"In what had to be one of the earliest examples of swag, Rodolfo [of Gucci] offered [Princess Grace] Kelly a gift, according to longtime Gucci employee Franco Gittardi. Unlike today’s actresses, who not only lap up freebies but also often demand them, Kelly graciously declined the gesture.

Rodolfo, in typical Italian style, didn’t back down. He insisted that Kelly could only leave when something Gucci was in her milky hands. She eventually acquiesced and asked for a flower-print silk scarf. The shop had none.Rodolfo didn’t stumble over his Gucci loafers, though. He gleamed a chance for a great product placement and a new product category. He immediately called costume designer and artist Vittorio Accornero and commissioned him to design an intricately colored print for the princess."

wwd.com