For Seller

By: Joyce Dietzel

Perhaps Guccio Gucci never realized the extent at which his handbags will be adored by millions of women all across the world. From the time that he
first opened his store in 1921 to the present time, he would not have
imagined that his bags would stand the test of time and become one of the
icons of the history of the fashion world and would give birth to a fashion
house.

In fact, there are some who would kill for a Gucci handbag whether it be the
new stocks that have come fresh from the designer’s notebooks or those that
have already made the rounds of various thrift shops. No doubt, there is
much value placed in an authentic Gucci handbag, whether it be 15 years old
or 15 minutes old.

Guccio Gucci started with a small luggage and saddlery company in Florence,
where he sold leather goods that are exclusively made by Florence craftsmen.
Owning to the support of sophisticated international clients, Gucci opened
another shop, this time in Via Condotti, Rome. Though quite popular with
consumers, it was only in 1947 that the first Gucci handbag attained an icon
status with the first handbag to have a bamboo handle. The handbag,
introduced by Gucci, was a great success with the Gucci handbag symbol of
striped webbing derived from saddle girth.
The striped webbing symbol has become so distinctive and so identified with
the Gucci products, whether handbags or clothes that it made into a
trademark

Another icon Gucci handbag was introduced a couple of years after- the
moccasin handbag with metal bit. When Gucci died in 1953, the company was
riding its high especially with the opening of its first New York store,
Hollywood stars Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn and Peter Sellers brought the
brand into stardom but it was First lady Jackie Kennedy that popularized the
bag that has come to be known today as the "Jackie O."

After expansion in the United States and in Europe, Gucci opened his first
stores in Asia, targeting Asian fashion capitals, Hong Kong and Tokyo in the
seventies. In the early 80s, Maurizio Gucci took on the leadership and in
1984, Domenico de Sole became the president of Gucci America. Shares of the
Gucci company was sold and de Sole became the CEO of the group NV.
Today, Gucci handbags are still enjoying the adoration and adulation of many
loyalists. In fact, their recent hobo bag designs are one of the top selling
handbags in the market today. Even with its really obscene price, women line
up the stores and even reserve their stocks of really great Gucci designs.

In 1990, Tom Ford took on the reins of Creative Director and brought the
Gucci name back into the limelight with his great designs and innovations.
Tom Ford’s first collection was a really big success not only in the
American runways but also across the globe. Not only does Gucci been
producing handbags, shoes and clothes, the company has also acquired a small
but profitable watch company, Severin Montres in 1997.

The year 1998 saw the Gucci brand riding high with its being named European
Company of the Year by the European Business Press Federation. In 2004, when
Tom Ford left the company, Frida Giannini was appointed to head the
Accessories collection, which would preside over the design and development
of handbags. And even in 2005, when Gucci appointed Giannini as creative
director for women’s ready to wear, she still continued her responsibilities
with accessories and Gucci handbags.

Joyce Dietzel writes for-guccie-handbags.com a website dedicated to authentic gucci handbags