Longines Hong Kong Masters announces Gucci as lead sponsor

Gucci’s partnership with the Longines Hong Kong Masters is the latest extension of the brand's relationship with the equestrian event, after it returned to equestrian sponsorship in Paris in 2009 after an absence of 20 years.

Horse-riding icons like the grith strap and the horsebit are often appropriated in the motifs and symbols of Gucci designs.

Frida Giannini, Gucci's creative director, said the Masters provides a "perfect link" to Gucci's values, prestige and culture, while carrying forward the founder's "original fascination with the noble spirit and infectious allure of the equestrian world”.

Christophe Ameeuw, EEM World CEO, said the Gucci brand will be prominent during Friday's Gucci Gold Cup.