The fashion world has seen the release of many iconic bags over the years, think of any luxury fashion brand and it has probably created a bag that became one of the main symbols of the Brand.
The Fendi Baguette has been around us for 27 years now, and it’s one of the classic bags that has endured the test of time.
Who Designed the Fendi Baguette
Silvia Venturini Fendi in 1997, granddaughter of the Fendi House founders, created the famous bag. She was the Creative Director of Accessories at the time when Karl Lagerfeld was the artistic director.
Silvia Venturini Fendi was inspired by Parisian women who would carry the baguette bread under their arms. So, she designed the bag in a way so that it could be carried as comfortably as a loaf of bread.
The It Bag!
Even though it didn’t gain instant popularity, in its debut year, the Baguette sold over 100,000 bags! The success is due to Sarah Jessica Parker who played Carrie Bradshaw in Sex & The City, which first aired in 1998. Perhaps you remember Carrie’s famous lines “It’s not a bag, it’s a Baguette”? She appeared multiple times in the series wearing the baguette and made it a popular and must-have accessory.
The Age of Logomania
The 2000s was the age of logomania, so people saw in the bag’s iconic inverted FF logo (which stands for “Fun Furs” and was invented by Karl Lagerfeld) a symbol of status. It became so popular that other brands started to create similar versions, which dropped the bag’s popularity and was the reason for the brand to briefly discontinue the production of Baguettes.
#BaguetteFriendsForever
Fendi brought back the iconic accessory in 2019 with a campaign entitled #BaguetteFriendsForever, a series of three short movies that recount the urban adventures of best friends, featuring the iconic Baguette bag. Starring A-list influencers, actresses, DJs, and models in Shanghai, Hong Kong, and New York, the episodes follow inseparable friends carrying the baguette while shopping, having lunch at a restaurant, or for a girl’s night out. Indeed, the bag is as much a popular accessory choice for many occasions – from running an everyday errand to attending an event.
Fendi Baguette 25th anniversary
On September 9, 2022, Fendi opened New York fashion week with a special runway show to celebrate the 25-year anniversary of the Baguette. For this occasion, the Italian fashion house invited a few guest designers for special collaborations around the Baguette Bag. Such as Marc Jacobs, Sarah Jessica Parker revisiting the famous handbag she popularized so much in Sex & The City, and Tiffany Co, creating a baguette in the signature Tiffany blue color.
The Baguette Bag is still a top choice for all the fashionistas and celebrities worldwide – Gigi Hadid, Rihanna, and Paris Hilton – to name a few. In the words of Silvia Venturini Fendi herself, the bag has “its own personality and its own identity — it’s a little sexy bag!” — and now, everyone knows it. “The Baguette is like a best friend that never leaves your side”.