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Giorgio Gucci

Giorgio Gucci, representing the third generation of the Gucci Company, says that “Cuba has always been a charming island.” Coming from a family that over the past 100 years has maintained a prestigious line of deluxe garments and accessories, Giorgio has come up with this brand exclusively for the largest Caribbean island, selling in several boutiques across the country top-of-the-line products at more affordable prices, bearing in mind the characteristics of this particular market.
In addition to running his own stores, Giorgio finds many other satisfactions in Cuba. “I’ve been visiting this fascinating country over the past 25 years and little by little I’ve been rubbing elbows with people in selected places where the exquisiteness of puffing on a habano leads to a whole ritual. In addition, I’ve had the pleasure of spending time with boldface names of the Cuban culture, unique moments in which I’ve smoked a classic habano, thus paying tribute to this elegant gem.”

Beyond the fact that the Giorgio garments and the habanos share the charm of being deluxe products, are there any similarities between both conception processes?
The rigorous process of making both a habano and a garment is complex, let alone considered an art because both cases take delicate craftsmanship. Just like it used to be done in the past, the basics are fulfilled in a completely handmade fashion.
We’re talking about two products that stem from the cultural and social influences of particular periods of time. And even though they are completely diverse, there are similarities in their conception processes.
On the one hand, the making of cigars kicks off with land tilling and goes on with curing, fermentation, aging and selection all the way to the sealing of the container. On the other hand, the making of a garment or le savoir-faire also takes a toilsome effort. It all starts with imagination and fantasy during the sketching process –one of the most romantic elements of fashion- and continues with the selection of colors, the cutting of the cloths and eventually the making of the dress, where our creators get carried away with the magic of handcrafting. 
Just like cigar rollers are considered the instrumental linkage in the making of a good cigar, in the fashion business this figure is represented by the pattern designer, who works in close collaboration with the design division and is tasked with achieving an end result in perfect harmony with the human body, making it look even better sometimes.

You’ve sponsored the Habano Festivals. What’s the contribution of this sponsorship to your professional and private lives?
After all these years in which I’ve been a proud sponsor of the Habano Festivals, I couldn’t feel more please about it. It’s a tremendous pleasure for me, both personally and professionally, to have the opportunity of designing and making garments for such a renowned and prestigious event worldwide.
As to my professional life, I think this opportunity has helped me beef up my brand in the Cuban market, making it one of the most popular ones on the island and getting great acclaim among our faithful clientele. I could definitely say a good deal of our success is owed to Habanos.

Your designs reveal elegance and distinction, but they also have a touch of vivacity, maybe by the hand of gaudy colors, flowery cloths and patterns. What’s your source of inspiration, your end consumer?
Design has always been and will always be the passion of my life. The seriousness I carry through this creative process has been no doubt the key to getting my fashion projects done. I started visiting Cuba a long time ago, drawn by its essence. I had the opportunity of staying close to its nature and feasting eyes on its breathtaking scenery. I never thought that would be the beginning of a long professional and personal journey.
Tropical flora and wildlife, its living colors, helped me understand the island’s nonstop festive character, and so it served me as a source of inspiration to sketch countless designs. Since then, I trust openly on the need to heed the Cuban country, keep track of all the trends and make use of them as the main source of inspiration for my creations.
My end public is made up of those women who are drawn to and identified by our collections. However, I’ve always tried to make lines that are slightly less classic and fancy available, mainly oriented to underscoring special occasions.