Man, I feel like I was quite the pain when it came to getting my Givenchy Antigona. I lamented for months over my color indecision, passing the bag up season after season, waiting for the perfect version to call my name. I even asked you twice which one to get for myself, and I was slow to pull the trigger. As fate would have it, one of my friends on Twitter let me know that RueLaLa had the pinkversion on sale one morning, and I jumped at the opportunity.
I’ve had a few weeks to carry my new bag and decided it is time to put my Antigona up to our Purseonals test. I haven’t had this bag as long or carried it as much as others that I’ve reviewed in the past, but I’ve used it enough to see how it measures up. Here’s how my Givenchy Antigona scores in our PurseBlog Purseonals ratings:
Aesthetics 
Some of you might be confused by my decision to give a relatively ordinary design 4.5 stars, but I think the popularity of this bag shows that simplicity works wonders sometimes. It’s a design that’s inspired love in many bag aficionados; the shape is structured yet not too boxy and has just enough of a signature flare to make it stand out.
The aesthetic is ladylike, from the slight gusset sides to the triangle leather piece that the logo sits on. The handles sit lower on the bag and add a nice design touch as well. The Antigona isn’t something that would typically stand out, but the attention to detail is what’s so attention-grabbing.
When I put this bag down and catch a glimpse of it across the room, I’m still smitten.
Usability + Functionality
There are few bags that score high in usability and functionality, and that because although many bags do the job of holding things, most don’t do it in a way that’s particularly convenient for the wearer. If I had one of the larger sizes, it would be harder to locate anything I put inside, but the small size makes it a bit easier to reach in and find what I’m looking for. There is a zipper pocket, but I rarely use it.
There’s a shoulder strap;, and as you know, I love a good shoulder strap.
This, however, isn’t a good shoulder strap. This is just a strap that is far too short for me and my shoulder.
In fact, I think other than a child or some of my super petite friends, this strap would be too short for anyone’s shoulders. When I try to use it, the handles stick straight into my armpit, and since the handles are sturdy, there is no give there. I don’t really understand why Givenchy bothered to include it; from a usability standpoint, it adds nothing.
The good news is I like this bag being handheld and that is how I use it. I use the shoulder strap for handheld appeal as well, and then it doesn’t dirty the strap too much.
Quality + Construction
This is my newest bag, so I can’t comment on longevity of the quality and construction, but so far this bag has been awesome. I have yet to see any wear or issues with the bag. The leather is super lush and sturdy, and it feels supple but hasn’t lost its shape at all.
My only issue is that the large top zipper is a little hard to open and close. You have to use a bit of a sturdy pull to open it, and while it sounds incredibly lazy, I don’t want to have to use much energy to open my bag. More importantly, I don’t think you should need to expend much effort to unzip your bag.
Otherwise, the quality is on point. The interior is lined in canvas, but I kind of wish it were lined in a light suede, which would be just as luxurious as the outside of the bag.
Value
I have a hard time rating the value of a bag that I get on sale. I want to rate this score based on the price before sale, but that doesn’t seem right. The regular price of the bag is $2,280, which is in line with what most premium designers charge for slightly smaller versions of their marquee bags. I think the price should be a bit lower, but it isn’t far off.
I got the bag for just under $1,500, which I would give 5 stars. As a result, I rated the value at 3.5 stars; it isn’t amazing, but it’s fair. My sale price was great though! With sale season upon us, I’d recommend you keep scouring the web and checking out deals page to see if you can find the bag you love discounted.
You can shop Givenchy Bags via Net-A-Porter or buy this exact version at LUISAVIAROMA.
The ‘It’ Factor
The Antigona has been a favorite for a few years, and the love for this bag hasn’t died down. It’s rare in the post it-bag days to find a bag that hits such a high status and doesn’t get affected by over-saturation or backlash. Because of its rather clean aesthetic, this bag will be a a staple for years to come.
The other great part about the Antigona is the vast number of colors, materials and sizes you can purchase it in. While I opted for pink, there are so many more options for everyone, which probably helps make it such a sought-after bag.
