When a story drips of True Fashionista glamour, sex, betrayal, death – and a name synonymous with haute couture - we’re IN. When it involves Gucci, a signature name in high fashion that you can find in abundance at True Fashionistas consignment store, Naples, we’re SO in. Such is the case with the upcoming movie, House of Gucci. Complete with an all-star cast, including Director Ridley Scott, we’re sure to get a heaping serving of drama and excitement to go with our mashed potatoes, given the November 24th release date.
FASHION ON FILM PREVIEW: THE GUCCI MURDER STORY – A STAR-STUDDED EVENT
Starring Lady Gaga as Patrizia Reggiani (with a most convincing Italian accent to match), the power cast includes Adam Driver as the ill-fated Maurizio Gucci, Jared Leto as his cousin Paolo Gucci. Jeremy Irons plays Maurizio’s dad Rodolfo Gucci. Jack Huston is Gucci CEO Domenico De Sole. Salma Hayek portrays Reggiani’s murder accomplice Giuseppina “Pina” Auriemma, and Al Pacino is Aldo Gucci, Paolo’s dad and another son of founder Guccio Gucci. Got all that? Great! We go on…
Based on Sara Gay Forden’s book The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed, the film tells the story of the infamous 1995 murder of Gucci heir Maurizio Gucci and the subsequent conviction of his ex-wife Patrizia for ordering his murder. She was released from prison in 2014 after serving 16 years.
FASHION ON FILM PREVIEW: THE GUCCI MURDER STORY – THE BACKSTORY
One of Italy’s first celebrity power couples, Maurizio and Reggiani, were glamorous True Fashionista stars of the high-fashion world. Although Reggiani came from a wealthy family, they were not from Milan and outsiders to its high society scene. That didn’t stop Reggiani, who wormed her way into the social circuit anyway. She met the young Gucci, who chased her hard with all his family’s riches at his disposal. “I met Maurizio at a party, and he fell madly in love with me. I was exciting and different,” says Reggiani to The Guardian in 2016. Their marriage in 1972, when both were in their early twenties, caused a rift with Rodolfo.
The elder Gucci’s distaste for his son’s bride didn’t stop the happy couple a bit. The pair rode around Manhattan in a chauffeur-driven car with the personalized plate “Mauizia”. They hung out with Jackie Onassis and the Kennedy clan. Trips to private islands on their gigantic yacht, The Creole, lavish parties including their famous “color-themed” affairs, a ski chalet in Saint Moritz, and a holiday home in Acapulco were all part of their extravagant worldly lifestyle.
It wasn’t until 1983 when Rodolfo passed away, and Maurizio inherited his father’s 50% stake in the company, that things started to unravel. He argued for years with his uncle and cousins about the company’s direction, and with sales falling, Maurizio and Reggiani’s marriage suffered as well. One night in 1994, apparently done with Reggiani’s ongoing nagging about the business, Maurizio packed an overnight bag and left.
FASHION ON FILM PREVIEW: THE GUCCI MURDER STORY – THE MURDER
In 1993, having already sold part of Gucci to Investcorp, Maurizio sold the company to them wholly for $120 million. Reggiani was beside herself with anger after spending years giving him advice about how to run the business. Then, one day in 1995, Maurizio Gucci was gunned down in front of the building where he had a private office. Two years later, in a move common to crooks, one of the accomplices in the plot boasted about the murder to the wrong person. That person went straight to the police, who launched a sting operation to trick Reggiani and her four paid accomplices into discussing the crime on wiretapped phones. It succeeded, the truth exposed, and they all went to jail.
FASHION ON FILM PREVIEW: THE GUCCI MURDER STORY – STILL GUCCI, BABY
Scandalous? Yes. Intriguing? Absolutely! The family is still a bit hesitant to share the story.
“They are stealing the identity of a family to make a profit, to increase the income of the Hollywood system,” Patrizia Gucci, Maurizio’s second cousin, told The Associated Press in April 2021. “Our family has an identity, privacy. We can talk about everything, but there is a borderline that cannot be crossed.”
Apparently, Hollywood can come pretty close. We’ll find out come November 2021. In the meantime, feel free to keep Gucci on the mind by shopping True Fashionistas, Naples’ best consignment store, featuring a constantly updated collection of Gucci footwear, clothing, and designer handbag consignment.
Now, this is the stuff of True Fashionista filmmaking!
TAGS: True fashionista, murder, Gucci, drama, fashion, brand, label, Adam Driver, Jared Leto, Lady Gaga, Jeremy Irons, Ridley Scott, Jack Huston, Salma Hayek, Al Pacino, consignment