GUCCI brown Ostrich leather LARGE Shoulder Bag
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Zürich, CH
- Reference Number:
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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Zürich, Switzerland
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- VALENTINO burgundy leather Rockstud VA VA VOOM LARGE TOTE BagBy ValentinoLocated in Zürich, CH100% authentic Valentino Large Va Va Voom tote bag in burgundy smooth leather featuring light gold-tone signature pyramid studs. Closes with a buckle and is lined in beige canvas wit...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Structured Shoulder Bags
- VALENTINO red leather VRING LARGE TOTE BagBy ValentinoLocated in Zürich, CH100% authentic Valentino large VRING tote bag in red leather featuring gold-tone metal logo plaque attachment at the front that is decorated with a matching red leather trim keyring ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Structured Shoulder Bags
- HERMES Havane brown Clemence leather BOLIDE 45 Travel BagBy HermèsLocated in Zürich, CHHermes "Bolide" travel bag in Havane (chestnut brown) Taurillon Clemence leather. Open with a zipper on top. Lined in leather and beige cotton. Has been carried with two small black ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Top Handle Bags
- HERMES Gris Tourterelle grey Clemence leather & Palladium KELLY 35 Retourne BagBy HermèsLocated in Zürich, CHHermès "35cm Kelly Retourne" handbag in Gris Tourterelle Togo (Calfskin leather) with palladium hardware. Lined in Gris Tourterelle goat skin leather with two open pockets against th...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Top Handle Bags
- HERMES black Box leather BOLIDE 35 Bag GHWBy HermèsLocated in Zürich, CH100% authentic Hermès Bolide 35 in black Box leather featuring gold-tone hardware. Lined in black lambskin. Has been carried and is in excellent condi...Category
1980s French Top Handle Bags
- GUCCI black leather & PYTHON NEW BAMBOO Shoulder BagBy HermèsLocated in Zürich, CHGucci 'The New Bamboo' handbag in black python with bamboo turn-lock and bamboo handle. Has a detachable shoulder strap divided in a regular strap and a woven strap with silver-tone ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Top Handle Bags
- Hermes Kelly Sellier 32 Tri-Colour Porosus Crocodile Poussiere Poudre FicelleBy HermèsLocated in Miami, FLMightychic offers an Hermes Kelly 32 Sellier bag featured in a rare tri-colour Porosus Crocodile. The perfect neutral palette of Poussiere, Poudre and Ficelle. Lush with gold hardwar...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Top Handle Bags
- Nancy Gonzalez Brown Gold Washed Crocodile Bag Side TasselsBy Nancy GonzalezLocated in Miami, FLMightychic offers a roomy brown Nancy Gonzalez crocodile bag with a gold iridescent overtone. Roomy zip top satchel with rolled skin hand...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Colombian Top Handle Bags
- BRUNELLO CUCINELLI Brown Genuine Crocodile Satchel Handbag PurseBy Brunello CucinelliLocated in Thiensville, WIBrunello Cucinelli brown genuine crocodile satchel purse. Two singled rolled handle straps. Set in zip top closure with leather zipper pull. Knotted ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Top Handle Bags
- Prada Brown Ostrich Leather Vintage Plain Bag 1990sBy PradaLocated in Brindisi, BtPrada vintage 90s ostrich leather bag. Plain shoulder bag, brown color. Zip closure, equipped with a silver-colored padlock with relative key. Inte...Category
1990s Italian Structured Shoulder Bags
- Hermes Kelly 28 Sellier Bag Gold Hardware Epsom LeatherBy HermèsLocated in Miami, FLMightychic offers an Hermes Kelly Sellier 28 featured in iconic Gold. This classic epsom leather Hermes Kelly Sellier is perfect for year round wear. Rich with Gold Hardware. Divine ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Structured Shoulder Bags
- 2012 Hermès Kelly 35 Ghillies Evercalf Rose Texas/Rouge HBy HermèsLocated in Torre Del Greco, ITBag by Hermès, Kelly Ghillies model, size 35, made of evercalf leather, smooth and soft to the touch, in the two-tone Rose Texas and Rouge H colourway. Equipped with a flap with inte...Category
2010s 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.