Total Score
Overall this is a great bag, it lives up to its hype. With everything taken into account it scores right under 4 stars in our ratings. The price is a little high and the usability has some downfalls. But the Antigona remains a stunning bag and I have no regrets in buying it, I’m thrilled with my bag.
You can shop Givenchy Bags via Net-A-Porter or buy this exact version at LUISAVIAROMA.
Nice purseonal. I have been eying the Antigona for a long while myself but I can never seem to take the plunge. Price aside, like you said the long strap is completely useless and I’ve found that I prefer to have that option nowadays. In addition, every time I have gone into the store to have a look, I get turned off by the fact about the zipper being a little tough (truly you need to put your back into it just a little). I think what turns me off the most is the fact that It is somewhat hard to get into, for me at least. I find trying to put my hand in while trying it out, the way id do if I owned it and was trying to reach for something inside, the zipper always scratches my hand and I just don’t feel like I have enough comfortable room to get in.
I love the design though, its gorgeous!
The zipper is quite annoying, I’m hoping as I use it more it will start to work better, but thus far it’s been annoying
so odd! I’ve heard this zipper problem quite a bit now and I can’t understand why?? Both my black mini ant and my small dark grey are sooo smooth to get into! In fact, that’s one of the main things that my best friend said as so amazing about the bag….The fact that the zipper is so big and it just glides ilk a dream haha. This makes me curious… but beautiful bag Megs! 🙂
I have had issues with purse zippers before. If you take it into a place that works on bags they can put something in the zipper, I want to say oil or grease but that sounds like a messy disaster which it isn’t. I swear. Then my zipper pulled smoothly.
i have a size small also and i think the strap is functional if you just push the bag back a little so it lays agains your back, not directly under your arm. hope that makes sense, i almost always use the shoulder strap and find it to be comfortable. (your shoulder strap picture is hilarious, btw)
also, my zipper is very smooth and easy to open/close so maybe it differs on each bag?
i totally agree that the canvas lining is rather ugly. and i think the bag is on the heavy side, even when it’s empty. overall i totally love this bag 🙂
you’re so lucky you got such a great deal on this bag! i saw the one i have during the same sale and it made me feel bad 🙁 but it was sold out already and i’m always too late to catch these sales anyway..
I can do that with the strap for me too but it feels so weird. I guess I just want it to look like it fits nicely, and it doesn’t do that for me. That pic was a real reaction of me telling Vlad about the strap issue – haha
I had this in the small and recently sold it for some of the issues you highlighted. The zipper drove me crazy – I always worried I’d break it I had to pull so hard. I am completely a shoulder bag girl and the strap was ridiculous. As much as I love the style and look, it just ended up sitting in my cupboard. I hope you continue to live yours! I bought a Pandora instead and love it to death.
I love the Pandora – it’s on my list too
Do you mind me asking where you sold you bag? I have the medium size in black and looking for a platform to get the most for the bag.
The RealReal
thank you!!
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I found a medium in blue at Barney’s for around $1500 and I was thrilled. When it arrived I felt like it was too large for my lifestyle. Still obsessed with owning this bag, I returned the blue medium and purchased the mini black in box calf. I’m really on the fence about this one. The silver detail on your strap is not on the mini and that is a feature that I liked. The strap is not long enough to be used as a cross body which you would expect on a mini bag.
I bought my mini black with silver hardware in the Givenchy boutique (I heard it’s the only one in north america) in Las Vegas last month. I was going for the smooth leather, but they only had the calf. I also like the silver detail on the larger size Antigona, but well, I still very much like the shape of this bag. My mini has longer strap unlike the older version, it is adjustable on both ends of the strap. I am 5’4 for your reference and the strap is long enough to wear crossbody very comfortably.
A mini shoulder have a crossbody strap, I agree – and that little silver detail is nice
Where can I get this in medium online? It seems like all store I look online only have black, medium blue, and night blue in stock..
In this color? Or what are you looking for?
Yes in this bag and in this color, but in size medium.
I haven’t seen it around – this pale pink was kind of hard to track down
I resisted this bag for a long time as well. I am very surprised but I LOVE this bag. One of the reasons I thought twice about getting this bag was the very short shoulder strap (and I am a shoulder strap girl). It seemed so akward. Much to my surprise the shoulder strap is why I keep using it. Normally I go for cross bodies because I have very narrow shoulders and my bags always keep sliding off my shoulder. The strap is so short the the bag almost wedges in and it keeps it from falling. So to my fellow narrow shoulder girls, run and get this bag. My only complaint is that it can get heavy after awhile.
