Fendi celebrates the 25th anniversary of the iconic Baguette in a multi-way collaborative showing that called upon Silvia Venturini Fendi, Kim Jones, Tiffany & Co. and Marc Jacobs
It is rare for fashion icons to come into being without an accompanying cultural moment of significance. Objects are inherently time capsules, bodies that carry with them a spirit that is unique or characteristic of its time — so when a bag is inscribed into the very DNA of pop culture’s early days, it will exist for as long as pop culture lives on.
The Baguette exemplifies this multi-sourced power in Fendi’sPre-Spring 2023 show, which took the ‘It’ bag’s 25th anniversary as its theme. Synonymous with the restless energy of New York’s streets from the late 90s and early aughts, the Baguette shape-shifts into boiler suits, capes and Baguette-inspired cargo pants in a concert of capsules designed by Silvia Venturini Fendi, Kim Jones, Tiffany & Co., Porter, Marc Jacobs, and Sarah Jessica Parker — the unofficial official baguette spokesperson — with individual interpretations of the icon with freedom and excess.
Remodelled into bum bags, backpacks, and even nano pockets on headwear and gloves, a glossy nylon exercises Japanese brand Porter’s expertise in dark jewel tones. This utility is contrasted by the liveliness of the overall colour palette and other more luxe material choices from Marc Jacob’s and Sarah Jessica Parker’s contributions. The pieces spanning from a distinct Tiffany blue and neon green to classic and elegant neutrals are all expressed in luxurious fabrics of silk, leather, shaved mink and sequins.
The extravagance of this big gathering of creatives is not without its exclusive offerings. Combining diamonds, sterling silver, white gold, and Tiffany Blue crocodile leather, a hand-crafted Baguette stippled in sterling silver and engraved with the official flowers of Italy and the state of New York is held by supermodel Linda Evangelista at her grand closing of the runway show.
An amalgamation of moods like this reflects the zeitgeist of New York’s streets then and today. Fashion is at its most advanced state of evolution it has ever been at today in terms of tone diversity — casual, formal, luxe, street, the Baguette embodies it all. Utilitarian, versatile and glamourous, this celebration of Fendi’s saving grace back in the day lays bare the very legacy of the Baguette in the fashion world’s history books so far. Timeless but never the same, in the words of Carrie Bradshaw, “this is not a bag, it’s a Baguette.”
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