Gucci and Chanel are two of the most famous and instantly recognisable luxury fashion brands. Both Gucci and Chanel are extremely influential in the world of high fashion and drive modern trends through their designs and innovation.
Despite the stature of both these brands, they are incredibly different in terms of their history, aesthetics, and more. Read on to learn more about Chanel and Gucci, see some of their most gorgeous products and discover some of the biggest similarities and differences between these two brands.
Contents
How These Brands Were Born
The History of Gucci
Guccio Gucci’s father was a leather goods maker, but he didn’t realise how much he loved fashion until he was working as a porter at the Savoy Hotel in London. He would spend his days looking at all the guests’ fashionable suitcases and dream of making his own fabulous creations.
Not long after his stint at the Savoy, Guccio Gucci returned to his hometown of Florence, Italy. There, he worked for a local luggage company for a while before striking out on his own.
Gucci started his own store in Florence in 1921. At first, he mostly made accessories for equestrians. As he expanded his business throughout Italy into Rome and Milan, he also expanded his offerings to include bags and clothing.
Guccio Gucci died in 1953, but his brand lived on, becoming a favourite of the rich and famous.
The History of Chanel
Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel was born in 1883 in Saumur, France. She was known for having excellent tastes and a determined personality. By 1910, she opened her own hat shop in Paris. Her hat designs were worn by famous actresses and featured in magazines, bringing Chanel’s hats attention and popularity.
Just two years later, in 1912, Gabrielle Chanel opened her boutique. She created a sportswear line made of jersey, which had previously only been used to make men’s underwear, and it was a huge success.
The brand skyrocketed to even more fame in 1921 with the launch of the world-renowned Chanel No. 5 perfume.
Perhaps Gabrielle Chanel’s most prestigious achievement, however, was the creation of the trimmed tweed suit in 1956. This look revolutionised women’s fashion and is still a big part of the Chanel brand today.
Fashion line comparison Gucci vs Chanel
Over the years, both of these brands have grown a long way from their humble beginnings. Gucci began selling leather luggage cases and Chanel originated as a hat store. To this day you can still buy luggage items and hats from these brands but they only make up a tiny percentage of their current fashion lines.
Chanel and Gucci both offer clothing, handbags, jewellery, and beauty products including makeup and perfume.
Still, there are some key differences.
Men, Women, and Children.
Chanel produces clothing primarily for women. Occasionally, they will release a men’s item here and there like a necktie or a wallet. The vast majority of their designs, though, are intended for women rather than men or children.
Gucci, on the other hand, has wider offerings. Gucci has menswear lines and even children’s lines that are just as well-received as their women’s clothing. Gucci’s famous GG branded belts have become one of their most widely recognised and popular unisex products.
Different Aesthetics – Gucci & Chanel Design
Gucci’s primary aesthetic is bold and daring, while Chanel’s aesthetic is more classic and sophisticated.
There is certainly some crossover in aesthetic between these brands, but these leanings tend to be the main ways they distinguish themselves.
You will notice a lot of tweed and lace in Chanel’s designs. Meanwhile, Gucci tends toward bold floral prints, snakeskin, and faux furs.
Gucci vs Chanel Logo
When I glance at a product logo from one of these two brands I often get confused about whether the product is designed by Chanel or Gucci. Gucci’s logo is made up of 2 letter G shapes interlaced creating a circular shape in the centre.
Chanel interlaced 2 letter C’s to create their logo and this also creates a circular shape in the centre. Both brands also use a black font in their logos which makes them look even more alike.
Chanel vs Gucci perfume
Chanel and Gucci both sell some of the finest perfumes and these luxury perfume brands aren’t afraid to experiment with their scents that have some unique tones and notes. Comparing Chanel and Gucci perfumes is a lot of fun and I’ve had lots of fun at the perfumery counter spraying them on.
Chanel are most famous for their iconic No5 perfume. This scent has been around since 1921 and it’s sandalwood, vanilla, jasmine and rose is recognisable as one of the worlds finest perfumes. Since then Chanel have introduced many perfumes including the bold and fresh coco scent and the floral Chance in it’s unique rounded bottle.
Gucci offer a lot of different scents when it comes to their perfume range. Gucci guilty offer intense floral tones in their eau de parfum and citrus tones in their men’s eau de toilette. Gucci flora perfumes have gained a reputation in recent years for their dainty floral scents and gorgeous bottles.
