Gucci 2 Tone Key Ring
View Similar Items
Gucci 2 Tone Key Ring
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.
- Czech Art Deco Hand Beaded Decorative PocketsLocated in New York, NYCzech Beaded Decorative Pockets from the Art Deco Period. Hand beaded and made as sew ons for 1930's day dresses. Sold and priced per pair. Old stock. $185...Category
1930s Czech Miscellaneous
- Elaborate French Art Deco Paste CombLocated in New York, NYFine French Art Deco Paste Comb made in France in the 1930's. Clear celluloid is overlaid with a vibrant turquoise celluloid which is incised an...Category
1930s French Hats
- Art Deco Travel Hangers, Green leaf & Crosby, UKLocated in New York, NYCharming Art Deco Travel Hangers in blue leather case with 6 collapsible stained wood and metal hangers in the set. 5" x 4.5" case, Hangers me...Category
1940s British Miscellaneous
- Art Deco Sterling Daschund Cigarette CutterLocated in New York, NYCharming Art Deco Sterling Daschund Cigarette/Cigar Cutter. Mechanism is clad in sterling silver with dog motif, with brass bale. Works well as a pendant as well. 1930's USA. Measure...Category
1930s Miscellaneous
- 1930's Abercrombie + Fitch Travel HangersBy Abercrombie & FitchLocated in New York, NYLong before the A+F became universally known as a cult jeans brand for the America's youth, the original A+F were purveyors of the finest equipment and supplies for the sophisticated...Category
1930s British Miscellaneous
- Gucci Leather Clad FlaskBy GucciLocated in New York, NYGucci Leather Clad Flask from the 1970's with lariat to be worn as accessory. Beautifully constructed of leather clad metal with screw off cap. Flask is detachable from lariat. Flask measures 4.25" with a 40" leather lariat...Category
1970s Italian Barware
- HERMES Shoulder Strap in Red LeatherBy HermèsLocated in Paris, FRHERMES Shoulder Strap in Red Leather and palladium metal. In very good condition. Made in France. Dimensions : length : 90 cm Will be delivered ...Category
2010s French Miscellaneous
- 14K Yellow Gold with Onyx Chain-Link Cuff LinksLocated in New York, NY14K yellow gold accented with onyx center is finished with a chain-link cuff links measures 1 1/2 inches in circumference, depth measures 3/4 inch. Maker's mark etch on the inter...Category
1970s Unknown Wallets and Small Accessories
- Bottega Veneta leopard print agenda with leather trimBy Bottega VenetaLocated in New York, NYBottega Veneta Agenda has leopard print front and back in viscose material and there are brown calfskin trim along the zipper. The interior has b...Category
1990s Italian Miscellaneous
- Gilded Gold Vermeil Finish PendantLocated in New York, NYThis gilded gold vermeil finish pendant measures 2" in length, 2 3/8" in height and 1/16" in depth.Category
1970s Unknown Miscellaneous
- Fendi Metallic Leather And Canvas Bag StrapBy FendiLocated in London, GBFendi metallic leather and canvas bag strap. Made from blue and brown striped canvas with gold leather and gold-tone clasps. L: 34.5 in. W: 1.5 inCategory
21st Century and Contemporary Miscellaneous
Unavailable$627 - Shay 18K Yellow Gold And Open Mixed Diamond Ring 16 MMLocated in London, GBSHAY 18k yellow gold and open mixed diamond ring. Made from 18k yellow-gold with 28 pave diamonds and 8 baguette diamonds and 5 additional diamonds weighing 1...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Miscellaneous
Unavailable$5,644
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.