Some fashion brands start out on massive scales and end up bankrupted to oblivion. Others start from very humble beginnings and surprisingly transcend and become legendary. The latter are often considered more lucky than good. However, when you peer into the genius of the world-renowned brand, Gucci, you will find that luck has nothing to do with it.

Guccio Gucci was born in 1881 as the son of a modest craftsman. He spent most of his childhood years contented that he'd follow in his father's footsteps. But after honing his talents for crafting leather goods, Gucci decided to open a saddle shop, where he began to sell his leather goods to the public.

Gucci's clientele admired his keen eye for detail. During the 1920s, he began to fashion leather bags and sell them to various horsemen. Eventually, he progressed to high-end leather luggage after the horseback riders went the way of the horseless carriage.

Gucci quickly became a recognized name throughout Italy, and in 1938 he opened his first retail shop on the Via Condotti in Rome. For the next decade, Gucci's brand became one of the finest in the country, and began to receive worldwide acclaim for the unmistakable craftsmanship.

1947 was the year Gucci introduced their iconic handbag, a leather bag with a bamboo handle. This bag single handedly launched the Gucci rush, and during the 1950s, the trademark red striped webbing (how Gucci is characterized today) was introduced. Guccio spent the first few years of the 50s solidifying his place in the fashion world. His family took over the successful company after Gucci's death in 1953. The new structure and multiple brains behind the everyday operations decided that Paris, London, Palm Beach, Tokyo, and Beverly Hills were the next logical stops along the road. By 1970, Gucci had become a worldwide empire.

Their superstardom is in part due to Hollywood stars like Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn and Jackie Kennedy, who proudly adorned Gucci shoulder bags during the 1960s. Subsequently, the Gucci bag became known simply as the “Jackie O.” Gucci, through all of their massive success, weren't without their fair share of turmoil during their meteoric rise to fame. Even though the company was doing well, the family seemed to argue over the slightest indifference.

Maurizio Gucci took over the ailing business from his brother, only to sell it to an Arabian businessman during the 1980s. Tom Ford, Gucci's newest executive in the 1990s, worked to purchase the Gucci name and take the company to never before seen heights. The Gucci brand of today is a far cry from the handbag distributors of old. The Gucci brand sells perfume, cologne, full wardrobes, sunglasses, shoes, and other accessories. They're constantly atop the fashion world's list of biggest sellers.