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Although Gucci’s rise in 1990’s was due to Mr. Ford’s ability to read cultural signs and tap into them, with a head-to-toe look that flaunted sex and money, many consumers now seem to want products that express not a brand lifestyle, but rather, their own. The consumer’s appetite for individual, one-of-a-kind pieces has grown substantially. Maybe five years ago, they did not mind having the same “it” handbag as someone else. Now they want something different.