History of Gucci’s Iconic Bamboo Bag | Fashion

2011 marks Gucci’s 90th birthday, a lot of events have been taking place since last year for this occasion. Among these events were the introduction of the Fiat 500 and the new bamboo, with a display of its evolution in Gucci History.

Gucci Creative Director Frida Giannini presents The New Bamboo, a 21st century reinterpretation of one of Gucci’s most iconic handbag designs. In reinventing this House classic, Giannini blends tradition with high-tech innovation, and history with high-fashion.

Back in 1947, Italy was just beginning to emerge from the devastation of World War II. Many commodities, including imported leather, were simply not available. For any other luggage and handbag maker, that shortage could have resulted in an insurmountable challenge, but not Gucci. To compensate for the lack of leather, Gucci artisans got creative and crafted a handle out of burnished Japanese bamboo. They then applied it to a pebbled pigskin purse. The result? The Bamboo Bag, which is as timeless today as it was back then.

 

 

 

The bag has now been proposed both in its historical shape as well as in a new, larger scale. For the first time, nickel has been introduced as the hardware for the bag, giving it a cooler touch. Like the original, the bag has a long leather strap to complement the bamboo handle, but it has now been augmented with a second strap of draped metal chain with a braided base, which adds a sexier touch. Also new are the bamboo fringe tassels.

Tracing the unique history of this 64 year-old design, this display features vintage products from Gucci’s archives in Italy together with photographs of iconic personalities, including Ingrid Bergman and Vanessa Redgrave, carrying the Bamboo bag throughout the years.

The Bamboo Exhibition locations  for 2011/ 2012

March 3rd: Amsterdam “The Bamboo” Exhibition through March 5th
March 17th: Antwerp “The Bamboo” Exhibition through March 19th
April 7th: Bologna “The Bamboo” Exhibition through April 9th
June 23rd: Verona “The Bamboo” Exhibition through June 26th
July 7th: Montecarlo “The Bamboo” Exhibition through July 10th

2012
January 6th: Saint Moritz  “The Bamboo” Exhibition through January 8th

Photos and Info from Gucci.com