Fendi Cracked Suede Baguette, $990 in blue or silver via Bergdorf Goodman
For an entire generation of women (of which I’m a part), the Fendi Baguette was the first It Bag to penetrate our collective consciousness. Indeed, many fashion people count its popularity as the dawn of the entire It Bag concept, and I probably have its existence to credit, at least in small part, to my current employment. In handbag history, the role of this little Fendi bag can’t be overstated.
Like anything, though, the heady days of Sex and the City passed and the Baguette fell out of favor to make way for the Chloe Paddington, the Fendi Spy and all the other must-have, “ungettable get” bags that followed. The fashion industry is endlessly cyclical, though, and eventually everything old is new again. Nearly 15 years after its launch, is it time for the Fendi Baguette’s second act?
As far as I know, Fendi never stopped manufacturing various versions of the Baguette but instead shuffled it to the back burner while the Spy, BBag and Peekaboo took their turns in the sun. It didn’t make an appearance on the Spring 2012 runway, but seeing this version of the bag in Bergdorf Goodman’s Resort 2012 arrivals section got me to thinking; Fendi’s spring bags look like they’re going to be a bit of a bust. Favor seems ready to swing back to shoulder bags, but smaller designs still rule the day, perhaps because we’re still all paying our chiropractors to fix our backs and shoulders from the last time that enormous bags were en vogue.
The Baguette, with its simple, familiar design, has already proved itself as a perfect canvas for bold color combinations and any manner of embellishment, both of which are important trends in accessory design at the moment (and neither seems to be going anywhere in the near future). I hated Fendi’s Spring 2012 runway bags and so did most of you, and I’m starting to think that a return to tradition might be in order for Fall. Would you be interested in seeing the return of the original It Bag? Buy through Bergdorfs for $990 in blue or silver.
