Gucci Large Horse Head Wool Challis Shawl 1990s
View Similar Items
Gucci Large Horse Head Wool Challis Shawl 1990s
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.
- Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche X Long Rectangle Textured Silk Scarf/ShawlBy Yves Saint LaurentLocated in West Palm Beach, FLYves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche X long rectangle, silk jacquard shawl/scarf with self fringe on 4 sides. The design is snake skin in shades of aqua & turquoise blue, a beautiful scarf...Category
1990s French Scarves
- Salvatore Ferragamo Mint Green Silk & Wool Jacquard Shawl With Self FringeBy Salvatore FerragamoLocated in West Palm Beach, FLSalvatore Ferragamo mint green silk & wool jacquard shawl with self fringe. A beautiful shawl with a jacquard woven Ferragamo logo design.Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Shawls
- Rena Lange Black & Cream Fantasy Blooms Silk Twill Scarf 34" x 34"By Rena LangeLocated in West Palm Beach, FLRena Lange black & cream fantasy blooms silk silk twill scarf. Black & white borders with a center of spiky black flowers with shadowy cream & white back ground. In excellent conditi...Category
21st Century and Contemporary German Scarves
$145 Sale Price42% Off - Hermes Chasse en Inde Silk Twill Scarf Designed by Michele Duchene 35" X 35"By HermèsLocated in West Palm Beach, FLHermes Chasse en Inde silk twill scarf, designed by Michele Duchene 35" X 35". Vibrant scarf in yellow, orange, purple, greens, silver white, wit...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Scarves
- Yves Saint Laurent Rare White Silk Fringe Hem Scarf Un Silhouette ParisienneBy Yves Saint LaurentLocated in West Palm Beach, FLYves Saint Laurent Rare White China Silk Fringe Hem Scarf; Un Silhouette parisienne A parisienne silhouette Un petit foulard de couleur A small scar...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Scarves
- Jacques Fath 1950s Impressionist Garden Painting Charmeuse Silk ScarfBy Jacques FathLocated in West Palm Beach, FLJacques Fath 1950s Impressionist Garden Painting charmeuse Silk Scarf. A dark sky with a tree blowing in the wind. On a balustrade with ...Category
1950s French Scarves
- Verheyen London Legacy Stole Scarf in Garnet Burgundy Fox Fur with BeltBy Verheyen LondonLocated in London, GBVerheyen London Legacy Stole Scarf in Garnet Burgundy Fox Fur with Belt The Legacy Stole is Verheyen London’s versatile design to be worn from day to night. Crafted in the finest d...Category
2010s Greek Stoles
- Verheyen London Legacy Stole in Garnet Burgundy Fox Fur with BeltBy Verheyen LondonLocated in London, GBVerheyen London Legacy Stole in Garnet Burgundy Fox Fur with Belt The Legacy Stole is Verheyen London’s versatile design to be worn from day to night. Crafted in the finest dyed fo...Category
2010s Greek Stoles
- Verheyen London Legacy Black Fox Fur Stole Collar with BeltBy Verheyen LondonLocated in London, GBVerheyen London Legacy Black Fox Fur Stole Collar with Belt The Legacy Stole is Verheyen London’s versatile design to be worn from day to night. Crafted in the finest dyed blue fox...Category
2010s Greek Stoles
- Verheyen London Legacy Black Fox Fur Stole Collar Scarf with beltBy Verheyen LondonLocated in London, GBVerheyen London Legacy Black Fox Fur Stole Collar Scarf with belt The Legacy Stole is Verheyen London’s versatile design to be worn from day to night. Crafted in the finest dyed bl...Category
2010s Greek Stoles
- Verheyen London Lapel Cross-through Collar Stole Scarf in Purple Fox FurBy Verheyen LondonLocated in London, GBVerheyen London Lapel Cross-through Collar Stole Scarf in Purple Fox Fur The Lapel Cross-through Collar is Verheyen London’s casual everyday design, which is perfectly shaped to we...Category
2010s Greek Scarves
$706 Sale Price20% Off - Verheyen London Legacy Stole in Garnet Burgundy Fox FurBy Verheyen LondonLocated in London, GBVerheyen London Legacy Stole in Garnet Burgundy Fox Fur The Legacy Stole is Verheyen London’s versatile design to be worn from day to night. Crafted in the finest dyed fox fur and ...Category
2010s Greek Stoles
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.