Chanel vs Gucci bags
Both Chanel and Gucci design some of the most eye catching bags in high fashion. Chanel’s bag designs display the brands ideology of a simple timeless luxury that expresses femininity without the need for rich and opulent designs.
Chanel’s brand image is also focused on the idea of women being able to express their femininity through a sense of freedom and romanticism.
Gucci’s bag designs are different from Chanel’s as they focus on a much bolder more sensual and raw design that is exciting and gives women a sense of feeling sexy and empowered through wearing these bold Gucci bag designs.
Perhaps Gucci’s most appealing bag in modern times is their Gucci Marmont bag. You’ll see this bag on the shoulder of many women on the high street with it’s instantly recognisable GG buckle style ornamental logo as a centrepiece.
The Gucci Marmont bag is available in a range of rich colour tones and the brass chain and cute details are cute on lighter coloured bags and bold and raw on the black leather Marmont bags.
Chanel’s most recognisable handbag is the Chanel 2.55 handbag created in the 1950’s. Significantly this bag, was a rebellious one and a pivotal moment in fashion as it was the first bag to introduce a shoulder strap allowing women to keep their hands free.
The Chanel 2.55 bag is now appreciated in fashion circles and amongst women worldwide as being a timeless classic, with the elegant lines created with a simple yet beautiful pattern.
In recent years the Chanel Gabrielle backpack can be seen on the shoulders of many women and has become a popular trendy piece amongst younger women. This backpack is simple yet the very simple leather patterns and chain are hugely popular.
If you are looking for a more feminine bag from Chanelle the Gabrielle handbag range also includes the extraordinary and feminine hobo quilted aged calfskin bag with its blend of cream and black colour tones.
Comparing Chanel & Gucci Lipsticks
When it come to lipstick I think Chanel offer the most luscious and gorgeously branded container. I only have to take a quick look at the simple black lipsticks with the CC logo on them and I know it’s going to be a special formula.
Chanel’s Rouge lipstick collection is one of their most iconic lipsticks, with the black container, gold detailed outline and strong bold moisturising colours like allure and coco. How can any lady not enjoy the experience of wearing these luscious lipsticks.
When comparing Gucci’s lipstick range to Chanel’s, Chanel comes out on top by a long way. Gucci recently introduced their beauty range and are newcomers in the lipstick department. Chanel have more than half a century of experience creating luscious lipsticks that have stood the test of time.
However, Gucci’s gold tube and art deco inspired lipstick collection have proved popular and it will be interesting to see how they perform over time.
Chanel and Gucci belts
When comparing the belt designs created by Gucci and Chanel you’ll instantly recognise the famous double GG logo on Gucci’s belts. Gucci offer a wide range of both contemporary and web belts for both men and women.
The gold Gucci emblem is always bold and stand out on their belt designs. Chanel only offer a small selection of belts, their designs are more feminine and often their CC logo is silver in colour.
Who is at the Helm?
The founders of these two brands, Guccio Gucci and Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel have both passed away. This means that new designers are at the helm.
Gucci’s creative director is Alessandro Michele. He is known for his love of maximalism and surrealism. Since 2015, he has reinvigorated Gucci with a new and exciting sense of whimsy.
Chanel’s creative director of thirty years, Karl Lagerfeld, who built the Chanel brand that so many know and love today, passed away in February 2019. The role has been taken over by Virginie Viard, who has so far shown her dedication to keeping Chanel on its current course.
Which Brand is Right for You – Gucci Or Chanel
If you’re considering investing some serious cash into your wardrobe or beauty routine, Chanel and Gucci are both excellent choices. Both are recognised in the fashion industry for their unfaltering ability to bring gorgeous new designs to the runway and to their ready-to-wear collections every season.
Ultimately, which one of these brands is a better fit for you is a matter of personal taste and aesthetic preference. Men and children have Gucci as their only option, but women must decide if they’re going to go for bold or classic.
Still can’t decide? If your wallet allows, there’s nothing to stop you from taking pieces from each of these brands and combining them into a style that’s all your own.
With Gucci’s bold floral prints and Chanel’s classic tweed, these brands have many differences as well as similarities. Discover your favourite luxury fashion brand and combine them to create a unique high fashion style.
