Gherardini: from Florence in 1885, the bags that dressed the 1960s and 70s
On Vogue Italia I read the story of Gherardini, one of Italy's oldest leather goods brands, told by Riccardo Braccialini, CEO of Pelletteria Fiorentina Montecristo. It is a useful lesson in vintage fashion because it weaves together dates, models and materials.
It all begins in spring 1885, when Garibaldo Gherardini opens his first workshop in the heart of Florence to make small leather goods. Thirty years later he opens the boutique on Via della Vigna Nuova. After the Second World War, under the second generation, the first iconic models appear: the Dodici Dodici of 1959 with its spring closure and double opening, the Vittoria of 1968 with its 'Chiodo' closure and, in 1970, the Plattina, with its slim silhouette, still one of the longest-running best sellers.
The 1960s and 70s were the golden years. According to Braccialini, bags were everywhere, worn by Twiggy, the brand icon, but also by Sophia Loren, Claudia Cardinale, Marcello Mastroianni and Alberto Sordi. In 1969 the first women's leather clothing collection was shown in the Sala Bianca of Palazzo Pitti, and a few years later the offer widened to a total look with clothing, eyewear and scarves.
In the mid-1970s, with the third generation, came the monogram and the first Softy, a fabric designed to overcome the limits of leather, such as weight, yellowing and poor durability over time. In 1990 the founding family sold the brand.
The relaunch came in 2024, through the partnership between Itochu Corporation and Pelfim. The method is to start from the archives: a historical bag is taken, reissued, and more current variations are developed from it. Today there is only one brand store, in Tokyo, but the dream is to return to Florence. For anyone who likes to look for vintage bags, knowing what the models were called and when they were born helps in recognising them.
Source: Vogue Italia
It all begins in spring 1885, when Garibaldo Gherardini opens his first workshop in the heart of Florence to make small leather goods. Thirty years later he opens the boutique on Via della Vigna Nuova. After the Second World War, under the second generation, the first iconic models appear: the Dodici Dodici of 1959 with its spring closure and double opening, the Vittoria of 1968 with its 'Chiodo' closure and, in 1970, the Plattina, with its slim silhouette, still one of the longest-running best sellers.
The 1960s and 70s were the golden years. According to Braccialini, bags were everywhere, worn by Twiggy, the brand icon, but also by Sophia Loren, Claudia Cardinale, Marcello Mastroianni and Alberto Sordi. In 1969 the first women's leather clothing collection was shown in the Sala Bianca of Palazzo Pitti, and a few years later the offer widened to a total look with clothing, eyewear and scarves.
In the mid-1970s, with the third generation, came the monogram and the first Softy, a fabric designed to overcome the limits of leather, such as weight, yellowing and poor durability over time. In 1990 the founding family sold the brand.
The relaunch came in 2024, through the partnership between Itochu Corporation and Pelfim. The method is to start from the archives: a historical bag is taken, reissued, and more current variations are developed from it. Today there is only one brand store, in Tokyo, but the dream is to return to Florence. For anyone who likes to look for vintage bags, knowing what the models were called and when they were born helps in recognising them.
Source: Vogue Italia
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