DESIGNER 101

Fendi 101:
The Baguette

By AKS, Jun  21, 2021

The Fendi Baguette first made waves in Sex and the City.

In 2019 Fendi’s iconic Baguette, known for its compact size and rectangular shape, made a comeback when the Italian house reintroduced it. Celebrities like Amanda Seyfried, Emma Roberts, and Gigi Hadid are among those who carry a Baguette.

In 1997 Silvia Venturini Fendi would unknowingly create a bag so iconic that it maintains much of its popularity 24 years later. The Fendi Baguette would spark not only an “It” bag craze, it created waitlists at department stores (a rare occurrence at the time)! The popularity of the Baguette pushed Fendi to the forefront of the accessory world and made it one of the most coveted bags of the aughts. 

While the Baguette was not well known for the first three years it was available, in 2000 that changed in an instant when Sex and the City fashionista Carrie uttered the words “This is not a bag, this is a Baguette!” when ordered to hand over her bag to a mugger. The Baguette also made an appearance in the Los Angeles episodes, when Samantha got kicked out of the Playboy Mansion for accusing a model of stealing her fake Baguette. The rest, is fashion history. 

History

While not everyone at Fendi was originally on board with the design at first — it was too soft, too small, and not very functional when compared to the utilitarian Prada nylon backpack that was so popular at the time. Meant to be worn snugly under the arm — it was inspired by Parisians carrying their baguettes home from the bakery — the design was a deliberate move by Silvia Venturini Fendi away from the larger sizes and utilitarian designs that were trending at the time. Fendi’s grandmother also played a part. “My grandmother had a collection of beautiful beaded handbags from the 1920s and ‘30s,” Fendi told Harper’s Bazaar. “I always had them in my mind.” 

To date, there are thousands of iterations — from the FF logo, to fur, sequins, and all materials in between; the baguette is a highly recognizable status symbol known around the world. 

In 2019 the Baguette had a resurgence, when Fendi reintroduced it in spring/summer 2019 before bringing it back into its stores in July of that year. The new iteration comes in a number of sizes and some styles come with a shoulder strap or crossbody strap. In 2011, artists Damien Hirst, KAWS, Richard Prince, and Tom Sachs created their own versions of the Fendi Baguette for Christie’s and Runway to Green to raise money for Green Auction: Bid to Save the Earth.

Star Power

In the early aughts, starlets and socialites like Paris Hilton, Plum Sykes, and Sarah Jessica Parker were spotted carrying the compact handbag, and since its comeback, Caroline Daur — who stars in the campaign with Sarah Jessica Parker, Ebonee Davis, Emma Stone, Amanda Seyfriend, Emma Roberts, Gigi Hadid, Rihanna, Olivia Palermo, and Nina Agdal have been seen wearing the Baguette. 

Paris Hilton with a Fendi Baguette in the early 2000s. Courtesy Pinterest.

Emma Watson and Amanda Seyfried with their Fendi Baguettes for a Baguette party in New York, 2019

Investment Value

As the most classic handbag from Fendi, the Baguette has a strong resale value in the current resale market. The vintage original version has increased 75 to 100 percent more in the past two years depending on the materials and styles, and the current version that relaunched in 2019 can sell pretty close to retail prices. Overall the Baguette is very likely to maintain its popularity and resale value in the foreseeable future. On Rebag, the best selling style is the vintage, original version Baguette in iconic brown Zucca canvas.

Sizing Breakdown 

Originally the baguette was only offered in one size, but with the relaunch of the popular shoulder bag Fendi created additional sizes. 

Measuring 4.3”x 2.6”x 1”, the Fendi Nano Baguette was originally meant to be a charm for belts and bags, but since it comes with a chain, it can also be worn as a crossbody. 

The next size up is the Baguette Mini, which measures 7.5” x 4.5” x 1.6” and is sold with a second longer strap. There is also a Baguette Mini version that has a stylish leather top handle and a chunky long chain strap attached at the sides through a clean hardware plate. 

The (classic) Baguette measures 10.2” x 5.5” x 1.6” and can be worn or carried three different with the longer shoulder strap added for crossbody wear. The (classic) Baguette has a chain strap version as well, with a top handle attached to the flap by square connectors and a stylishly designed handle. 

The Baguette Large measures 13” x 7.1” x 2.2” and also comes with a second shoulder strap long enough to allow the bag to be worn crossbody, but no chain version exists as of yet. 

There are also two newer silhouettes that have joined the Baguette family, and they are sure to be instant classics! Check out the Easy 2 Baguette and the Flat Baguette 

Baguette Knit
Fabric Small

11″W x 7″H x 1″D
5-7″ handle drop

Baguette NM Bag Suede Mini

7.5″W x 5″H x 2″D
2″ handle drop
22″ strap drop

Double Baguette Embroidered Studded Leather Micro

6.5″W x 4.5″H x 2.5″D
1.5″ handle drop
23″ strap drop

Materials And Hardware 

The Baguette is so versatile that it lends its shape to almost any material – sequins, jacquard, leather, straw… and of course, fur – what Fendi is so well known for. The fabrication possibilities are truly endless. Traditionally, the Baguette is not hardware heavy and the simplest of designs have the double F closure, logo engraved connectors and logo engraved clasps. The chain strap versions have the chunky chain connect to the bag through a functional metal side piece of hardware that gives it an extra flash 

Special Editions/Color Range 

Baguette NM Bag Laser Cut Mink Medium

Baguette NM Bag Pequin Canvas with Raffia Medium

Baguette Cage Bag Zucca Coated Canvas and Leather Mini

Four hand-cut diamond petals on a four-petal flower mark this collection of rings, bracelets, necklaces, and more, featuring round, pear-shaped, and marquise diamonds. 

Baguette NM Bag Shearling Large

Selleria Baguette NM Bag Leather Large

The Pico Baguette

Fendi dropped the Fendi Pico Baguette, the model’s tiniest iteration,
in 2020 to keep up with the tiny handbag craze. 

The Brazil Baguette

Fendi released this Baguette, a tribute to Brazil, when it opened its first store there at at Cidade Jardim in São Paulo on June 5, 2013.

The Hand in Hand Baguette

Courtesy Hypebae.

For the limited edition Hand in Hand collection, Fendi tapped artisans to use their areas of expertise, like Bandera embroidery, Campo Ligure’s and its filigree silverwork from medieval times, and Ravenna’s tradition of glass and stone mosaics on Fendi Baguettes. Each bag represents a specialty from one of Italy’s different regions.

2021 Chinese New Year Capsule

Courtesy Fendi.

Each Lunar New Year, Fendi makes a special capsule collection for the holiday. This bag was made specially for the 2021 limited edition Chinese New Year capsule collection.

3Baguette

This edition of the Baguette, released in 2014, carries a 3D FF buckle that rotates, shifts, and slides to put a tech spin on the original. 

Damien Hirst Baguette

Courtesy CharityBuzz.com

Artist Damien Hirst created this Baguette, a spin on his dot paintings, for the 2011 Green Auction: Bid to Save the Earth. 

Nicki Minaj Prints On

Courtesy Essence.

Fendi collaborated with rap superstar Nicki Minaj on the Prints On capsule collection, which included silver sneakers, bamboo FF earrings, and this shocking pink Fendi Baguette.

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