Hello Can anyone help me with info about this Bruno Magli bag please? It isn't huge - rather like an evening bag - will remember to measure and post later! It is leather and I think silk. Thanks in advance!
Hi, my friend. It's lovely to see that you've posted here, about this beautiful Bruno Magli handbag. I shared what I could already, i.e. the great quality of the maker, their history of fine shoe manufacture, the adding of matching accessories to the line at a certain point (need to confirm exactly when) so let's see what the handbag experts say. My guess is early 90's, but it seems like it could be earlier too. I'm not entirely sure, but I sure love this bag!
Hi Joules From what I can gather - the bags were always made to match a shoe - I think the house fell on hard times in the late eighties and were bought out. All a bit big nameplates and 'it' bag style now. This bag is so beautiful - it screams quality - I was attracted by the Klimt-like silk front. If I ever tire of it I'd like to sell it and donate back to the Hospice shop (from where I bought it). Thanks for suggesting this wonderful resource - could lose myself for hours here!
I'd agree, and this one likely predates the changeover. Just need to know when bags / accessories were added. The textile is amazing, that marbleized effect.
I found this listing on eBay this morning for a retro 60s Magli bag - it shows the same strap arrangement and snap fastening inside
You know, my initial reaction to your bag had been 70's, before I read that Bruno Magli added accessories in the 90's, on that one site that I shared with you on flickr. This sort of hardware could very well indicate 70's, and the shape of your bag seems to as well, and also with that sort of strap. I hope someone else will drop by. I wonder what makes the ebay seller so sure?
Well - there was a quite significant 70s revival in the 90s. I remember buying my 70s inspired platform shoes and wearing them with ill-advised combinations. It sort of overlapped with the very short hair/all black/slim menswear inspired suits thing that went on as well. Slightly before in the very late 80s, a tie dye hippie revival sort of started, too. I also remember the coach purses in the early nineties that were quite petite but had very long skinny straps, circa 1992-1994ish. The gals who were my age at the time who couldn't swing the Willis bags, etc, were buying them up (and no one could save for independent wealth). They had the small hooks on the ends of the straps as well. They were before the Coach demipurse styles on the short thick straps that you would loop around your arm and they'd be right under your armpit came out in the much later 90s. To me, it is probably from about that same time period (the first bag). If the date of Bruno Magli accessories is set and stone but it is insisted that it is 70s, its either a fake with the Bruno magli name or they periodically did an accessory here and there every once in a blue moon before they officially created an entire line of accessories. As for the second purse - that magnetic snap closure and that "inside and underneath" strap configuration went on for a long time in evening purses and prom type purses.
Thanks for putting it in perspective so well. This is what makes my head spin about dating this bag, and I'd referred to this page, for company info: http://www.answers.com/topic/bruno-magli
The inside strap thing I believe is to allow the bag to be used as a clutch bag (with the shoulder strap curled inside the body of the bag) - which made me think evening/occasion bag. The strap is more like a leather cord (a thin tube of leather). From Wikipadia "After learning the art from their grandfather, Magli and his siblings Marino and Maria started crafting women's shoes in a small basement in Bologna, Italy, in 1936. In 1947, the first factory was built, which also produced men's shoes. The current plant was built in 1969. In the 1980s, the Magli company developed a franchising retail network which led, in about twenty years, to around 40 "franchises", strewn around Europe, America, Japan, China and other Asian countries, and Australia. Magli is now a privately-held upscale brand leader in men's and women's footwear, leather clothing, women's handbags, luggage items, small leather goods, and other accessories." I believe the company was owned/developed Magli by Monica (launched, designed by Bruno's granddaughter, Monica), 2000; a controlling share was purchased by investment firm Opera, 2001. And then .... "UK investment fund acquires Bruno Magli Luxury footwear company Bruno Magli has been acquired by UK-based investment fund Fortelus Capital. The Italian luxury footwear specialist, which has fallen on hard times, was previously owned by Opera, an equity fund backed by Bulgari SpA and a number of other investors. The amount for which Bruno Magli was sold is unknown. Fortelus Capital is a new $300 million turnaround fund founded last year by Timothy Babich. This is its first purchase. Babich told WWD that the majority of the capital spent on the acquisition would go towards reviving the Bruno Magli business. “I think that part of (the attraction) was the history and the archives of all the designs,” he said. “We think that there is a good base to build on.” Opera bought the Bruno Magli business from the Magli family in 2001 for $140 million. Since then, Opera has failed to lead to business to profit. WWD reports that a source has said that it struggles with a lack of creative direction and a limited budget. Since 2003, Opera called in the help of consultancy firm Alix Partners to help manage the business. According to Babich, Opera had already completed a major part of Bruno Magli's turnaround. The brand operates 32 fully owned stores; 11 in Italy and 21 in Japan . It also has 25 stores through franchise agreements, with presences in 60 countries. In 2006, the company had €45 million in sales. www.brunomagli.com 1 February 2007 " So not just the family store, but lots of licensing/franchise areas to consider!
