Inside The House Of Gucci Glamour, Greed And A Fatal Gunshot

When Patrizia Reggiani married Maurizio Gucci, they became one of Italy’s first celebrity power couples. But then he left her – and she had him murdered. Now the incredible tale of glamour, power and betrayal in the cutthroat world of high fashion is set to be immortalized in a Hollywood film. Abigail Haworth meets the infamous ‘Lady Gucci’ on the eve of its release

Not long after Patrizia Reggiani was released from prison in 2014, a camera crew from a trashy Italian television show turned up unannounced at her Milan workplace. Reggiani had just spent a decade and a half inside after being convicted in 1998 of arranging the March 1995 murder of her ex-husband, Maurizio Gucci, the last of the Gucci family dynasty to run the luxury brand. The former socialite had always maintained her innocence – her best friend had set her up, she said – but the TV crew caught her in a reckless mood.

“Patrizia, why did you hire a hitman to kill Maurizio Gucci? Why didn’t you shoot him yourself?” badgered the reporter. “My eyesight is not so good,” Reggiani lobbed back. “I didn’t want to miss.”

Sentenced to 26 years, Reggiani was freed after 16 and, as a condition of her parole, was required to find a job. Bozart, a Milanese costume jewelry firm, employed her as a “design consultant”. Co-owner Alessandra Brunero and her business-partner husband became Reggiani’s de-facto minders, tasked with ensuring she quietly rebuilt her life as a regular citizen.

“Oh, mamma mia, it wasn’t easy,” says Brunero, a stylish 40-something. “I cried after that TV interview. It was terrible,” she says. “Naturally, Patrizia was only joking.”