By Mariela
Updated: March 7, 2023
8 minutes
Among the leading fashion powerhouses in the world today are
Gucci
and
Chanel
. At a time, almost every home had a product from either of these brands because of their wide acceptance, quality designs, and innovations. They are particularly well-known for their clothing and bags, although they also deal in accessories and jewelry.
Choosing between these leading brands will never be easy because they overlap in several departments. But by considering how each started, their operational philosophy, and other market parameters, you can find enough reasons to pitch your tent with one over the other. This article seeks to achieve that: compare both brands in every way possible to help you decide appropriately. A brief history of both brands won’t be the wrong way to start.
History! Gucci vs. Chanel
Both brands have come a long way history-wise, and the table below compares this aspect.
|
Gucci |
Chanel |
|
Country of origin: Italy |
Country of origin: France |
|
Year of foundation: 1921 ( 102 years ago) |
Year of foundation: 1910 (113 years ago) |
|
Brief history: The Italian Fashion House of Gucci was founded by Guccio Gucci in 1921 in Italy. However, his son, Aldo, brought the brand worldwide, opening stores in New York, Paris, and London for the first time. Guccio Gucci was inspired to start his eponymous brand while working as a bellhop at the Savoy Hotel in London and handling luxury leather suitcases. So Gucci moved back to his hometown of Florence and initially began with leather luggage. Aldo convinced his father to expand the brand, finally opening a shop in Rome in 1938. Eventually, after World War Two, Gucci could return to creating beautiful luggage and bags, including their first bamboo-handled bag in a saddlebag shape, while the brand expanded massively. After some family feuds, Dawn Mello took over as creative director in 1989, after which Tom Ford famously stepped into his shoes from 1995 to 2004. After leaving to pursue his brand, Frida Giannini became creative director, and in 2015, the visionary Alessandro Michele became the creative director. The brand has ever since blossomed. Michele looked back into the brand’s history and brought back artistic styles such as the GG logo and the Jackie O bag, bringing fresh ideas in the form of the ‘geek-chic’ aesthetic and the Dionysus bag. In 2021, Gucci took the top spot on the most-searched brand list, proving to be one of the world’s most valuable luxury fashion brands. |
Brief history: Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel was born in 1883 in Saumur, France. She was known for having excellent taste and a determined personality. By 1910, she opened her hat shop in Paris. Her hat designs were worn by famous actresses and featured in magazines, winning great 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 revolutionized women’s fashion and is still a big part of the Chanel brand today. |
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Main features: despite its fame and history, Gucci’s golden age started with Alessandro Michele’s appointment as the company’s creative director. The Italian designer never ceases to amaze fashion society with his ideas, increasing Gucci’s profit each year and turning it into one of the most influential brands of modern times. However, the brand didn’t lose its Italian chic. As Alessandro says, “Luxury is freedom, time…and being courageous”. |
Main features: Compared with numerous fashion brands, Chanel features itself by adding more historical art connotations and offering avant-garde fashion via new media to the masses. That’s the strategy that I think Chanel had become a successful fashion brand and maintained its reputation for over a hundred years. |
|
Reputation: Gucci can boast a good reputation as a luxury brand targeting different audiences. |
Reputation: Chanel created its unique fashion identity and attained absolute modernity by following avant-garde artistic work. However, It mainly targets women. |
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Focus: Gucci’s focus has always been on innovations, creativity, modern approach to fashion They consistently create new luxurious products giving their consumers a fresh look. Gucci is your go-to brand if you want a bold, elegant look. In addition, the brand is more intentional about dynamic young people. |
Focus: The Chanel fashion house has constantly focused on women, producing high-taste, classy and elegant clothing alongside luxury goods and accessories for women. Her simple but classy clothes include suits, trousers, dresses, and jewelry. Her clothing designs were calm instead of the loud and opulent design of the 19th century. |
Bottom Line: Gucci is a perfect choice if you’re a brave and bold style fan. Conversely, you need Chanel if you are conservative and love timeless elegance and classic styles.
Gucci vs. Chanel: Range of items
Both sell similar products, as you can see from the table below.
|
Gucci |
Chanel |
|
Handbags Clothes(including lingerie and sportswear) Accessories (sunglasses, belts, scarves, pantyhose, and socks Shoes Watches and pieces of jewelry Decor for the house (tableware, home accessories) Makeup |
Handbags Fragrance Makeup Eyewear Fine Jewelry Skincare products Watches Clothes |
|
Primary specialization: the fashion house offers a new approach to dressing, and every item listed on the website has the most suitable additions for creating a luxury look. It is incontrovertible that Gucci pays more attention to revolutionizing how modern fashionistas should dress. The brand, therefore, enjoys the patronage and admiration of young and dynamic people who use its creative clothing to highlight their individuality. |
Primary specialization: just like Gucci, we can see that Chanel also offers products for creating a luxurious look. However, Chanel pays more attention to fragrances and clothes for women. |
Although Gucci has established itself as a brand for bold and brave materials, it is constantly working to meet the needs of true lovers. That’s why you have such an opportunity if you want to treat yourself to luxury clothing, bags, or shoes. However, some people are more concerned about the simplicity and elegance of their items.
On the other hand, Chanel is known mainly for its classic, simple, and elegant materials, fragrances, and other accessories that add to its store.
