Jun. 10--Jackie Kennedy adored the brand. So did Princess Grace of Monaco.

And now, coming to a store pretty near you, Gucci clothing, purses, sunglasses and shoes -- at outlet prices.

The luxe brand will open a new store at Vacaville Premium Outlets in Vacaville on Friday, capping an ongoing effort to upgrade the retail mix at the 120-store center.

"There's a few names that, quite frankly, if we want to get people's attention, Gucci would be one," said Michele Rothstein, spokeswoman for the Roseland, N.J.-based Chelsea Premium.

The other two Gucci outlets in the country are at Chelsea centers in New York and in Southern California.

Chelsea, which also owns the Folsom Premium Outlets shopping center, has been revamping the Vacaville stores in an attempt to draw from the Bay Area, Rothstein said.

In the past few years, Chelsea has moved high-end and designer brands such as Burberry, Coach and Ralph Lauren into the Vacaville site.

Gucci, which has stores in San Francisco, San Diego and the Los Angeles area, including a glitzy Rodeo Drive address, began in Florence, Italy, as a leather goods store in the 1920s and rose to become the coveted designer for fashion icons like Kennedy.

A newer version of the "Jackie O" shoulder bag retails for $3,150 at Gucci's Web site.

Outlets have come a long way from the days of merchandise where "one sleeve is shorter than the other," Rothstein said. "That doesn't sell."

The stigma is further lessened during a down economy as shoppers are attracted even more to bargains, she said.

The Vacaville outlets will open a Kenneth Cole and a Columbia Sportswear store during the summer, she said.

Selling four-figure purses next to stores selling socks by the bundle is practical, said George Whalin of Retail Management Consultants in Carlsbad. "It's good for these kinds of brands because its profitable," he said.

Unlike some stores with products specifically manufactured for sale at outlets, Gucci will have merchandise from showrooms, Whalin said.

Even something like the "Jackie O" bag could make its way to Vacaville.

"It's very possible," he said. "But you might have to camp out to get it."

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Call The Bee's M.S. Enkoji, (916) 321-1106.

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