There are few fashion houses as instantly recognizable as Gucci. From Alessandro Michele's fluid, maximalist designs to the scandalously sexy campaigns from Tom Ford's tenure at the brand, there hasn't been a time in recent memory where Gucci wasn't the pinnacle of excessive glamour—but it hasn't always been that way.

Long before big names such as Harry Styles and Dakota Johnson were red carpet superfans, the luxury Italian brand had a far more humble upbringing — some of which was highlighted (albeit fictionalized, much to the Gucci family and Ford's disproval) in the 2021 film House of Gucci, starring Lady Gaga, Adam Driver, Al Pacino, and Jared Leto.