There is a certain beauty in the luxury fashion industry. Not only the world-renowned fashion houses have been here for long, but they created what we know and love today. They made history and the pieces they launched are timeless. The garments they made shaped the style we have today. From Coco Chanel being brave and reimagining black into something more than funeral attire. Christian Dior with his revolutionizing ‘New Look’ that gave women a different empowerment through a different style. To Yves Saint Laurent making women stronger than ever in his suits and tuxedos.
These all big names have created a legacy. What we can do today is read about them and worship their work. But there are certain actions of the brands today that bring us a tiny bit closer to the glory items of the past. Truth is nostalgia is a big part of how we view things and how we value certain items. Whenever brands are doing a reinvention of decade old products, they are almost guaranteed to be a hit success. Look at Prada with the infamous nylon bag. Or at Maria Grazia Chiuri re-launching the 2000s staple ‘Saddle Bag’. Now it came to Gucci to bring us a staple, and that is the Jackie 1961 Hobo Bag.
History of the Bag.
It was the year 1950. Guccio Gucci was still at the helm of the Gucci brand and the bag was released under the name of ‘Constance’. It was one of the initial hobo-style bags ever released and it came in a larger version. The icon Jackie Kennedy soon discovered it and she was always wearing it everywhere she went. It was said that she had 6 of them. Soon after the handbag was named after her, what we know today as ‘The Jackie’ bag.
Image copyright to Pinterest. Image of Jackie Kennedy
Along the years the bag has been reinvented by other creative directors at Gucci as well. In 1999 Tom Ford released a new version, as well as Frida Gianni 10 years later in 2009. Kate Moss has also been seen with the hobo bag in 2014, which stirred more buzz around the bag. You see, this bag is indeed timeless and each time it came out, it made the headlines.
The 2020 Edition
Last year, Alessandro Michelle, the current Creative Director at Gucci, reissued the Jackie Bag to the world. It was reminiscent of the early 2000s styles, which I covered in another article here.
The versatility of the bag is quite amazing as it can be worn under the shoulder, cross-body and hobo-style. It comes in 3 main sizes: mini, small & medium. Alessandro chose the most beautiful soft, pastel colors for the leather options. He also released one classic monogram canvas with the house signature red and green colors. The closing is classy and subtle, with a ‘piston’ closure, covered in golden texture.
Another nice detail about the bag is the fact that the leather was made through an alternative process. Gucci claims this chrome free tanning method is reducing the environmental foot print compared with traditional methods. It is nice to see brands trying to make changes in their processes, or even be finally more aware that they have a responsibility here.
The price of the bag is reasonable in comparison with the luxury market leather goods ranges.
The Mini version retails for $1,980, Small version for $2,300 and the Medium for $2,600.
In the end, for some it might seem like the designers are trying to cash in on our nostalgia. But to be honest, if I were to pay $1,980 for a bag, then it better be a special one. One that is timeless and has a history behind it. Would I purchase one of the simple and basic models? No. But I would damn right purchase a bag with personality and history like the Jackie Bag.
What do you think? Would you get this bag?
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