Large shoulder bag in green python, Gucci ($4,100). Tysons Galleria, 703-506-6804.
It has been six decades since Giovanni Battista Giorgini put Italian style and craftsmanship on the fashion map with his lavish affairs in Florence, pushing Italian designers into the same sphere as Parisian couturiers like Coco Chanel and Christian Dior. This heritage continues today, as the country’s high-end fashion houses refocus on world-class design, fine materials, and luxurious style.
Witness Gucci’s delightful twist on its classic handbag design. The 1970 bag signifies glamour and prestige for modern tastes: In sumptuous leathers, colorful exotic skins, and shimmering metal accents, the bag incorporates the Art Deco sensibilities of the Spring/Summer runway collection while also reflecting the disco era—1970 was the year metal corners were first introduced on Gucci’s accessories—in a beautiful melding of history and design. Creative director Frida Giannini says of the new aesthetic: “In my work, it’s important to always be looking ahead, so with each season I carry my vision further. Perhaps this collection reflects a place I am at in my own life. We all reach a moment when we can still have fun and be provocative, but it is a more sophisticated and mature approach. So the woman you see in my collections is stronger and more confident than ever.” It is a sentiment that Washington women can relate to, and it is a collection they will fall in love with for years to come—that is, until Gucci’s next anniversary.
