One of Judith Leiber’s innovative minaudières even earned a role in the movie Sex and the City.Ī luxury shoulder bag is a work of art with a long, fascinating origin story, and entire brands and fashion lines have emerged around creating the perfect versions of shoulder bags and top-handle bags. The patenting of these compact bejeweled clutches has been attributed to revered French jewelry house Van Cleef & Arpels, and today they remain a fashion favorite. The early 1900s saw the introduction of gold and silver minaudières.
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A stylish shoulder bag meant that women could tote jewelry, cash and perhaps a decorative snuff box full of tobacco to an evening ball across town. Handheld purses were finished with details that were meant to garner attention, and bags were fitted with shoulder straps.
While the bags of the 16th century warranted ornament, such as exteriors embroidered with silver-gilt thread and beads, it wasn’t until the late 18th century and early 19th century that the design and craft of bags had really broadened. Most had more in common with wallets than anything else. Small handbags and handheld purses were developed before the accessory gained importance as functional and fashionable. Prior to bags becoming an essential piece of any ensemble for any gender, women wore pockets strung on ribbons as garments that were separate from their gowns, accessible by openings in the fabric. Today, vintage and designer shoulder bags are such a treasured part of fashion history that they even get their own museum exhibitions. Finding the Right Shoulder Bags for YouĮver since we’ve needed an accessory to carry our personal items when we’re on the go, shoulder bags have proven indispensable. Alessandro Michele was named creative director in 2015, and the storied brand took a giant leap forward.įind vintage Gucci clothing and accessories on 1stDibs. The new millennium brought new ownership - Pinault Printemps Redoute in 2004 - and a more toned-down vision from Frida Giannini, who became sole creative director in 2006. And his potent vision of sexed-up femininity - with “jewel-toned satin shirts unbuttoned to there,” as Vogue described his breakthrough 1995 runway show - was wildly successful. But it was Tom Ford, who took over as creative director in 1994, who ultimately revived the brand.įord’s racy ads, shot by photographers such as Mario Testino, stirred controversy. Dawn Mello, then-president of Bergdorf Goodman, joined as creative director in 1989. In 1993, Rodolfo’s son, Maurizio, transferred his shares in the company to Investcorp, ending the family’s involvement in Gucci.
Rodolfo Gucci took charge in 1982, but family drama and lawsuits ensued. The early 1970s saw store openings in Tokyo and Hong Kong, but by the late 1980s, Gucci was floundering. In 1953, just 15 days after opening his first store on New York’s 5th Avenue, Guccio passed away at 72. Taking cues from Sandro Botticelli’s Primavera, with its pattern of flora and insects, it was painted entirely by hand and featured no fewer than 37 colors. Then Grace Kelly, on a visit to the boutique in Milan, inspired Rodolfo Gucci to work with Italian illustrator and Gucci textile designer Vittorio Accornero on the Flora print in 1966. After Jackie Kennedy was seen sporting a slouchy Gucci tote in 1961, it was renamed for the First Lady. In the 1950s, Elizabeth Taylor carried one of Gucci’s bamboo-handled tote bags, another adaptation to material rationing. (No list of revered designer purses would be complete without Gucci.) The material was first used on suitcases before finding enduring popularity on handbags. Its woven hemp fabric from Naples, adorned with the brand’s signature diamond print, was a hit, especially among A-list celebrities. In the mid-1930s, a League of Nations embargo against Italy pushed Gucci to experiment with alternatives to imported leather. In 1938, he brought three of his sons - Aldo, Vasco and Rodolfo - into the business and expanded it to Rome and later Milan. But as its reputation flourished, particularly among the English aristocracy, so too did its footprint. So, in 1921, after a stint at Franzi, a luggage company in his hometown of Florence, he opened a leather goods shop of his own.Īt first, Gucci’s Florence business specialized in equestrian accessories. Guccio Gucci (1881–1953) admired the stylish suitcases he saw wealthy guests arrive with at the Savoy Hotel in London, where he worked as a bellhop. Today, it’s an internationally renowned luxury house with an iconic logo, and vintage Gucci clothing, handbags and shoes are among high fashion's most covetable goods. Long before trend-bucking creative director Alessandro Michele brought his hallucinatory “Utopian Fantasy” campaign to Gucci, it was a modest Italian leather shop.
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