What do Princess Diana, Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor and Harry Styles all have in common? Besides widespread popularity and adoration, they all share a penchant for Gucci’s signature bamboo handbag.
The Bamboo bag has a history as rich as the house itself. The aftermath of the second world war saw a shortage of leather during the 1940s in Italy, resulting in fashion houses having to consider new materials to make luxury goods. Thus, Gucci came up with the brilliant idea of incorporating bamboo into their bags, a material that was considered both extremely durable and easily imported from Japan at the time.
The Gucci Bamboo – initially known only by its product number, 0633 – features a sturdy, boxy leather frame in an assortment of colours, topped off with a strong and distinctive bamboo handle. To achieve its perfectly curved structure, the highly skilled Gucci craftsmen soften the bamboo over an open flame to manipulate the material into its semi-circular shape. Next, the handle is coated in several layers of lacquer before it’s toasted – quite literally – to achieve that rich caramel-brown finish.
Almost eighty years after its first production – and long after the leather shortage – the Gucci Bamboo 1947 (now named after its year of creation) remains atop the list of must-have handbags. Aside from boasting a new list of high-profile fans, including Elle Fanning and Jodie Turner-Smith, the handbag has had a prolific history in the realm of film, most noticeably on the arm of Eleonora Rossi Drago in 1955’s Le Amiche and Vanessa Redgrave, in 1966 thriller Blow-Up.
The house’s latest designs of the Bamboo 1947 are presented in fresh hues, in varying sizes and materials, in the July 2023 issue of marie claire.
The line is presented in timeless colour palettes as well as seasonal variations and is enriched by refined evening styles and precious leather iterations.
Shop the Gucci 1947 Bamboo at Gucci.com
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