Gucci & Christie’s Collaboration for Vintage Lovers

Gucci Collector is the product of unison between Gucci and esteemed auction house Christie’s. The website offers a chance for owners of Gucci vintage to appraise their items as well as a chance for vintage lovers to purchase the prized items via a trustworthy platform that assures authenticity and high quality.

Both Gucci and Christie’s belong to the same parent group, PPR (Pinault-Printemps-Redoute), making the idea to collaborate both natural as well as beneficial to all parties. Gucci Collector is an extension of the Gucci and Christie’s websites and allows a safer and more reliable alternative to selling or purchasing vintage items on eBay and other similar websites.

Owners of Gucci vintage items must submit clear photographs of the product, along with dimensions, information on skins used and a history of when and how the item was acquired. A vintage item is defined by Gucci Collector as a less common Gucci product, which is at least twenty years old, or is a rare or limited edition item. Once submitted, the item is evaluated by Christie’s Director of Fashion and Textiles, Patricia Frost, and her team of costume specialists in collaboration with the Gucci Archive Department. The process ensures that the items accepted must be of the value and type of typical Christie’s items for sale. A response is given within 2-4 weeks. The piece may either be approved for the Gucci Collector website, or may also interest Gucci or Christie’s if it is found to be a historically valuable item. It is no surprise that this initiative has been launched now, as a Gucci museum will be launched in Florence next year to mark the 90th anniversary of the House of Gucci.

Longtime fans of the Gucci brand will know that the 20+-year-old items that will be available on Gucci Collector are emblems of the tumultuous history of the Italian fashion and leather goods house, which has made its way back to being at the forefront of the fashion world today, sitting at position 41 on the 2009 Top Global 100 Brands chart by Interbrand.

Founded in 1921 by Guccio Gucci in Florence, Italy, the brand achieved world recognition by the 1960s when it was adopted by the era’s symbols of style, grace and beauty such as Grace Kelly and Jackie Kennedy. Despite falling from grace by the ‘80s, it was brought back to life, reclaiming its high-fashion status under the eye of Tom Ford in 1993 along with leadership from a new management team. The current creative director, Frida Giannini, at the helm of Gucci since 2006, is known to be responsible for steering the brand into pioneering waters, particularly when it comes to initiatives for the “Facebook generation,” as she describes it. Examples of her eye for the future include a well-maintained Gucci Facebook page, an iPhone music application, and now, an online platform where Gucci vintage items can be exchanged amongst Gucci loyalists, passionate vintage collectors, and fashion fans alike.

To have a Gucci vintage item appraised by the Gucci and Christie’s team, or to seek high quality vintage pieces that speak of the long and rich heritage of the House of Gucci, visit the Gucci Collector website. In addition, the Spring Summer 2010 collection includes a vintage-inspired collection of handbags by Frida Giannini that can be viewed and purchased at Gucci stores and at www.gucci.com.