Tom Ford Gucci Woven Leather Bamboo Handle Bag

A very special and rare vintage Gucci tote in a muted chartreuse yellow, made from woven leather strips over a matching suede inner pouch and finished with natural bamboo top handles.

The open fishnet construction is what makes this one. It gives the bag texture and movement without making it feel heavy, while the bamboo handles bring in one of Gucci’s most recognisable house codes. The removable-looking inner pouch sits inside the woven exterior and keeps everything practical and covered.

Styling Tip

I would lean into the slightly strange colour rather than trying to neutralise it.

It looks especially cool in combination with more color but also with something very simple like a white t-shirt. In summer I love it with a slip dress or linen, but it also works really well against heavier winter textures because of the contrast between the open weave and the suede.

It is also one of those bags that makes a very basic outfit look much more considered.

Late 1990s to early 2000s · Tom Ford era

This bag comes from Tom Ford’s period as creative director of Gucci, when the house was balancing a very modern, sensual image with some of its oldest and most recognisable design codes. Bamboo had been part of Gucci’s vocabulary since the 1940s, when the house began experimenting with the material for handbag handles, and Ford-era accessories frequently played with those archival references in a much more contemporary way.

Here, the classic bamboo handle is paired with an unexpectedly tactile woven leather body and a soft suede interior. It feels recognisably Gucci, but much less polished and traditional than a classic leather Bamboo bag. Exactly the kind of material contrast that makes pieces from this period so interesting.

Details

• Chartreuse / muted lime yellow
• Open-weave woven leather exterior
• Matching suede inner pouch
• Natural bamboo top handles
• Silver-tone handle hardware
• Leather trim
• Magnetic closure on inner pouch
• Textile-lined interior
• Made in Italy

Condition

Good vintage condition with visible signs of previous wear consistent with age. The woven leather shows natural variation and some darkening (see pics). The suede inner pouch shows visible marks. The bamboo handles present nicely. The overall structure remains good and the woven construction is intact.

Why It Made the Cut

Because it is weird Gucci in exactly the right way.

The bamboo handles make it instantly recognisable, but everything underneath them is unexpected: the almost macramé-like leather weave, the suede pouch inside and that slightly odd chartreuse colour.

I especially love that it does not feel precious. It has texture, age and a bit of imperfection, and that is what makes it good. It is the kind of archive piece that looks much more interesting now than something that was designed simply to be classic.