Ah it fits your shoulder! That’s great. I just feel like it looks weird as I try to put it on my shoulder and either the handles stick straight out my back or up into my armpit
I know you have mentioned in the past that you’re not incredibly comfortable in front of the camera, but by the looks of that last photo I’d never know it! Stunning.
Love the mani too, btw.
Thanks Amanda, appreciate that! There were some really not so great photos but that one is really nice.
Mani is Tom Ford and then OPI glitter – gotta figure out the exact color, it’s pretty!
lovely post, Megs !!! You should model more often for us 🙂
Thank you – Vlad says the more I’m in front of the camera the more comfortable I’ll be, so with more Purseonals etc, you’ll see more of me 🙂
I love this purseonals Megs, mostly because of the pic of you trying on the shoulder strap – that’s hilarious! Lol
Haha, ya, that picture was me putting the bag on and showing Vlad how it seriously doesn’t fit right!
Megs, the expression on your face in photo #2 is absolutely PRICELESS!!! I love it when tpb reviews bags, because your reviews inevitably influence whether or not a particular bag is for me. Oh, and I cannot tell you how jealous I am about that Florida weather…you won’t want to be coming back to NYC any time soon!
Pic number 2 is my favorite, and I’ve got no shame putting up pouty face photos!
Glad this is something you love – promise I’ll be doing it much more. And yes, Florida weather is so divine right now I can’t get enough of it!!!
Meg, I’m surprised that with all the negatives, your total score came out to 4 stars. I mean, it might just do, mathematically (math is not my strong suit) but it seems to me that a useless shoulder strap and a back-breaking zipper are fairly major issues! If I were designing a handbag evaluation system, I would give more weight to usability than the “it” factor (and possibly even aesthetics). No matter how lovely a bag is, if you have to tear your rotator cuff to open & close it, that’s a deal-breaker. That said, the second-to-last picture of you holding the bag is lovely, and I can see why you fell for it. But… just a guess… it won’t be a bag you reach for very often.
So I recalculated it and the bag is right between 3.5-4 stars but I’m changing the bottom to 3.5 because it matches better.
I’m being as honest as I can with my reviews because I truly want to share the pros and cons of different designers and help you figure out what’s a good next bag for you.
The “it” factor and aesthetics are very important, because it’s probably one of the main reasons someone buys a bag. Usability is so important about making the bag work well for you.
That’s interesting, Megs. I have never bought a bag based on the “it” factor. (Though I accept that many tPF members do). However I am, of course, highly motivated by aesthetics; if it isn’t gorgeous, I stop looking at it, no matter how functional it is. After all, Sport Sacs are quite functional… just sayin’…
I fully appreciate the honesty of your reviews. It’s lovely to know that when you say a bag is perfect, it really IS perfect. And when it’s got problems, we can rely on you to say so.
Good review! This gives me the heads up on the cons of this purse as I’m waiting for my small and to arrive in Anaconda~ thanks!
Yes! It’s still lovely, I truly do love this bag!
I was quite unhappy with the short strap, also on my small, but after using the bag for 6 months, I am very comfortable with being able to carry it on my forearm and on my shoulder I want one in black!! I have purple now. I carry it towards my back instead of under my armpit. It would be great if the small handles folded down!! Love the heavy duty zipper!
Has your zipper gotten a bit easier to open and close?
I never really had a problem with the zipper, but I would think that if it doesn’t loosen up you could possibly return it!
Just saying… Megs you are stunning!
Thank you! I’ve been promising more Purseonals so I hope to get more comfortable to have my photo taken. Vlad is great because he helps me figure out what looks ok for me!
I wonder if this is a bag that would be worth having a leather shop make a new strap for? I’ve seen sites that match the materials and colors really well. I love this bag and it’s on my short list but geez, I like me a functional shoulder strap.
