Gucci Red Monogram Leather Bamboo Bullet Handbag
View Similar Items
Gucci Red Monogram Leather Bamboo Bullet Handbag
About the Item
Gucci
Long before trend-bucking creative director Alessandro Michele brought his hallucinatory “Utopian Fantasy” campaign to Gucci, it was a modest Italian leather shop. 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.
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. 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.
At first, Gucci’s Florence business specialized in equestrian accessories. But as its reputation flourished, particularly among the English aristocracy, so too did its footprint. In 1938, he brought three of his sons — Aldo, Vasco and Rodolfo — into the business and expanded it to Rome and later Milan. In the mid-1930s, a League of Nations embargo against Italy pushed Gucci to experiment with alternatives to imported leather. Its woven hemp fabric from Naples, adorned with the brand’s signature diamond print, was a hit, especially among A-list celebrities. The material was first used on suitcases before finding enduring popularity on handbags. (No list of revered designer purses would be complete without Gucci.)
In the 1950s, Elizabeth Taylor carried one of Gucci’s bamboo-handled tote bags, another adaptation to material rationing. After Jackie Kennedy was seen sporting a slouchy Gucci tote in 1961, it was renamed for the First Lady. 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. 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.
In 1953, just 15 days after opening his first store on New York’s 5th Avenue, Guccio passed away at 72. The early 1970s saw store openings in Tokyo and Hong Kong, but by the late 1980s, Gucci was floundering. Rodolfo Gucci took charge in 1982, but family drama and lawsuits ensued. In 1993, Rodolfo’s son, Maurizio, transferred his shares in the company to Investcorp, ending the family’s involvement in Gucci. Dawn Mello, then-president of Bergdorf Goodman, joined as creative director in 1989. But it was Tom Ford, who took over as creative director in 1994, who ultimately revived the brand.
Ford’s racy ads, shot by photographers such as Mario Testino, stirred controversy. 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. 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. Alessandro Michele was named creative director in 2015, and the storied brand took a giant leap forward.
Find vintage Gucci clothing and accessories on 1stDibs.
- Goldstrom Vintage Goldtone Basket Weave with Grey Marbleized Top Bag, 1950sLocated in West Palm Beach, FLGoldstrom 1950s Vintage Goldtone Basket Weave with Grey Marbleized Top Bag. This bag is in fair vintage condition with wear consistent with its age. The inside has visible wear and t...Category
1950s Top Handle Bags
- Versace Suede, Velvet, & Ribbon Woven Speedy Handbag with Snake TrimBy VersaceLocated in West Palm Beach, FLThis very collectible Versace Suede, Velvet, & Ribbon Woven Speedy Handbag with Snake Trim. This handbag is in excellent condition with very minor wear. ...Category
Early 2000s French Top Handle Bags
- Nancy Gonzalez Beaded Raffia & Orange Croc HandbagBy Nancy GonzalezLocated in West Palm Beach, FLNancy Gonzalez Beaded Raffia & Orange Croc Handbag. This bag is in good condition with a few beads being loose and some minor bottom wear. The beads are ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Colombian Top Handle Bags
$950 Sale Price29% Off - Louis Vuitton Limited Edition Nicholas Hlobo's Artycapucines Handbag-NEW IN BOXBy Louis VuittonLocated in West Palm Beach, FLLouis Vuitton Limited Edition Nicholas Hlobo's Artycapucines Handbag-NEW IN BOX This brand new Louis Vuitton Nicholas Hlobo Limited Edition Artycapucines handbag is made of black and...Category
2010s French Top Handle Bags
- Hermes Orange Togo 35cm Birkin - 2016 - GHW - NEW NEVER CARRIEDBy HermèsLocated in West Palm Beach, FLHermes Orange Togo 35cm Birkin - 2016 - GHW - NEW This Birkin is new and never carried although it was purchased in 2016. The 35cm iconic Birkin is in Hermes signature Orange Togo le...Category
2010s French Top Handle Bags
- Hermes 40cm Mykonos Blue and White Clemence Limited edition Birkin-SHW -2011By HermèsLocated in West Palm Beach, FLThis is an authentic limited edition HERMES 40cm Clemence Leather Mykonos Blue and White Birkin with Silver Hardware is from 2011 with an O inside a square. This bi-color limited edi...Category
2010s French Top Handle Bags
- NEW LOUIS VUITTON Rare Fuchsia Runway Cartoon Art Firebird Limited Edition BagBy Louis VuittonLocated in Fort Lauderdale, FLThe extremely rare LOUIS VUITTON Fuchsia Cartoon Firebird, the most luxurious of them all. One of a kind and only a few were released Worldwide in 2008! Cartoon Limited Collection ba...Category
Early 2000s French Top Handle Bags
- Chanel 1998 Red Vintage CC Travel Vanity Train Case Shoulder Crossbody BagBy ChanelLocated in Miami, FLChanel Red Vintage 90's CC Travel Vanity Train Case Shoulder Crossbody Bag circa 1998 red leather gold-tone hardware padlock detail front zip fastening single flat top handle detach...Category
1990s Italian Top Handle Bags
- Hermes Kelly 20 Mini Epsom Rose Extreme Gold HardwareBy HermèsLocated in New York, NYHermes Kelly 20 Mini Rose Extreme Epsom Leather Gold Hardware Condition & Year: New 2019 Measurements: 7.5in. (w) x 4.5in. (h) x 2.2in. (d) Material: Epsom Leather Hardware: Go...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Top Handle Bags
- Lana Marks Red Crocodile Wood Handle HandbagBy Lana MarksLocated in Philadelphia, PALana Marks Red Crocodile Wood Handle Handbag in excellent condition. Red crocodile skin exterior trimmed with gold hardware and two top...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Top Handle Bags
- Hermés Retourne Geranium Kelly 28cmBy HermèsLocated in New York, NYThe Hermés Kelly bag embodies the quintessence of style and luxury due to its impeccable design, craftsmanship, and significance. That being said,...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Top Handle Bags
- Hermés Orange Poppy Birkin 25cmBy HermèsLocated in New York, NYThe Hermés Birkin bag embodies the quintessence of style and luxury due to its impeccable design, craftsmanship, and significance. That being sai...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Top Handle Bags
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
Explore a Century of Gucci Fashion in London
The iconic Italian label’s traveling exhibition has just arrived in London.
The Stories behind the Most Famous Luxury Fashion Logos
From Chanel to YSL, the logos of some legacy fashion houses spark instant brand recognition and have come to symbolize a kind of luxury that feels at once aspirational and attainable.