Gucci vs. Chanel: Prices
Chanel and Gucci have pretty different price ranges, especially for their bags. However, at first glance, Gucci is the cheaper of the two brands.
Nowadays, it’s quite challenging to find a Chanel bag for less than $4,000 unless you’re talking about wallet-on-chains or other micro bags.
The most popular Chanel bags range from $5,000 to $10,000. However, for a Gucci bag, you could spend anywhere from $790 to $7,700.
Gucci vs. Chanel: Style
Another critical thing for fashionistas in deciding which brand is better is the style.
So now, we’ll have a closer look at the styles of both brands.
|
Gucci |
Chanel |
|
Styles: Gucci focuses on experimenting and creating modern styles. They consistently make new luxurious products giving their consumers a fresh look. Gucci is your go-to brand if you want a bold, elegant look. |
Styles: On the other hand, Chanel has continued to preserve the elegance, classy look, and retro aesthetic. If you are a conservative person wanting simplicity, you might want to consider Chanel. You will also enjoy the timeless design of the products. |
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Ad campaigns: the latest campaigns of the Italian fashion house only prove the tendency to target young audiences. It’s both the setting and the stars that participate. For example, shooting an ad campaign in Disneyland is an excellent move for the brand. In addition, campaigns featured farmer-punks in a surreal, mythological world or paid homage to teen movies of the 80s. Moreover, Gucci invites celebrities that are popular among youngsters like Tom Huddleston, Harry Styles, Ni Ni, A$AP Rocky, Iggy Pop, and members of K-pop bands. |
Ad campaigns: One of the most remarkable accounts in beauty marketing history is how Chanel answered the crisis N˚5 faced in the early 1970s. For decades thought as an epitome of exclusivity, the perfume then ran the risk of being perceived as outdated. Management accepted the situation more as an opportunity than a predicament and took insightful action to restore its prestige. The 1974 campaign was as visionary as it was successful. It saved the world’s most famous perfume and set the marketing direction the brand follows up until today. Furthermore, Chanel keeps the framework fresh by changing the face of the brand every few years, using celebrities like Lauren Huthen, Nicole Kidman, Audrey Tautog, Keira Knightley, etc. |
As you can see, the two brands have completely different approaches to style and presentation, allowing them to gain the love of their target audience. While Gucci fans can admire the fun, modern and playful feel, Chanel lovers are attracted by their elegance and classic and simple lifestyle.
Gucci vs. Chanel: Social Media Interactions
Now, let’s see how each brand interacts with its audience. In the modern world, it’s a vital factor for each business as we learn the latest news and updates from social media.
Therefore, how do Gucci and Chanel feel about technology?
Gucci and Chanel are present in the most popular social media – Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. So let’s check their numbers and activity there!
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Gucci |
Chanel |
|
Instagram: 46.3m followers |
Instagram: 47.4m followers |
|
Twitter: 7m followers |
Twitter: 13m followers |
|
Tiktok: 1.8m followers |
Tiktok: 2.5k followers |
Both Gucci and Chanel have their highest followers on Instagram.
While Gucci uses its Instagram to keep track of its mentions and inform the public of its new release, Chanel engages with its audience.
Gucci vs. Chanel: Celebrities
The brand’s promotion is often more successful when a celebrity is involved. Celebrities wear clothes and shoes showing the logo of the brand. If we put aside the ad campaigns, which the artists get paid for, and look at the photos of paparazzi from the streets and official ceremonies, we can notice that some celebrities have made their choice. Let’s find out who is in the Gucci gang and who belongs to the Chanel club!
|
Gucci |
Chanel |
|
Billie Eilish Harry Styles Jared Leto Kendall Jenner Beyonce Dakota Johnson Margot Robbie Meghan Markle |
Olivia Rodrigo Dakota Johnson Margot Robbie Jennifer Lopez Rihanna Kate Bosworth Lily-Rose Depp Julianne Moore |
Gucci vs. Chanel: Where to buy
If you have decided to add lovely clothes, bags, or shoes from Gucci or Chanel to your collection, you most certainly would like to know where you can purchase the items that catch your fancy. The good news for everyone is that; there are no problems with shopping in this 21st century.
No matter where you live (rural or urban) or how much you earn, you can still buy stuff.
Here are the ways to get the things you wish to buy:
|
Gucci |
Chanel |
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Outlets In the closest boutique |
Local stores Outlets |
Gucci vs. Chanel: Which Brand is Better?
Both brands are big fashion powerhouses. Although they produce similar things, they have different approaches to their brand. They have different target audiences, styles, and advertising, making them stand tall and unique. Chanel, for instance, tilts more toward women’s fashion and products than Gucci, whose scope centers mainly on men’s shoes, clothing, and accessories.
If you want to affiliate with the best fashion house, decide which fits your preference. Now that you know about both brands, you can easily make your choice or create your unique style by combining aspects from both brands. Gucci and Chanel have gorgeous ready-to-wear collections. As a lady or a man, you can decide if you want the bold floral prints Gucci offers or Chanel’s classy tweed designs.
If you are reluctant and wondering which brand is right for you: Gucci or Chanel, now you know more about each brand and can decide based on multiple factors. No matter which side you choose, we hope you will be happy and satisfied with your purchase!
