80’s Gucci Sleeveless Bootleg Sweatshirt (Women’s XS/S)

1980’s Vintage Gucci Bootleg Sleeveless Sweatshirt / Muscle Crew

Made in the USA

   -crewneck, sleeveless, graphic print,

Women’s Size: XS/S

Color: Turquoise

Material: 50/50

Bust: 19” flat

Length: 24”

Shoulders: 15”

Brand: Unknown (tag cut out) Streetwear

Vintage condition with light signs of wear. No rips, holes or stains. All interior tags have been cut out. 

What does “Bootleg” Mean in fashion: 

In stark contrast to an item being fake, a bootleg piece as no intention of marketing itself as the real thing, the aim of a bootleg piece isn't to copy existing pieces, only to creatively appropriate brands, mimicking the original but making it the designers own, resulting in a unique looking product.

These bootleg Gucci sweatshirts were first made by fashion bootleggers in NY in the 1980’s and made famous by professional athletes, rappers and streetwear artists. 
And where exactly were the bootleggers pulling Gucci's logo from? According to Dapper Dan, they were swiped from the label's old packaging design, seen on boxes, dust bags and the like. Dapper Dan, the legendary tailor made a name for himself by creating custom designs (bootleg designs made with authentic designer fabrics) with Gucci, Fendi and Louis Vuitton logos out of his Harlem boutique. Throughout the '80s, his work was seen on such famous hip-hop artists as LL Cool J, Salt-N-Pepa, Run DMC and athletes Mike Tyson and, most recently, Floyd Mayweather Jr.

So these sweatshirts weren’t a knock-off, they were an inspired version of the Gucci logo that had never been seen in stores. 

In 2017, Gucci’s Head Designer, Alessandro Michele sent T-shirts and hoodies adorned with vintage-inspired Gucci logos down the runway during his cruise 2017 show at Westminster Abbey. He sent the actual bootleg design down the runway, Gucci’s knockoff of the knockoff. So the question is, who’s copying who? And which one is authentic when Gucci did it second?