"Eleanore eschews the fashionable and the hyped, " says Kelly, who also advises Ford.

WSJ: The House That Gucci Built

Eleanore knew him, my kids knew him, it was so upsetting.

WSJ: The House That Gucci Built

"We built the house so you can see the ocean from any point, " says Eleanore, a trim, active woman whose gray bob neatly frames her ready smile.

WSJ: The House That Gucci Built

He and his wife, Eleanore, decided to decamp for Hilton Head, South Carolina, a coastal enclave of 37, 000 residents and more than 20 golf courses, where the only competitive activity on the agenda would be racing his beloved yachts.

WSJ: The House That Gucci Built