Gucci Sponsors GCT Final

By Paula Parisi November 17, 2012

Fashion house Gucci has signed on as title sponsor of the final Grand Prix of the 2012 Global Champions Tour series, Nov. 24 in Abu Dhabi. The partnership between GCT and Gucci brings together a prestigious global show jumping circuit and a premiere luxury brand with a strong equestrian heritage.

With $509,000 in prize money, the Global Champions Tour Gucci Grand Prix will decide the series winner of the 2012 season. Australia’s Edwina Tops-Alexander and Sweden’s Rolf-Göran Bengtsson head to Abu Dhabi locked in a tie for first. Richard Spooner of Agua Dulce, CA, is the only USA rider within striking distance of the championship (though at sixth, he is a longshot. One-through-five would pretty much have to crash and burn).

Gucci will launch its first-ever “pop-up” store in the Middle East at this particular  GCT event. The temporary boutique next to the Al Forsan arena will feature products from Gucci’s new equestrian collection, including a range of handbags and accessories. With the bit as its signature hardware, the fashion house has a long heritage of equestrian inspiration.

Gucci creative director Frida Giannini, herself a keen horsewoman, spoke of her delight at discovering the many equestrian influences in the Gucci archive, which she used in creating exclusive riding wardrobes for Tops-Alexander and Monaco’s sporty blueblood Charlotte Casiraghi who in March became the face of Gucci (and is also something of an unofficial face of the GCT). Casiraghi, who is the granddaughter of  the late Grace Kelly and a hereditary princess,  “not only embodies the beauty and the grace of the equestrian, but is also a wonderful ambassador for the sport,” Giannini told the New York Times for a story that ran in May, shortly after the ad campaign debuted.

The Gucci Abu Dhabi showcase will feature a Gucci Artisan Corner, a mobile mini-recreation of the company’s leather goods factory just outside Florence. Gucci craftsmen will set up custom workshops where visitors can get a window into the traditions behind the products, which include some of fashion’s most iconic handbags, boots and even saddles.

Gucci CEO and President Patrizio di Marco will host an exclusive dinner to celebrate the conclusion of the GCT 2012 championship in Abu Dhabi. Casiraghi, an amateur rider who serves as Honorary President of GCT Monaco, will also attend. Gucci has always had an extensive line of boots, handbags and scarves that allude to the riding life. Now Giannini has taken inspiration from her custom designs for the GCT royalty and turned it into an equestrian-themed capsule collection of shirts, jackets and breeches for all-purpose use.

The house of Gucci’s iconic motifs include the stirrup, the snaffle bit and the green-red-green web inspired by a girth. It’s lovely to see how those styling spill over to accessories such as jewelry, perfume and helmets.

GCT President Jan Tops, who founded the GCT event in 2006, said he is delighted with the Gucci partnership. “The sophisticated lifestyle that surrounds our equestrian sport makes it a natural partner with one of the world’s foremost luxury brands,” Tops said.

The 2012 final marks the second year in a row the ultimate  GCT event takes lace in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Tops-Alexander was the winner of GCT 2011 and has led the standings since the start of the 2012 series.
Eurosport, which broadcasts to 130 million homes in 59 countries, will broadcast the Global Champions Tour Gucci Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi on Nov. 24. All classes during GCT Abu Dhabi can be seen on the live stream at www.globalchampionstour.com

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