Following World War II, there was a leather shortage in Europe and luxuries were rationed, and so the artisans and designers at Gucci needed to look for new design materials for their bags. In 1947, Guccio Gucci, the founder of the brand, turned to bamboo cane, which was imported from Japan, as the material wasn't rationed.
To create the handle for the bag, Gucci's artisans first placed the bamboo cane over fire to heat it up in order to mould it. As the bamboo heated up and softened, the craftsman manipulated the wood into the desired handle shape.
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After the handle was created, the bamboo was then finished with its signature gloss lacquer and then 'toasted' to a golden-brown colour, giving each piece its unique look.
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In the 1950s and '60s, the bag was coveted by fashionistas around the globe, adorning the arms of Ingrid Bergman and Elizabeth Taylor. In fact, these bags were so popular, in 1958, Gucci patented the bamboo handle so that no other fashion brand could copy the look.
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In the Spring Summer 2010 collection, Gucci's then Creative Director Frida Giannini presented 'The New Bamboo' a modern update of the signature bag. The 'New Bamboo' bag was made up of 140 elements, all of which were put together by an artisan in Gucci's Florentine workshop the same way it first would have been crafted in 1947, and each bag took 13 hours of work to complete.
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Then in 2021, Gucci revived their 1991 tote with bamboo handles as the Gucci Diana. It was named for Princess Diana, who was frequently seen with the original Gucci tote in the '90s.
Gucci bamboo-handle bags can be found on Barnebys, at prices starting as low as a few hundred pounds. However, Gucci bamboo bags paired with exotic leather have fetched up to $9,000 at auction. For over eighty years, the chic, exotic touch of bamboo is forever associated with Gucci and is also a reminder of the brand's constant innovation and creativity.
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This is an updated version of an article originally published on 13 November 2017