1. Fendi: Baguette Bag
In an episode of Sex and the City that originally aired in 2000, Carrie Bradshaw, played by Sarah Jessica Parker, gets mugged in an alley in New York City. After the armed robber barks, “Give me your bag,” fashion-obsessed Bradshaw replies, “It’s a Baguette.”
That scene is one of the memorable ways in which Fendi’s famous bag has made itself felt in pop culture. Featuring a rectangular form, a single strap and a double-F clasp, it was designed by creative director Silvia Venturini Fendi in 1997. Last month at New York Fashion Week, the Italian house celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Baguette. The major show also involved four collaborators: Fashion designer Marc Jacobs, jewellery house Tiffany & Co, actress Parker and Japanese luggage brand Porter.
There were more Baguettes than you would find at a boulangerie. Fendi artistic directors Silvia Venturini Fendi and Kim Jones reinterpreted the bag as pockets across a variety of outfits. Meanwhile Jacobs used sequins, fluorescent recycled fur and graphic logos to put his own spin on the bag.
For their glam editions, Tiffany & Co used its signature turquoise hue. They also used materials such as sterling silver, while Parker employed degradé sequins. Porter’s utilitarian-driven take transformed the Baguette into a bum bag — made, of course, in the brand’s signature nylon. With Y2K fashion all the rage now, the Baguette is primed to remain as recognisable and covetable as it was 25 years ago.
Related: Fendi collaborates with two classical music icons for Anima Mundi