The Guys from Gucci

As Domenico De Sole's chartered jet was touching down in North London last Monday, the stock of his company was going up. And up. And up. By the end of the day, Gucci Group had jumped 8% on both the Amsterdam Bourse and the New York Stock Exchange. Gucci's 2000 results, announced the week before, had been remarkable — sales were up 83%, profits 49% — particularly impressive for a purveyor of luxury goods in a slowing economy. But the results weren't the only reason for the stock's rise. Over the weekend, while De Sole was touring a watch trade show...