Fashion is now experiencing an era of old-school revival, which can mean one thing and one thing only: the love for vintage is in the air, and at Gucci, the temperature is rising with the Gucci Blondie bags.
Hollywood Boulevard was awashed with the allure of old-cinema glamour as the Gucci Love Parade was a presentation of the House’s colossal collection. Roughly 50 seconds into Love Parade, a female model flounced through the street to the tune of Bjork’s ‘All Is Full Of Love’, her pink satin glove starkly contrasted by a glimmering white, minimal, enveloped-shaped bag. The bag’s name is Blondie, and Love Parade was the first time we glimpsed the bag in creative director Alessandro Michele’s era. As with every Gucci anecdote, the collection was a mishmash of influence through the House’s 100 years of history.
Tracy Cassidy and Hannah Rose Bennet, in their research for the Fashion Practice, adjourn the phenomena of vintage fashion as a response to the negative publicity and effects of fast fashion. “While both vintage and fast fashion can be traced back to the 1990s, vintage [fashion] has emerged as a much stronger fashion trend. The movement is showing potential to increase further as consumers adopt new attitudes towards secondhand products.”
“It is the personal elements of style, quality, and individuality that are considered to be the main drivers of fashion consumers,” the Fashion Practice reiterates. “The most popular eras (for vintage shopping) are the 1930s to 1950s. This may be because the majority of the respondents view these decades as the most synonymous with vintage. Earlier decades are viewed as antique while decades after were viewed as retro or simply out-of-date fashion. Dresses, skirts, and accessories are the most sought-after products — especially the latter as even an inexpensive purchase is capable of injecting old-world charm into any ensemble. The most popular places to purchase vintage are charity shops, eBay, and secondhand shops.”
A lot has happened in the past two years: a pandemic, recognition of systemic racism, and a series of fashion labour crises. With these factors drastically altering attitudes towards the way one consumes fashion in the media, there is an influx of how “newer” offerings from fashion have also been adapted to fit the return of post-war values. Like many of us, taking a break from anything inherently new became the norm, and with fast fashion withering out, the alternative of approaching fashion is by looking back and making the most of what has already existed. A global report conducted by research firm GlobalData confirms this — the resale market is now growing 11 times quicker than traditional retail and should be worth US$84 billion by the end of the decade.
However, the displacement between buying vintage at an equal cost of the brand new has always been prevalent. While the resale market is booming, there still lies a major reluctance to purchase pre-owned luxury at a premium (prices equal to or higher than its retail value). Fashion Revolution reported that it is worth noting while vintage clothing continues to exist in the future, we must pay attention to what we buy now. Investing in higher quality items or taking the time to repair clothes is a great place to start.
Therefore, bringing light to the archives adds positively to the rush despite producing completely new items, allowing for its creations to not just have a place in our present, but also in the future — so long as the item of desire made is designed to last.
This is where the House (of Gucci), unsurprisingly, provides the perfect tonic for consumers. Under the conduction of Michele, the House has long adopted an attitude towards revivals and nostalgia. The disappointing fact that fashion today is rarely exclusive lingers, which Michele understood when he first approached Gucci. In fact, it was Michele who is largely attributed for the shift in desirability towards nostalgia with his foundational collections as not only did he referenced archives for inspiration but contextualised it appropriately for fashion. The most recent Gucci Beloved best demonstrates the success of the approach, followed by Gucci Archives — a selection of retrofitted clothing and accessories from the archives.
The same approach can be seen at Love Parade, which provides the new yet invests heavily in the past to craft a new story. In it, the Gucci Blondie bags shine as its beacon. Before its release in May 2022, the bag only existed in online resale markets. On such sites, the bag usually gathers a small number of results, having never been picked up as much as the Jackie or the Marmont.
Three styles of the Gucci Blondie bags are offered — a messenger bag, a chain shoulder bag, and a mini shoulder bag — each retaining the archival round interlocking G detail from the 1970s. The messenger bag features the GG Supreme canvas with brown leather trim, leather, and suede, before being fixed with a detachable leather strap and the Web shoulder strap. The chain shoulder bag has more variety — GG Supreme, leather, and suede are its offerings. This style comes with two shoulder straps: a precious metal chain shoulder strap with the Double G detail and an additional leather shoulder strap, although it is best carried as a clutch. The mini variant is offered in leather and racks up as the most modern of all offerings.
Gucci’s approach may never be seen as perfect, but its strategy of responding to the need for vintage allows the House to flourish. Love Parade was neither niche nor mass but it successfully retains an air of exclusivity — one based on fashion’s cherished glamour that necessitates responsible shopping. Gucci Blondie is at odds with the influx of new creations eager to be at the top, but its earnestness will earn it the title it soon deserves.
This story about the Gucci Blondie bags from the House’s Love Parade presentation first appeared in our April 2022 issue. Once you’re done reading it, click here to catch up with our May 2022 issue!
RELATED ARTICLES
The AI-fication Of Facial Treatments
