The Gucci Icons Edit: The House Signatures Worth Revisiting

Gucci was founded in Florence in 1921 by Guccio Gucci, who opened his first boutique on Via della Vigna Nuova after years working as a porter at The Savoy hotel in London. The house says his early years in London shaped a vision that combined Tuscan craftsmanship with an English aesthetic, and it describes travel as a thread that has stayed with the brand.

 

The Bamboo bag came after the Second World War, when a leather shortage led Gucci to import bamboo from Japan for its handles. The Jackie 1961 is said to have been renamed after Jacqueline Kennedy was seen carrying it, and the Horsebit 1955 bag refers to the year its hardware appeared in the collections. Today the Bamboo Vendetta leather shoulder bag, the Bamboo Vendetta leather shoulder bag and the Bamboo leather shoulder bag carry the bamboo, the Jackie 1961 Small velvet shoulder bag is the Jackie in black GG velvet, and the Horsebit Duomo leather shoulder bag, the Horsebit Ristretto embellished leather shoulder bag and the Ristretto embellished leather shoulder bag carry the Horsebit. The Bamboo oval sunglasses brings the Bamboo name to sunglasses.

 

For the full handbag lineup by type, see the Gucci bag edit.

The Horsebit loafer launched in 1953, the same year Gucci opened its first store in New York, and the metal bit across the vamp nods to the house's equestrian roots. The loafer entered the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1985, according to published accounts.

 

The current loafers include the Boulevard Horsebit GG suede loafers, the Jordaan GG suede loafers, the Jordaan Horsebit GG suede loafers and the Jordaan Horsebit GG canvas loafers, which put the GG pattern next to the Horsebit. The Emily Moccasin horsebit-detailed suede loafers and the Emily Moccasin horsebit-detailed suede loafers are the Emily Moccasin versions, and the Casanova Horsebit-detailed shearling-trimmed leather slip-ons and the Casanova horsebit-embellished shearling-trimmed leather slip-ons are the Casanova slip-ons with a shearling trim.

 

More current pairs are in the Gucci shoe edit.

The Double G logo was adopted in the 1960s and credited to Aldo Gucci, and the green, red and green Web stripe is tied to the saddle girth straps of the equestrian world. The GG Marmont reversible leather belt, the Cut GG Marmont reversible leather and printed coated-canvas belt, the Double G leather belt, the GG Plaque leather belt, the Double G GG canvas belt and the GG Plaque printed coated-canvas and leather belt are the belts that carry the Double G.

 

The Ophidia Small GG leather-trimmed wallet and the GG Emblem Mini printed coated-canvas and leather wallet are the small leather goods in GG canvas, one with the Web stripe and one with a leather trim. For the Marmont story and the shoulder bags, see the Gucci bag edit.

The Flora print dates to 1966 and was drawn by Vittorio Accornero. Reports say it began as a scarf for Grace Kelly, which is why the silk twill scarf remains the best place to see it.

 

The Flora floral-print silk-twill scarf, the Flora floral-print silk-twill scarf and the Flora floral-print silk scarf are the square scarves, and the Flora printed silk-twill scarf and the Flora printed silk-twill scarf are the narrow twilly ties. The Equestrian silk-dévoré scarf, the Frayed logo and leopard-jacquard wool scarf and the Fringed silk and wool-blend scarf cover the other prints and weaves, and the longer accessories run is in the Gucci accessories edit.

Pick the signature that matches how you dress. The Jackie suits a soft shoulder bag, the Horsebit suits a loafer wearer, the GG suits a belt or small bag, and Flora suits a scarf.

 

For the season's newest pieces, see the Gucci new arrivals edit.