Silvia Venturini Fendi launched the Baguette in 1997 with a design brief that was deliberately anti-structured — a small, slightly flat bag with a short strap, designed to be tucked under the arm 'like a baguette.' It became a sensation almost immediately, with early versions selling out before they reached stores.
Sex and the City was instrumental in cementing the Baguette as a cultural object: Carrie Bradshaw owned over 40 different versions on the show, and an iconic mugging scene — 'But it's a Baguette!' — entered the cultural lexicon. The bag was subsequently exhibited at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
The Collector's Bag
The Baguette's compact size (roughly 27cm wide) and short single strap mean it functions primarily as a going-out bag rather than a daily workhorse — but this specialisation is what makes it so collectible. Fendi released hundreds of versions in different fabrics, embellishments, and collaborations. Vintage Baguettes in sequin, beaded, or canvas treatments from the late 1990s to mid-2000s are among the most sought-after on the secondary market.