SPECIAL POST: Italian Fashion Guru Roberto Ricci

Roberto Ricci for Susan Gail elegant straw handbag. From the collection of The Vintage Purse Museum.

Maker imprint inside the above handbag. From the collection of The Vintage Purse Museum.

SPECIAL POST: Q&A with Acclaimed Fashion Designer Roberto Ricci

The Vintage Purse Museum’s curator was thrilled to make the online acquaintance of Roberto Ricci, handbag designer and Italian fashion guru. Mr. Ricci is an active participant in The Vintage Purse Museum’s partner Facebook group, Vintage Purse Share and Information, where he shares his knowledge and expertise. We asked if he’d be willing to do an interview with us for our photo and history archive, and, to our delight, he accepted.

Although Italian is his first language, Mr. Ricci is fluent in English and answered our emailed questions in English. We’ve printed his answers and his curriculum vitae (both are lightly edited for clarity), which is where we’ll start so that you can get an idea of the breadth of his work. (Note: He is not related to Roberto Ricci of RRD, an apparel and surfing products maker.)

Fashion guru and renowned designer Roberto Ricci. Photo courtesy Roberto Ricci.

Roberto Ricci Biography

Roberto Ricci was born in Florence, Italy, October 21, 1943. He eventually attended and graduated from art school. In 1967, he began working at his family’s handbag company.

From 1974 to 1997 he operated “Roberto Ricci,” his eponymous handbag factory. In 1987, he created a company called “Campuccio by Roberto Ricci,” which specialized in apparel and accessories, including bags, shoes and jewelry. It was located in the center of the city of Florence.

He occasionally collaborated with Italian brands such as Ferragamo and Gucci, French brands Christian Lacroix and Paule Ka, and the American brand Coach.

Starting in 1998, he was member of Trend Selection Lineapelle, doing research and creating all of the handbag designs for their trend books.

In 2001, he became AIMPES/Mipel designer and art director, and was responsible for creating 13 of their trend books. (AIMPES stands for Associazione Italiana Manifatturieri Pelli E Succedanei. In English this translates to Italian Manufacturing and Leather Substitutes Association. Per the Mipel website, “Mipel is the most important exhibition of leather-goods and accessories.”)

Starting in 2003, he did trend presentations in Milan, Bologna, New York, London, Tokyo, Beijing, Shanghai and Kuala Lumpur for the Lineappelle and Mipel exhibits.

In 2004, he was a consultant for AIP, the Italian Fur Association.

In 2010, he was a Tokyo Leather Fair consultant and their trendsetter for two editions of their publication.

He stopped working in 2015, but still does trend courses for students and workers in the fashion field.

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Roberto Ricci has been married to his wife Tamara since 1971 and they have one son, Ernesto, born in 1975. Ernesto is married and is the father of 10-year-old twins. 

Roberto Ricci currently lives in Scandicci, about 13 kilometers (approximately 8 miles) from Florence.

He told us via email: “You must know that Scandicci—(with) 60,000 inhabitants…is the city where the most important leather goods such as Gucci, Prada, Tod's, Fendi, Balenciaga, Chanel, Dior, Montblanc, Celine…(a sub-brand of) Ferragamo and others are based. You have no idea what (happens) every day at 5.30 p.m.—the cars of the workers returning home—incredible!”

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Q&A with Roberto Ricci

The Vintage Purse Museum: Explain what AIMPES-Mipel and Lineapelle are and your process for preparing trend books. 

Roberto Ricci: Mipel is the international fair of leather goods manufacturers, Lineappelle instead is that of tanners. Both take place in Milan twice a year. These events indicate to manufacturers and retailers what the fashion trends of the sector will be.

 

TVPM: You said you began collecting in 1967. Do you still have these handbags?

RR: No more, I gave all my pieces (1,380 bags) to a bags museum and all my shoes (more than 400 pairs) to a research company. 

TVPM: What is your favorite style? What is your favorite material? Do you have a favorite bag that you’ll keep forever?

RR: Only two pieces, one in leather and one in woven fabric (photos below). I don’t know the reason why I kept them, because giving away those bags—that I considered as my creatures—was an immense pain, and having these two pieces that continue remind me of my work, tortures my heart. 

Roberto Ricci woven handbag. Photo courtesy Roberto Ricci.

Roberto Ricci leather handbag. Photo courtesy Roberto Ricci.

TVPM: Is/was anyone else in your family in the fashion business?

RR: Was—two of my four brothers, and my uncle, but they are all dead now. 

 

TVPM: Did you design products other than handbags?

RR: Sure, clothes, furs and bijoux (jewelry).

 

TVPM: We’ve seen some bags that only have your name. Can you tell us what year(s) these were made and something about them? 

RR: I should see the pics of these bags to answer you this. (Note from The Vintage Purse Museum: If you have a Roberto Ricci bag, please share it on our Facebook group share page.)

 

TVPM: Is that your exact signature on your handbags?

RR: Yes.

Roberto Ricci's distinctive signature, which appears inside his designs.

 

TVPM: We know of your affiliation with Susan Gail handbags, a company run by Sanford “Sandy” Smul and his brother Mallory. (Sandy and Mallory's father Henry Smul started the company in 1945 and named it for his daughter.) How did that relationship come to be? How long did you design bags for the company? Did they visit you in Italy or did you go to New York?

RR: This would be a book that need a long talking and now it is too difficult to do. Is a 50 years tale.

 

TVPM: Are you still in touch with the Smuls?

RR: Yes, only with Sandy Smul, unfortunately, now, only by mail. 

  

TVPM: Is there anything else you’d like to add? 

RR: Yes, about my life among Florence, Tokyo, New York, London, Paris, Hong Kong, Moscow, Shanghai, Beijing, Honolulu—50 years of trips, designing, conferences, meetings, consulting, production, catwalks and shops—regardless of my *handicap… how many days do we have available?

*Note from The Vintage Purse Museum: When referring to his handicap, Mr. Ricci shared with us that he has a long-term leg disability and currently uses a wheelchair. His enthusiasm for his art has not waned and he is currently creating sketchbooks for his two grandchildren.

The Vintage Purse Museum is extremely grateful to Roberto Ricci for sharing his story. This article c2022 Wendy Dager/The Vintage Purse Museum. Please do not use photos or information from this website without requesting permission, info@vintagepursemuseum.com.