The Gucci name is unique. There is no other brand – with the possible exception of Coca-Cola – that is instantly recognised anywhere in the world.
Unlike Coca-Cola, Gucci is also an unforgettable family name, so it is hardly surprising that when anyone introduces themselves as a Gucci it creates quite a stir. Jenny Gucci tells me that while reactions to her surname might vary, the thoughts behind them are pretty universal… handbags, belts, extravagant outfits, opulence, glamour and wealth. After saying her name, there tends to be a pause while the other party then decides how best to politely broach the next question which will probably skirt around how she got it and whether or not she is the genuine article.
In case you are wondering, the answers are: ‘read my book’* and ‘yes, she is’.
Actually my first thought, when I met Jenny Gucci at a charity dinner party in Marbella in 2007, was curiosity. The brief chat that followed was just enough to whet my appetite. We met up later and I was hooked. As a journalist, I have long known that everyone has a story within them, but Jenny’s was utterly compelling and I couldn’t wait to share it with the world. Fortunately the publisher, John Blake, agreed and the rest, as they say, is history.
Gucci Wars was first published in hardback in 2008. Paperback copies and translations into German and Polish followed.
But, here’s the thing: Jenny’s story did not end there in Marbella … there were many more twists and turns to come. So when, at the start of 2021, we were all struggling to be positive and clutching at vaccine straws, Jenny and I got back in touch for a virtual catch up and also to discuss the latest Ridley Scott production. Like our book, the film ‘House of Gucci’ would predominantly focus on the Gucci family of the 1970s, 80s and 90s.
Although the film’s main protagonists are Maurizio Gucci (played by Adam Driver) and the wife who had him killed, Patrizia Reggiani (Lady Gaga), Jenny’s husband Paolo (Jared Leto), is an integral part of the story.
There was no doubt that this was the right time for Gucci Wars to be updated, edited and re-published as Gucci Wars – Jenny Gucci’s Story. I put aside the novel I was writing and, with the help of the brilliant team at SilverWood Books, got to work.
*Gucci Wars – Jenny Gucci’s Story is available from Amazon and SilverWood Books from November 2021 – www.silverwoodbooks.co.uk
Gucci Family Tree
Interview with Hannah Murray, Talk Radio Europe, 24/11/ 2021
“Gucci Wars – Jenny Gucci’s Story”. The book will be available from November 2021 to coincide with the release of the Hollywood blockbuster “House of Gucci” – please take a look at the official trailer below.
Gucci Wars tells the story of Jenny who, as a young opera student in Florence, catches the eye of fashion designer Paolo Gucci, grandson of the founder of the world’s biggest fashion house.
They marry in 1977 and for ten years she is blissfully happy. However, she soon discovers that behind the iconic Gucci name, lies a family torn apart by betrayal, jealousy, greed and even murder. The latest Ridley Scott film also focuses on the killing of Paolo’s cousin, Maurizio (Adam Driver) by his wife Patrizia (Lady Gaga).
Against a backdrop of boardroom rivalry and infighting, a dark side of Paolo’s character emerges and Jenny’s world is turned upside down. When she takes the unprecedented step of asking for a divorce, her husband swears to make her and their daughter homeless and penniless. No-one could have foreseen the lengths to which he is prepared to go in order to carry out his threat.
The first edition of Gucci Wars was the Daily Mail Critic’s Choice and to quote the review: “Anyone who still believes money buys you happiness should read this book”.