Updating an icon: the Fendi Baguette

The Fendi Baguette, one of the original ‘It Bags’ and the Italian fashion house’s most iconic piece, is the master of reinvention. The instantly-recognisable rectangular bag (designed to fit under the arm like its namesake French bread) has been one of fashion’s most celebrated accessories since its creation in ‘97. Bridging the gulf between sartorial object and definitive symbol of pop culture (it was the focus of a Sex and The City episode, and spawned one of the show’s best quotes), the Fendi brand soon became synonymous with the Baguette in our popular vernacular.

While that same beloved streamlined shape remains today – its longevity a testament to the quality of the design – the materials, hues and overall feel of the bag have continually been reworked. There’s been leather, beads, fur and precious stones. Damien Hirst designed one – white with colourful polka-dots – while Richard Prince opted to scrawl a (stolen) joke referencing both his own series and his affinity for appropriation. The multitude of iterations even served as inspiration for a 2012 book.

Today in this exclusive video, Fendi is announcing the 3Baguette, its most modern interpretation of the bag to date. With sharp silver detailing and a swivel clasp built into the signature body, the 3Baguette balances on the line between new and familiar. Fendi have released a film to celebrate the bag’s release, which deconstructs the rotating clasp – reimagining it as a set of DJ decks. Watch it above, and check out the SS15 show below: