1990s Gucci by Tom Ford Black PVC Transparent Bamboo Top Handle Shoulder Bag
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Light wear throughout. Few light marks/scratches to throughout.
- Seller Location:West Hollywood, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU2388219104262
Tom Ford for Gucci
No one understands sex appeal quite like Tom Ford, who joined Gucci as a womens-wear designer in 1990.
At the time, the internationally renowned Italian label was better known for leather goods than luxury fashion. It was also nearly bankrupt. After creative director Dawn Mello left in 1994, following a Bahrain-based investment group becoming Gucci’s majority shareholder, Ford was named creative director. The American designer soon infused the brand with a fresh sensuality and bold style.
Ford's potent vision of sexed-up femininity spanned everything from shirts to shoes to handbags and other accessories at Gucci — he reimagined the house's iconic double-ring-and-bar Horsebit hardware, a reference to the brand’s equestrian history, as a seductive low-slung belt, worn by Madonna when accepting an MTV video music award in 1995. For his fall show during that year, in which Kate Moss walked down the runway in an unbuttoned satin shirt, velvet hip-huggers and tousled hair, heralded an exciting, glammed-up era for the once fusty brand. Vogue critic Sarah Mower called it “one of those hitting-in-the-solar-plexus moments.”
As Ford shot to fame, he continued to explore plunging necklines, such as in the black and white looks of the Fall 1996 collection, and sumptuous fabrics like leather and tweed, with the Fall 2000 ready-to-wear collection ranging from sultry silk evening dresses to plush belted coats.
Ford also cranked up the seduction in the provocative ads for Gucci, particularly with regard to campaigns for Yves Saint Laurent, which the fashion house acquired in 1999 (Ford was also named creative director for YSL and designed the brand’s ready-to-wear collection). Gucci's Fall/Winter 1997 campaign featured Carolyn Murphy grasping Angela Lindvall in what looked like a video still; in another shot, a face pressed against a foot in a lipstick-red heel. Each promoted a vision of modern fashion where women were sexually confident, the materials were luxurious and the styles were fearless.
In 2004, Ford and Gucci president Domenico De Sole left the company after failing to agree on the renewal of their contracts. In 2006, with De Sole as chairman, Ford launched his wildly successful eponymous menswear label. Today Ford is also an author, film director and chairman of the Council of Fashion Designers of America.
Find vintage Tom Ford Gucci day dresses, jackets and shoulder bags on 1stDibs.
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: West Hollywood, CA
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 1 day of delivery.
- S/S 1999 Gianni Versace by Donatella Brown Cow Pony Hair Pom Pom Mini BagBy Donatella Versace for Gianni Versace, Gianni VersaceLocated in West Hollywood, CAA chic brown cow pony hair Gianni Versace mini bag from the Spring/Summer 1999 collection, designed by Donatella Versace. This petite bag is cr...Category
1990s Italian Top Handle Bags
- 1990s Yves Saint Laurent Brown Python Skin Logo Top Handle Tote BagBy Yves Saint LaurentLocated in West Hollywood, CAPresenting a fabulous brown python Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche top handle bag. From the 1990s, this bag's structured design features the exotic beauty of dark brown python, making...Category
1990s Top Handle Bags
- S/S 1998 Gucci by Tom Ford Tan Patent Leather Ombré Lucite Top Handle BagBy Tom Ford for Gucci, GucciLocated in West Hollywood, CAPresenting a rare tan leather Gucci bag, designed by Tom Ford. This beautiful bag is constructed primarily of leather and is made complete with gold-colored accents and a clear ombré...Category
1990s Italian Structured Shoulder Bags
- F/W 2004 Gucci by Tom Ford Finale GG Gold Bamboo Ring Shoulder BagBy Gucci, Tom Ford for GucciLocated in West Hollywood, CAPresenting a 'GG' monogram woven small tote designed by Tom Ford for Gucci. As part of Ford's final collection with Gucci, his bag features the same gold metallic leather and bamboo hardware...Category
Early 2000s Italian Top Handle Bags
- NWT S/S 2001 Atelier Versace by Donatella Versace Pink Satin and Wicker BagBy Donatella Versace, Atelier VersaceLocated in West Hollywood, CAPresenting an incredible pink wicker Atelier Versace bag, designed by Donatella Versace. From the Haute Couture collection, this bag debuted on the season'...Category
Early 2000s Italian Top Handle Bags
- F/W 1998 Dolce & Gabbana Black Satin Hand-Painted Yellow Floral Top HandleBy Dolce & GabbanaLocated in West Hollywood, CAPresenting a stunning black satin Dolce & Gabbana top handle bag. From the Fall/Winter 1998 collection, this black satin bag features silver-tone hardware and a clamshell closure. Th...Category
1990s Italian Top Handle Bags
- Pablo Picasso Vintage Bi Color Kelly Flap BagBy Pablo PicassoLocated in Fort Lauderdale, FLThe Vintage Kelly Flap style bag from Pablo Picassi is one of the famed luxury goods house's most coveted and exclusive items. This flap bag is made of blac...Category
1980s Italian Top Handle Bags
- Rare Hermès Birkin 25cm Gris Caillou Grizzly/ Gris Meyer Swift PHWBy HermèsLocated in London, GBA rare Hermès Birkin 25cm handbag. The Grizzly Birkin is the namesake edition designed to showcase Veau Doblis Suede. The exterior of this Birkin is cra...Category
2010s French Top Handle Bags
- Hermès Kelly Mini II Cuivre Chèvre Mysore PHWBy HermèsLocated in London, GBA beautiful Hermès Kelly Mini II handbag. The exterior of this Kelly Mini features Cuivre Chèvre Mysore leather and is complemented by palladium hardware and tonal stitchings. It has...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Top Handle Bags
- Chanel 2017 Cruise Coco Cuba Collection Green Chevron Pattern BackpackBy ChanelLocated in Miami, FLChanel 2017 Cruise Coco Cuba Collection Green Chevron Pattern Backpack 2017 Cruise Coco Cuba Collection. Backpack, cc turn-lock fastening, cotton, other patterns, embossed logo, fr...Category
2010s Italian Backpacks
- Chanel 2003 Wood Top Handle Rare Red Caviar Jumbo Kelly Envelope Clutch Tote BagBy ChanelLocated in Miami, FLChanel Wood Top Handle Rare Red Caviar Leather Jumbo Kelly Envelope Clutch Tote 2003 {VINTAGE 20 Years} Antique gold hardware Flat bottom Hidden magnetic snap closure Deep red leat...Category
Early 2000s Italian Top Handle Bags
- Black Leather Louis Vuitton Capucine BB Shoulder BagBy Louis VuittonLocated in Glasgow, GBBlack leather Capucine BB handbag from Louis Vuitton. Black textured Taurillon leather upper with shiny gold toned hardware. Branded with an interlocking 'LV' on the front in leather...Category
2010s French Top Handle Bags