communicate both with as much accuracy and respect as possible. “We took [their looks] fairly directly from photographic reference.”
The luxury of the house only complimented their grandeur with tips for the design provided by Valerie Steele, the director of the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology. “It was a luxury house that had a jet-set, international audience. Lots of movie stars like Elizabeth Taylor and celebrities like Jackie Kennedy bought Gucci … It was glamorous.”
At times the film focuses too heavily on the melodramatics that they think will please the audiences and capture their attention. The shift of focus takes away from the professionalism and carefully thought-out fashion undertones that could have elevated the style. There is a lack of attention and credit to the delicate hand-making of the purses and clothes and leather goods. It’s an apparent choice that the directors made but Gaga’s commanding performance is thankfully able to carry the momentum of the film.
Skip or Stream ‘House of Gucci’
With the wide cast playing different important members of the Gucci family, the film included each Gucci member’s specific fashion contributions, highlighting the ways that each and every one of them changed and revolutionized the company and its brand. After the murder, the image became even less cohesive and “shiny” but now there is a full circle cumulation of the brand. By embracing their overextension and adapting the different styles to the 21st century, Gucci has found a way to not just survive but continue to thrive and change the fashion industry, one GG-embalzoned outfit at a time.
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Mireille Karadanaian is an entertainment journalist, whose passion for reviewing upcoming TV shows and movies has existed since a young age. She writes reviews and feature entertainment stories for The Hollywood Insider’s inclusive and authentic platform, contributing to the important stories being told in media today. Mireille loves discussing the impact today’s media is making on younger generations who emulate what they see on screen and the Internet, a double-edged sword. Her stories often include the importance of creating content that inspires inclusion, positivity, and productive messages to all audiences and generations. Mireille’s love of covering TV shows, movies, and exciting questions that are being asked in the media world is seen in her writing and her ability to not just report facts but also tell a story.
Mireille Karadanaian is an entertainment journalist, whose passion for reviewing upcoming TV shows and movies has existed since a young age. She writes reviews and feature entertainment stories for The Hollywood Insider’s inclusive and authentic platform, contributing to the important stories being told in media today. Mireille loves discussing the impact today’s media is making on younger generations who emulate what they see on screen and the Internet, a double-edged sword. Her stories often include the importance of creating content that inspires inclusion, positivity, and productive messages to all audiences and generations. Mireille’s love of covering TV shows, movies, and exciting questions that are being asked in the media world is seen in her writing and her ability to not just report facts but also tell a story.
