Between staging glossy runway shows and dressing stars for the red carpet, Gucci is a company accustomed to the glare of the spotlight.
This week, however, that attention might have felt less comfortable after its Italian offices were raided by European Union antitrust officials.
The unannounced inspection was the latest in a series of regulatory actions, as antitrust officials ratchet up scrutiny of the fashion industry over possible anticompetitive practices.
In March, the European Commission, the bloc’s executive arm, carried out investigations into several beauty and fragrance companies linked to the supply of fragrance ingredients.
Last year, some fashion houses were raided in connection with sustainability targets developed by the industry, including changes in sales periods and discounting strategies that regulators later deemed as potential violations of competition law.