Baguettes are small, compact
handbag
A handbag, commonly known as a purse or pocketbook in North American English, is a handled medium-to-large bag used to carry personal items.
Purse, handbag or pouch
The term "purse" originally referred to a small bag for holding coins. In many ...
s, designed by Italian
fashion
Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashion in ...
company
Fendi
Fendi () is an Italian high-end luxury fashion house producing fur, ready-to-wear, leather goods, shoes, fragrances, eyewear, timepieces and accessories. Founded in Rome in 1925, Fendi is known for its fur, fur accessories, and leather goods.
...
in 1997. Popularized on ''
Sex and the City
''Sex and the City'' is an American romantic comedy, romantic comedy-drama television series created by Darren Star for HBO. An adaptation of Candace Bushnell's Sex and the City (newspaper column), newspaper column and 1996 book anthology of the ...
'' in the late 1990s and early 2000s, this product is often cited as the first
it bag
An It bag is a high-priced designer handbag that has become a popular best-seller. The phenomenon arose in the fashion industry and was named in the 1990s and 2000s. Examples of handbag brands that have been considered "It bags" are Chanel, Hermè ...
. With the Baguette, Fendi sparked the "buy-a-bag-a-day habit" by rapidly declining it into hundreds of different designs, selling more than a million units in 20 years.
History
The Baguette concept was for a small, streamlined bag, carried on a short strap, that could be adapted for different looks, colors, and textures while still having a consistent
aesthetic
Aesthetics, or esthetics, is a branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of beauty and taste, as well as the philosophy of art (its own area of philosophy that comes out of aesthetics). It examines aesthetic values, often expressed th ...
. It marked a contrast from many popular purses at the time, which were large totes.
Small and little-known, Fendi lent Baguettes as props for HBO's ''
Sex and the City
''Sex and the City'' is an American romantic comedy, romantic comedy-drama television series created by Darren Star for HBO. An adaptation of Candace Bushnell's Sex and the City (newspaper column), newspaper column and 1996 book anthology of the ...
'', a new show that was fast growing in popularity. In one of the episodes, Carrie Bradshaw gets mugged in a narrow street. The robber asks for her "bag", to which Carrie replies "it's a Baguette". Fendi was the first luxury house to lend a piece to
Patricia Field
Patricia Field (born February 12, 1942) is an American costume designer, stylist and fashion designer.
Early life
Field was born in 1942 in New York City to an Armenian father and a Greek mother, who emigrated from Plomari, Lesbos, Greece. Fi ...
, the show's costume designer and stylist.
Sarah Jessica Parker
Sarah Jessica Parker (born March 25, 1965) is an American actress and television producer. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including six Golden Globe Awards and two Primetime Emmy Awards. ''Time'' magazine named her one of the 1 ...
has credited her bag for establishing the show and her character,
Carrie Bradshaw
Caroline Marie "Carrie" Bradshaw is a fictional character from the HBO franchise ''Sex and the City'', portrayed by Sarah Jessica Parker. Candace Bushnell created Carrie as a semi-autobiographical character for her column "Sex and the City" in ...
, saying "Having Carrie wear the Baguette was a defining moment for us, and marked the beginning of everything". The success of the Baguette bag led LVMH to acquire Fendi in 1999.
In 2012, to celebrate the bag's 15th birthday and its +1000 original creations, Fendi organized an exhibition at the
Colette store in Paris.
In 2019, Fendi relaunched the Baguette bag, designed by Silvia Venturini Fendi, creator of the original Baguette.
A few months later, Fendi partnered with the perfumer
Francis Kurkdjian
Francis Kurkdjian (born 14 May 1969) is a French perfumer and businessman of Armenian descent. He is best known for creating the men's fragrance Le Male for Jean Paul Gaultier in 1995, which has become one of the world's best-selling perfumes. ...
to launch the first-ever fragrance-infused bag. The scent was named ‘FendiFrenesia’ and influenced directly into the leather of Baguette bags (the scent lasts three years). A Baguette bag for men was also launched. The actresses
Amanda Seyfried
Amanda Michelle Seyfried ( ; born December 3, 1985) is an American actress. Born and raised in Allentown, Pennsylvania, she began modeling at age 11 and ventured into acting at 15, with recurring roles as Lucy Montgomery on the CBS soap opera ...
and
Emma Roberts
Emma Rose Roberts (born February 10, 1991 Additional on October 9, 2016) is an American actress. Known for her work in film and television projects of the horror film, horror and thriller (genre), thriller genres, she has received List of awar ...
released a clip online, #BaguetteFriendsForever, where they explore a large room full of vintage and new Baguette bags.
See also
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Fendi
Fendi () is an Italian high-end luxury fashion house producing fur, ready-to-wear, leather goods, shoes, fragrances, eyewear, timepieces and accessories. Founded in Rome in 1925, Fendi is known for its fur, fur accessories, and leather goods.
...
*
It bag
An It bag is a high-priced designer handbag that has become a popular best-seller. The phenomenon arose in the fashion industry and was named in the 1990s and 2000s. Examples of handbag brands that have been considered "It bags" are Chanel, Hermè ...
*
Kelly bag
The Kelly bag (formerly known as the Sac à dépêches in 1935) is a leather handbag designed by the Paris-based, high-fashion luxury-goods manufacturer Hermès. The bag was redesigned several times before it was popularized by and then named aft ...
References
Bags (fashion)
Fendi
1990s fashion
2000s fashion
2010s fashion
2020s fashion
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