Gucci’s Jackie bag has taken on many guises since its debut back in 1961. Even its name has been changed: it was originally known as the G1244, a code used for internal purposes, and was subsequently renamed after its most famous fan, Jackie Kennedy, who carried several styles during her lifetime.
Testament to its enduring appeal, the crescent-shaped Jackie has been reinterpreted by Gucci’s roster of creative directors over the decades. Tom Ford replaced its piston closure with a push lock, Frida Giannini experimented with boho versions in 2009, then released the “Jackie Soft” with a campaign fronted by Kate Moss in 2014, while Alessandro Michele updated the Jackie for a new-gen audience at his autumn/winter 2020 men’s show.
Celebrity enthusiasts, meanwhile, have been drawn to both new and vintage iterations of the bag, with a roll-call of famous names that include Barbra Streisand, Dua Lipa, Jodie Turner-Smith, Dakota Johnson, Zoe Saldana, Harry Styles, Sienna Miller, Yara Shahidi, Alexa Chung and Tina Kunakey, to name but a few.
Though the Jackie boasts multiple iterations – many of which can be found second-hand on resale sites – the recognisable silhouette and hardware have stayed the same. The house’s newest creative director, Sabato De Sarno, has defined his take on the Jackie with a clip closure, as well as designing the bag’s evening counterpart, the chain-strap Jackie Notte, which is “ideal for nighttime wear”.
Another De Sarno signature? The “Rosso Ancora” colourway – a rich, oxblood hue plucked from the Gucci archive that featured throughout his inaugural spring/summer 2024 collection, rendered in patent leather. “Ancora means a lot of things,” he said to Vogue’s Nicole Phelps. “It means ‘again’, but it’s also more personal – it’s not something you lost, it’s something that you still have, but you want more of it because it makes you happy.” A fitting shade for a classic handbag that has been loved over and over again. Peruse vintage and new-season Gucci Jackie bags, below.