Guccio Gucci S P A

Gucci, for decades a symbol of elegance and chic Italian design, is no longer Italian. On Monday, Bahrain-based Investcorp ended a tumultuous partnership with corporate scion Maurizio Gucci by buying the half of Gruppo Gucci it did not already own. The sale of the manufacturer and retailer of luxury clothes and leather goods was announced simultaneously in Milan and in London, where published reports estimated the price at between $150 million and $200 million.

Gucci, for decades a symbol of elegance and chic Italian design, is no longer Italian. On Monday, Bahrain-based Investcorp ended a tumultuous partnership with corporate scion Maurizio Gucci by buying the half of Gruppo Gucci it did not already own. The sale of the manufacturer and retailer of luxury clothes and leather goods was announced simultaneously in Milan and in London, where published reports estimated the price at between $150 million and $200 million.

Gucci has reportedly canceled its contract with Severin Montres Ltd., a large distributor of Gucci watches. Severin, a privately held Irvine company, had a contract with Milan-based Guccio Gucci SpA in Milan, Italy. That agreement was canceled last month, according to the trade publication Women's Wear Daily. The current contract, worth $30 million a year, expires in May, the trade journal reported. No one at Severin, which has about 100 employees in Irvine, would comment Monday.

Dunhill Eyeing Gucci Takeover: British luxury goods purveyor Dunhill Holdings is negotiating the takeover of Italian fashion company Guccio Gucci, according to a London newspaper. "A merger of the two groups would produce one of the largest and potentially most profitable groups in the European luxury goods market," the Independent said.

Gucci has reportedly canceled its contract with Severin Montres Ltd., a large distributor of Gucci watches. Severin, a privately held Irvine company, had a contract with Milan-based Guccio Gucci SpA in Milan, Italy. That agreement was canceled last month, according to the trade publication Women's Wear Daily. The current contract, worth $30 million a year, expires in May, the trade journal reported. No one at Severin, which has about 100 employees in Irvine, would comment Monday.

Bahrain investment bank Investcorp on Tuesday identified itself as the mystery buyer that had acquired nearly half of Gucci of Italy, the luxury goods company, for an undisclosed sum. In a statement released in Italy, Investcorp said it had bought nearly 50% of the company from various members of the Gucci family over the last eight months. The investment bank acts as a channel for private Arab investment in Western companies, and its past acquisitions included a stake in Tiffany & Co.

An Arab bank has failed to take control of Italian fashion house Gucci's board of directors, sources close to Gucci said Thursday. The Bahrain investment bank Investcorp, which earlier this week disclosed that it had snapped up nearly half of Gucci's stock, elected four representatives to Gucci's eight-member board of directors.

Dunhill Eyeing Gucci Takeover: British luxury goods purveyor Dunhill Holdings is negotiating the takeover of Italian fashion company Guccio Gucci, according to a London newspaper. "A merger of the two groups would produce one of the largest and potentially most profitable groups in the European luxury goods market," the Independent said.

An Arab bank has failed to take control of Italian fashion house Gucci's board of directors, sources close to Gucci said Thursday. The Bahrain investment bank Investcorp, which earlier this week disclosed that it had snapped up nearly half of Gucci's stock, elected four representatives to Gucci's eight-member board of directors.

Bahrain investment bank Investcorp on Tuesday identified itself as the mystery buyer that had acquired nearly half of Gucci of Italy, the luxury goods company, for an undisclosed sum. In a statement released in Italy, Investcorp said it had bought nearly 50% of the company from various members of the Gucci family over the last eight months. The investment bank acts as a channel for private Arab investment in Western companies, and its past acquisitions included a stake in Tiffany & Co.