The VFG believes that informed selling and buying communities are good for the vintage-fashion industry as a whole, and all visitors to the website have access to the VFG resources. These are continually updated and constantly evolving, thanks to a dedicated volunteer staff.
Our blog features our picks of the freshest vintage items, member news and articles. We have also created a growing series of articles on some classic designers.
The Vintage Fashion Guild™ (VFG) is an international organization dedicated to the promotion and preservation of vintage fashion.
The Vintage Fashion Guild™ (VFG) is an international community of people with expertise in vintage fashion. VFG members enjoy a wealth of resources, avenues for promoting their shops and specialties, and camaraderie with others who share a common interest and passion.
Guccio Gucci (1881-1953) founded his leather works in 1921 in Florence, Italy. As a young man, Gucci left his native Tuscany to work in London and across Europe in the tourist industry. He was a sharp observer and noticed the luxurious leather luggage used by wealthy tourists.
When he returned to Florence, he worked in one of the city’s many leather goods workshops, learning the craft. In 1921 he opened his own shop, in which he sold high quality leather goods made by others. Soon he opened a workshop at his store to repair leather goods and to produce his own leather goods.
Most biographies of Gucci and histories of the company state that in the early years, Gucci also made saddles, which is used to explain why there are so many equestrian influences in Gucci products. But according to the family sources cited by Sara Gay Forden in her book House of Gucci, this is not true.
All through the 1920s Gucci made luggage and the various leather containers that well-to-do travelers required. By the 1930s he had expanded to shoes and handbags. During the war years when leather was scarce, Gucci turned to canvas, developing a signature printed canvas that led to the famous double-G logo that came out some years later.
In the 1950s the company was inherited by Guccio’s sons and the company opened a store in the United States. The company began its use of the trademark green and red striped webbing. By the 1960s Gucci was a well-known luxury brand and it was a favorite of many members of the “jet set”.
In the mid-1960s the Gucci company developed some of the products that are most closely associated with the name. The brightly-colored floral scarves were first made in 1966, after Princess Grace visited the Milan store. The first scarf was presented to her as a gift. At that time Gucci had just begun making leather clothing and now they branched off into silk dresses, made from printed silk in designs similar to the scarves.
1968 brought about the introduction of the ultimate Gucci status symbol, the shoe decorated with the snaffle bit. The double-G monogrammed fabric was brought out in 1969.
Gucci prospered through the logo craze of the late 1970s and into the 1980s, but by the late 1980s Gucci was no longer considered to be fashion forward. It was Tom Ford in the 1990s that made Gucci a leading fashion house. Ford joined Gucci’s ready-to-wear division in 1990 and by 1994 he was creative director for the house. His work there has changed the image of Gucci from a solid, but slightly boring, luxury leather maker, to that of fashion leader. Tom Ford’s last collection at Gucci was for Fall, 2004. The next two collections were designed by Alessandra Facchinetti,followed by Frida Giannini. In 2015 Giannini left and Alessandro Michele was named creative director.
Written by fuzzylizzie
See vintage Gucci from VFG members on Etsy (paid link)
Courtesy of Ruth Baza
Courtesy of Vivavintageclothing
Courtesy of artisannes
Courtesy of PoppysVintageClothing
Courtesy of Willow Hilson Boutique
Courtesy of cher19
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Courtesy of kickshawproductions
Courtesy of claireshaeffer
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Courtesy of claire shaeffer
from a late 1930s/early 1940s corde handbag
from a 1950s handbag
From a 1950s leather purse
from an early 1970s silk 2-piece suit
from a 1970s 2 piece logo ensemble
from a 1970s mens jacket
from a 1970s silk shirt dress
from a 1970s sweater
from a 1970s leather skirt
from a 1970s dress
from a late-1970s early-1980s silk scarf
from a late 1970s/early 1980s bag
from a late 1970s/early 1980s women's blazer
an early 1980s label
from a 1980s silk blouse
from a 1980s men's jacket
from a mid-1980s dress
from a late 1980s shawl
from a pair of 1980s men's loafers
from a 1980s dress
from a 1990s necktie
from a 1990s blazer
from a 1990s skirt
from a pair of mid 2000 pants
from a 2008 fake necktie from Vietnam