High- tech is Gucci’s second name

While legions of fashion brands, including Giorgio Armani, Prada and Dolce & Gabbana, have launched designer cell phones over the past few years, Gucci is forging its own high-tech path in the world of mobile communication through a new Web site in Japan. Cell phone users in Japan can access the site, guccijoy.jp, by scanning their phones over a high-tech code that appears in magazine advertisements and special posters in the Omotesando subway station that will be on display for one week starting April 7. The QR codes, similar to the bar codes used in supermarkets, are commonplace advertising fixtures in Japan, where people often prefer cell phones to computers when it comes to surfing the Internet or sending e-mail. The Gucci site allows users to download special images (think the Gucci Bear or Gucci Joy handbag) to use as wallpaper or icons on their phones. The site also allows cell phone users to browse the Gucci Joy Collection of colourful spring handbags and accessories, as well as check prices and store locations.