In 2021, the movie “House of Gucci” starring Adam Driver and Lady Gaga was released and grossed as much as $21.8 million in the United States within five days, setting a new adult drama record since 2020. The movie tells the story of Maurizio Gucci, the owner of the Gucci brand, and his wife Patrizia Reggian in 1995. The stylist is Janty Yates, the 73rd Academy Award winner for Best Costume Design.
It is reported that Janty Uates replicated Gucci’s classic designs from the 1970s and 1980s in order to recreate the image of Patrizia Reggian in the first half of her life, such as Horsebit buckle, Bamboo Bag bamboo joint bag, and Silk Flora Scarf silk floral headscarf hanging around her neck. Gucci loaned out archival works from the 1970s for Janty Yates to access, and also provided the necessary scenes for the movie.
The e-commerce platform LoveThesales report found that the search volume for Gucci bags by its users has surged by over 250% since the first week of the film’s release. According to data from the shopping platform ShopStyle, the search volume for “Gucci” on the platform increased by 31% after the film was released, with searches for Gucci belts, handbags, and loafers recording an increase of 73%, 67%, and 50%, respectively.
ShopStyle also found a surge in search volume related to the costumes of the House of Gucci movie, with the entry for “pinstripe suits” alone recording a strong growth of 67%.
But the suits of the actors in the movie were not from Gucci, but were custom-made and designed by Ermenegildo Zegna. In other words, as long as it is exposed in a film branded as a fashion show, the brand can gain considerable exposure, even if the product may not come from the brand primarily discussed in the show. Even, sometimes the label of a “fashion show” is not a necessity.
Netflix experienced a similar situation in two popular TV dramas in 2020, “Abandoned Soldiers on the Back Wing” and “Crown”. The search volume for fashion items such as the plaid coat and white wool coat worn by the female lead in “Abandoned Soldiers on the Back Wing” suddenly surged, while research firm Stylight observed an increase in the click through volume of some of the main fashion items played by Princess Diana in “Crown”.
The discussion about styling in another popular drama, “The War of Inheritance,” has even surpassed that of single products, pushing the trend of old money to a climax in the market. The image of the traditional wealthy class in the drama satisfies people’s fantasies about the term “old money”. They advocate cleverly showcasing their status through texture, cutting, and extremely low-key logos, while detesting all fashion with flashy logos and wild prints.
