Gucci

On Gucci and the glory of the non-logo logo

Gucci Boston Canvas Duffle, $960 via Net-a-Porter

I’m sure that we’re do for a revival of the logo bag any season now. Fashion’s like that; the trends you hate always come back around more quickly than the ones for which you feel genuine nostalgia. Some brands still do a very brisk business in their logo bags; Louis Vuitton has always been at the top of that list, but Gucci isn’t far behind. And while it surely makes the company a ton of money and is important for branding purposes, logos have just never been my cup of tea.

But that’s why I’m such a big fan of the Gucci Boston Canvas Duffle and bags like it. Gucci occasionally uses this jacquard diamond-check canvas in place of the brand’s normal logo fabric, and it is such an improvement in my eyes. This bag looks stately and classic without the unnecessary Gs, and that’s exactly the appeal of the non-logo logo.

A non-logo logo can come in many forms. A Balenciaga motorcycle bag’s signature hardware counts, as does the hand-painted pattern of Goyard’s coated canvas bags. What doesn’t count? Any type of monogram or symbol that’s widely used as the company’s principle brand identifier. The Louis Vuitton “LV” is out, as is the Versace Medusa head. Choosing a secondary identifier helps reign in the ostentatious quality of a logo bag and gives the end result a more subtle effect, which is exactly why this Gucci bag seems staid and dignified in a British heritage sort of way rather than flashy and obvious like a logo bag.

And that’s not to say that flashy and obvious is an objectively bad thing – I love both flashy and obvious, and in the right moment, even I sometimes love it in a logo bag. But for a piece that you want to carry regularly and for a long time, I’d choose something like this bag over a more obvious logo. It still retains the recognizability among handbag lovers, it just does so in a slightly more indirect way. Whoever said that discretion is the greater part of valor was right, even when it comes to accessories. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $960.

guest

34 Comments
Most Voted
Newest Oldest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments