Vintage Gucci Bags

No list of iconic designer purses would be complete without vintage Gucci bags. One of the most recognizable fashion brands and the biggest-selling Italian label in the world, Gucci was founded by Guccio Gucci (1881–1953) in Florence in 1921. Today the brand is a giant in the fashion industry — it’s known for its eclectic, creative designs for handbags, shoulder bags, crossbody bags and other bags and accessories.

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, produced with a pattern of small interconnected diamonds outlined in brown against a tan background — known as Gucci diamante — was a hit, and was first used on suitcases and other luggage before finding enduring popularity on handbags. Soon, Gucci found another solution for problematic leather shortages: bamboo from Japan.

Bamboo was easily available and could be formed into clever little horseshoe-shaped handles for purses and bags. It took 13 hours to make one Gucci Bamboo bag. But the slow process paid off. The purse, which launched in 1947, became Gucci’s first “It” bag. In the 1950s, Elizabeth Taylor carried one of Gucci’s bamboo-handled tote bags. After Jackie Kennedy was seen sporting a slouchy Gucci tote in 1961, it was quickly, officially (and wisely) rechristened the Jackie bag. 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.

Vintage Gucci handbags are some of the most coveted purses on the market. They come in many different styles, but a recognizable marker is the GG Supreme canvas pattern. Some iconic Gucci bags are the canvas suitcase, the Dionysus bag — with its elegant chain and ornate tiger-head clasp — and the GG Marmont.

Designer Alessandro Michele, who stepped into the role of creative director at Gucci in early 2015, staged a revolution by scrapping the brand’s hyper-sexy jet-set vibe for a nerdy, flea-market-romantic, gender-bending cool. He brought back and updated the brand’s double G logo and used it on the much-sought-after Marmont flap bag. With its joyful ’70s vibe, the iconic piece pairs as well with jeans and T-shirt as with the mixed patterns and eclectic combinations of Gucci’s collections in recent years.

Long before Alessandro Michele first sent his youthful, fanciful visions down the Gucci runway, this heritage brand was a favorite of counterfeiters, and it's important to know how to tell if a vintage Gucci bag is real — read about how to determine if the accessory you're holding is an authentic Italian luxury item or a cheap knockoff.

Find a range of authentic vintage Gucci clutches, top handle bags, backpacks and other bags on 1stDibs.

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.

An integral part of fashion, handbags and purses have been indispensable accessories ever since we began to carry around personal items. Level of craftsmanship, style and shape matters — from coin purses in ancient Greece to early 20th-century opera bags and onward, handbags have evolved considerably over the years to meet our needs and desires, whether or not you happen to be prioritizing functionality over a flashy exterior.

Once, a single “It” handbag ruled each fashion season. No more. Today, lovers of vintage handbags are savvier and have a wider range of shopping options. Nevertheless, classics created by the likes of Louis Vuitton, Dior and Balenciaga still rule.

“It is not a fashion bag — it is a statement bag,” says Mightychic's Debra Kent of Hermès's widely beloved accessories. “When you carry an iconic Hermès bag — Birkin, Kelly, Constance — no one knows how long you have been into this culture or if you are a newbie. Your status is validated immediately.”

First released in 1997, Fendi's Baguette rose to fame along with Carrie Bradshaw, the Sex and the City character portrayed by Sarah Jessica Parker. Recently, the design has seen such a resurgence in popularity that Fendi has reissued it.

They are part of design history, so owning a handbag has meaning. As New York–based fashion historian Sarah C. Byrd says, “You have made the choice to invest in this piece because you understand the value of it in the past and in the future to come.”

From a 1980s Chanel black leather quilted mini buckle bag to the rare Hermès Birkin 30cm Himalayan with diamond hardware to a range of 19th-century bags, find a rich variety of vintage and designer handbags and purses spanning numerous brands on 1stDibs — seasonal “It” designation no longer needed.