Beyond a status symbol, the bamboo has come to epitomise Gucci’s grit, resilience and ingenuity.
As the saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention. These words have never rung truer for the birth of one of the world’s most recognisable bag icons.
In 1947, traditional raw materials were hard to come by in Italy, as supply shortages from the aftermath of World War II resulted in rations on resources. Unfazed, Guccio Gucci turned to the humble bamboo, whose qualities – it is lightweight and flexible, yet sturdy and durable – made it ideal for the handle of a new bag. To support the enterprising founder’s vision, the maison’s skilful Florentine artisans devised a technique of forging ergonomically curved handles by flame, successfully turning a crisis into a coup.
Accompanied with a matching turn-lock closure, the handle distinguished Gucci’s bags, creating luxurious emblems out of the lowly bamboo, just as the giant grass changed the course of Gucci’s trajectory forever. In the decades to come, the Bamboo Bag has withstood the tides of change to become an elite fixture among Hollywood’s leading ladies and the international jet set.
In 2022, Gucci honoured the then 75-year-old icon with the introduction of an updated line that we have come to know as Gucci Bamboo 1947, equipped with interchangeable straps that are both detachable and adjustable, for the modern woman. The monochromatic leather strap accentuates the new-gen iteration’s classic look while a sporty Web canvas strap in the signature red- and-green colourway adds a zingy on-the-go appeal, underscoring Gucci’s ongoing pursuit of outside-the-box expressions and artisanal virtuosity.
