Courtesy of Fendi. Filippo Fior.
Fendi celebrates the Baguette’s anniversary with a special collection.
There are few purses that become as seminal and as recognized as Fendi’s Baguette bag. Designed in 1997 by Silvia Venturini Fendi, Creative Director of Accessories and the last remaining member of the Fendi family still working in the business, she knew the moment felt important. On making it, Fendi said in a statement, “It was a special day when I designed this bag; the stars aligned. The horoscope said it was a Fendi day.”
She would be right. Since its release, the Baguette has been seen on the likes of It Girls both real and fictional. In the early aughts, Paris Hilton sealed the bag’s status as a covetable item with her rotation of Baguette styles, while Sarah Jessica Parker’s Carrie Bradshaw immortalized it in mainstream culture via Sex and the City (and, more recently, in And Just Like That). To this day, Carrie’s purple sequined version remains a classic—parties had been thrown in its honor, gathering the likes of Scream Queens’ Emma Roberts and Mamma Mia! star Amanda Seyfried—and has been relaunched several times over the years.
The next generation of trendsetters followed suit, with Gigi Hadid, Kendall Jenner, and Rihanna spotted out with the trusty Baguette in tow. Like its doughy namesake, the timeless yet functional accessory is most often tucked under one’s arm, though sling bag versions and varying sizes are also an option.
For such a historic piece of fashion, Fendi celebrated the Baguette’s silver anniversary with a bang during New York Fashion Week with attendees including Kim Kardashian, Christy Turlington, Evan Mock, and K-drama stars Lee MinHo and Song Hye Kyo. In the spirit of collaboration, Fendi creative director Kim Jones enlisted the help of his close friend Marc Jacobs to co-design the collection. To highlight both the luxury and utilitarian aspects of the design, jewelry brand Tiffany and Japanese luggage brand Porter were also invited to contribute their own interpretations.
The resulting special collection reincarnated the Baguette: the iconic purple-sequined purse now in a mini version, one tacked on a neon yellow tote as a pocket, and even one enlarged as a backpack. An ode to the city of New York, where the style was immortalized in pop culture canon, the collection also reworked the design into jacket pockets, tactical pants, socks—even as a pocket on a beanie or baseball cap.
Check out how Fendi has given new life to the Baguette below:
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