In a new Spring 2023 campaign, Gucci celebrates the enduring style of its iconic Bamboo 1947 handbag. Supermodel Liu Wen is centerstage in images and video lensed by David Sims, with creative direction from Ezra Petronio & Lana Petrusevych./ Hair by Paul Hanlon; makeup by Thomas De Kluyver

The Gucci Bamboo 1947 handbag, originally known by its product number 0633, has a rich history that dates back to post-war Italy. In 1947, Europe was still recovering from the aftermath of World War II, and resources were scarce. Leather, a primary material used in fashion at the time, was in short supply, forcing designers to find alternative materials for their creations.

Guccio Gucci, the founder of the luxury fashion house, came up with an innovative solution to this problem: bamboo. This durable and lightweight material could be easily imported from Japan, making it an ideal substitute for leather. Gucci's team of Florentine artisans developed a patented method to heat and bend the bamboo in such a way that it would retain its shape once cooled and affixed to a handbag. This unique design element became the iconic bamboo handle, which was first introduced in the Gucci Bamboo collection in 1947.

The bamboo handle quickly gained popularity, thanks in part to its endorsement by celebrities like Elizabeth Taylor and Grace Kelly, who carried the bags throughout the 1950s and 1960s. The distinctive design also caught the attention of filmmakers, with the bamboo-handled bags appearing in movies such as Viaggio in Italia (1954) and Michelangelo Antonioni's Le Amiche [1955] and Blow-Up [1966].

Over the years, the Gucci Bamboo handbag has undergone several revamps, with new versions being introduced by different creative directors. In 2010, Frida Giannini, then Creative Director of Gucci, released a modernized version of the bag with a larger frame and a detachable leather shoulder strap. More recently, Alessandro Michele, the former Creative Director, gave the bag a fresh look, presenting the new silhouette as the Gucci Bamboo 1947.

Despite its origins in a time of scarcity, the Gucci Bamboo 1947 handbag has become a symbol of luxury and timeless style. Its enduring appeal is a testament to the creativity and innovation of Guccio Gucci and his team of artisans, who transformed a simple material like bamboo into an iconic fashion statement that continues to captivate audiences today.

In August 2021, Gucci ran a major international campaign featuring the Diana Bag, which also had a bamboo handle. Issued in honor of Princess Diana’s 60th birthday [had she lived], the Diana bag was also the rage decades ago. [See link end of article.]

[8/15/2021] Nearly 100,000 people cheered Britain’s Prince and Princess of Wales on the streets of Tokyo, when they arrived for a six-day visit to Japan on May 12, 1986. The headline in the New York Times read: ‘Diana Fever’ Comes to a Quiet Emperor’s Land.

First, in honor of Diana’s 60th birthday, Gucci’s creative director Alessandro Michele reimagined the royal’s favorite, iconic handbag in a series of bold and bright colors in three different sizes.

The ‘Diana’ bag, which the Princess made famous in one variation or another running errands around London or arriving for a gym workout, became the rage.

Diana LOVED her Gucci handbags with their bamboo handles.