In 1998, Patrizia Gucci née Reggiani was convicted for murder of her husband, Maurizio Gucci. He was the last of the Gucci family bloodline to reign over the Italian luxury label. It was a reign cut short after Reggiani hired a hitman for approximately S$48,000 to kill Gucci because she was incensed at his affair with a younger woman and the mismanagement of the family business. He died at 46 years old.
On the day she went to jail, pairs of heavy solid silver handcuffs, engraved with the house’s logo, adorned the mannequins displayed at the shopfront of Gucci’s flagship in Florence. Designed by ex-creative designer, Tom Ford, the provocative accessory made a sardonic statement about the murder most foul, and has since gone on to be a part of the mythos behind the celebrated fashion house.
Gucci is now a very different beast under Alessandro Michele, yet it remains one of the most prolific luxury brands around. As many trendsetters look to its future, you can aim to own a slice of its past as one of the few Gucci handcuffs ever made has surfaced on resale portal, Grailed. It’s all yours for US$65,000 (S$88,000).
This isn’t the first time these Gucci handcuffs have gone on sale, but it certainly is the most expensive yet. In 2009, auction house Christie’s sold off a pair for US$2,000 (S$2,700). The only other known pair is displayed at the brand’s museum in Florence.
These Gucci handcuffs, sold by secondhand luxury reseller, @arkvy_secondhand, aren’t certified authentic, but they do come with the original dust cover. Weighing 227g with adjustable straps, these might be a worthy buy if you’re a serious purveyor of fashion history, or just banking on being the coolest one about town if bondage-wear ever resurfaces as a fad.
See the listing here.
Beatrice Bowers
Features Editor
Beatrice Bowers writes about beauty, drinks, and other nice things. When not bound to her keyboard, she moonlights as a Niffler for novels and can be found en route to bankruptcy at your nearest bookstore. Don't tell her boss.
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