I was thinking to have a strap made that doesn’t match at all – Vlad has really cool camera straps that are made with woven leather or other materials and it could be interesting to have a completely different strap added! I might pursue this option – will let you know!
I have a solution for the zipper issue! I had a Coach Legacy bag with a zipper that was super tough to zip. I took it in and the associate took a small piece of wax paper pinched the zipper and ran it back and forth on both sides. Magic!! It slides like butter now!!
The shoulder strap and structure were deal breakers for me. I have held and tried on this bag so many times, and it had a little too much structure. Maybe it gets softer after use. I have 2 kids that play five different sports so a functional shoulder strap is a must. I just don’t have time to fool with a bag, and handheld is not an option. But, I must say that I am loving this color.
is anyone else having trouble reading the article? i keep getting pushed straight to the comments.
Great piece Megs! I really like the Antigona but I haven’t pulled the trigger yet. One of the tricks I use to open a zipper a bit easier is to use lead from a pencil on the zipper. Use it as a kind of grease. You should use just a tiny bit of lead, otherwise you could end up with smudges on your bag. Hope this helps!
I had this bag in red and it was beautiful when it was new. After ONLY one season it did not hold up well. The leather bent and creased permanently. This was very annoying because it was less than 1 year of wearing only occasionally. And as Meg stated, the shoulder strap was useless. I sold my bag and bought the Prada Argilla Saffiano tote and absolutely love it, plus the shoulder strap is 18″ long – which makes it very comfortable to wear unlike the Antigona.
I just bought my black mini Antigua recently in the Las Vagas Givenchy store. I really like the small size, but I don’t carry much and I need a bag that can go cross body. I heard the old mini strap can’t be a bit short for cross body, but the one I got is a newer one and can be adjustable on both ends of the strap, so it can go a lot longer and it’s perfect to go cross body for woman of different height now. I don’t have any problem with the zipper. It’s really smooth and looks quite high quality. Yes, mini is a lot smaller then the small, but it fits a regular size wallet, small umbrella, small makeup bag, Samsung Galaxy S5, pair of glaves. That’s all I need in the winter.
I just bought this bag in medium size, black with gold hardware. It’s seems a little too big for myself. Considering returning and purchasing a small but having trouble finding the same bag. Does anyone have any suggestions? Also, what is everyone’s view of calf leather versus goat? The calf with gold hardware is beautiful but not sure how it holds up over time. Does the goat leather bag ever have gold hardware?
Hi what brand is the zipper? is it made in italy can you tell me what its stamped in the inside I want to make sure I bought a real one because I was questioned if it was fake and I spent 2k on it
I have the medium antigona in black shiny leather, and my zipper pull just came off.. Does anyone know where I can go get it fixed? I’ve called the Madison Ave shop and left a message.. fingers crossed.. i hope i hear from someone soon.. let me know.. if anyone has ever fasted the zipper pull coming off and how you were able to get it repaired.
Hi PheePhee, This is a late response but I have the same exact bag and the same exact thing happened to me today! What was the resolution? Thanks! LD :]
Hi LD – well my call/email got escalated all the way to flag ship store in Europe and they said as I bought the bag off of Rue LaLa which is not one of there certified resellers they would not be able to help me. I ended up speaking with my SA at Hirschfliehers in Manhassett and she recommmeded a place for me to get it fixed and then I ended up selling both of the givenchy Antigona’s I had in collection mainly due to my dissatisfaction of Givenchy’s customer service. I sold them on Fashionphile. I probably will not be investing in a Givenchy handbag for a long time due to my experience. However if you bought your bag directly from Givenchy or say Saks or NeimannMarcus I believe you should be okay.
Hi! Looking for your reco: I’ve been studying the case and it seems Antigona sizes are a bit tricky. Small is actually Medium and Medium is pretty Big to me. Not sure what to do, I’m tall but again Medium seems really big… Your thoughts/experience?
I super Love my Antigona! Never had any problems with the zipper and the latest version of Antigona has a slightly longer shoulder strap. Though seriously i do not mind that my shoulder strap is the old shorter version. The bag gives a certain air- classy & chic. Def worth every penny as i got mine at 40% off! Bargain! The crazy me is actually thinking of getting a second antigona in grain goatskin!