The Women Behind the Bags: Meet the Women Who Gave Gucci’s It Bags Their Names
By Alexus Mosley
Many women carry It bags while only a handful inspire them.
For decades, Gucci has had a special relationship with the women who define style. A select few have become so intertwined with the house that their names now live in its handbag archives. Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Princess Diana, Brigitte Bardot and, more recently, Zumi Rosow have each left their mark on Gucci in very different ways, turning a handbag into something more than an accessory and a famous name into fashion history.
Here are the women behind some of Gucci’s most recognizable bags.
Jackie Kennedy Onassis — The Jackie
Originally introduced in the 1960s, Gucci’s curved hobo-style bag found its most famous fan in Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. The former First Lady was photographed carrying the style so frequently that it eventually became known as the Jackie. With its relaxed shape and signature piston closure, the bag reflected the understated sophistication that defined Jackie’s personal style. Decades later, Gucci revived the design as the Jackie 1961, ensuring that both the bag, and its famous namesake remained part of the house’s modern identity.
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Princess Diana — The Diana
Long before it officially carried her name, Gucci’s bamboo-handle tote was a favorite of Princess Diana. Introduced in 1991, the roomy tote frequently appeared in Diana’s off-duty wardrobe during the decade, including with the casual sweatshirts and biker shorts that have since become fashion inspiration themselves. In 2021, Gucci reintroduced the design as the Gucci Diana, complete with colorful leather bands wrapped around its signature bamboo handles. Thirty years after Diana first carried it, the house made the association permanent.
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Brigitte Bardot — The Bardot
Few women embodied effortless glamour quite like Brigitte Bardot, making her name a fitting match for Gucci. The Gucci Bardot, a curved shoulder bag associated with the house’s late-1990s and early-2000s collections, has since become a sought-after vintage style. Its sleek silhouette and close-to-the-body shape evoke the sensual, effortless appeal long associated with the French actress. Unlike Gucci’s Jackie and Diana, however, Bardot’s namesake history is less extensively documented by the house, making it one of the more mysterious entries in Gucci’s handbag archives.
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Zumi Rosow — The Zumi
While Jackie and Diana became namesakes after famously carrying Gucci, Zumi Rosow inspired a bag from the beginning. The musician and actress walked Gucci’s Spring/Summer 2019 runway carrying the new Gucci Zumi, which Alessandro Michele named in her honor. The structured handbag combined two historic Gucci motifs, the Horsebit and Interlocking G into distinctive gold-and-silver hardware. Eclectic and unconventional, Rosow perfectly represented Michele’s vision for Gucci at the time, making the Zumi as much a celebration of its muse as it was a new addition to the house’s handbag lineup.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
