Celebrating 25 Years of Fendi’s Baguette

First came Fendace then came Skendi, now comes Farc. 

Courtesy of Vogue

Fendi keeps bringing fashions top designers to its runway. This time a duo who are no stranger to each other came together to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Fendi’s iconic bag; the Baguette.

Since Carrie Bradshaw was robbed on season 3, episode 17 in Sex and the City and she shouted “it’s a Baguette!”, the bag was forever immortalized as one of the most coveted “it” bags. 

During Jones and Jacobs New York Fashion Presentation on September 9 models strutted the runway wearing the bag in every single way you can imagine. The Baguette was repurposed as a mini keychain, as a charm, a pendant, a beanie, a glove-bag, socks and turned into pockets. 

The collaborations kept on going as Tiffany & Co. debuted their collaboration with Fendi. Supermodel Bella Hadid modeled a ribbon blue croc skin Baguette designed by the luxury jewelry house. The blue shade was seen throughout the collection and in the closing garment modeled by Linda Evangelista which was a truly iconic moment as she made her runway return.

Exactly 25 years ago Silvia Venturini Fendi gave birth to what started a “bag craze fever”. A bag that sits comfortably under one's underarm resembling the way the French carry their bread. A very sexy little bag.  

The event was high fashion at its maximum expenditure with an impressive guest list that brought together major figures. Sitting front row was Kim Kardashian, Sarah Jessica Parker, Valentina Ferragni, Danna Paola, Lee Min Ho, Winnie Harlow and there even was a supermodel reunion with Amber Valletta, Kate Moss, Christy Turlington and Shalom Harlow. The immaculate guest list was part of the show's fantastic marketing aimed at promoting the Baguette, which reflected on the collection. 

Jones' collection felt exactly like that, a marketing strategy. One that lacked design, spirit and left us empty handed. The Baguette was overly incorporated into the looks which by themselves weren’t really new or groundbreaking. It's true that not every fashion collection should be extremely dramatic and experimental, but something about Jones designs felt underwhelming. Sure, the Baguette was the main character but it should have been accompanied by the same fabulousness this timeless bag possesses. 

Many of the accessories and silhouettes seemed really similar to what Miu Miu and Prada had previously designed, the mini bag in the gloves and the bag on the sock. 

Why does it feel like the collection was a miss? Could be that Fendi’s take on sportswear inspired by their new location, New York, wasn't as breathtaking as their previous works. It lacked a coherent theme where previous fashion trends were incorporated, like cargo everything. The styling was messy and didn’t blend the different elements in a coherent way. Nothing new or fresh. 

The last ten looks on the runway by Marc were a show saver. Jacobs debuted a new take on one of his most iconic collections and accessories. He incorporated flawlessly the bag into his jackets keeping things simple in monochromatic neutral hues yet the designs were elaborated and modern. 

So the clothes weren’t that great, but there were plenty of Baguettes that are for sure going to become fans favorites. Which one is your favorite?