You know your bags, but do you know how they’re made? Season after season, major fashion houses have launched arm candies after arm candies, and regardless whether they make it to the It-status, behind each piece, are a group of skillful artisans who create them with exceptional craftsmanship.
If you’re curious to know more about what goes on behind the scenes, below, a guide to the savoir-faire of some of the most popular bags in recent years, from the classic Lady Dior to the Louis Vuitton Pont 9—in alphabetical order.
Bvlgari
Ambush x Bvlgari bag
Year of launch: August 2020Background: A collaboration between Bvlgari and Tokyo-based fashion label Ambush.Fun fact: Ambush’s designer, Yoon Ahn, is also the jewellery director at Dior Men.
Chanel
Boy Chanel, Gabrielle, and the classic Flap bags
Flap bag
Year of launch: 1955Background: The flap bag was first introduced by Gabrielle Chanel as the Chanel 2.55, but in 1983, Karl Lagerfeld unveiled an updated design with an interlocking CC clasp instead of the original square twist-lock. The rest is history.
The Boy Chanel bag
Year of launch: 2011Fun fact: The bag was named after Gabrielle Chanel’s first love, Boy Capel.
Gabrielle bag
Year of launch: 2017Background: The brand’s first new bag design since the release of the Boy Chanel six years back, the Gabrielle—named after its founder—is composed of a rigid base and soft body that represent her masculine and feminine style.
Dior
Lady Dior bag
Year of launch: 1995Fun fact: The bag was first launched in ’94 by then-creative director Gianfranco Ferré as the Chouchou (favourite in English) bag,Background: The Chouchou was gifted to Princess Diana by the then-First Lady of France in 1995, and the British royal loved it so much that she subsequently ordered one in every colour. The bag was renamed as the Lady Dior to pay tribute to her.
Saddle bag
Year of launch: 1999Background: The Saddle bag became an overnight success after then-creative director John Galliano introduced it in his Spring/Summer 2000 collection. Fast forward 19 years later, after stars including Beyoncé and CL made waves for toting their vintage pieces the past few years, Maria Grazia Chiuri brought back the iconic silhouette in its AW18 line.Fun fact: The sales of the bag shot up when Jessica Parker’s character Carrie Bradshaw carried it in Sex and the City
Book Tote
Year of launch: 2018Background: The design was inspired by a drawing made by designer Marc Bohan in 1967. Simple yet polished, the bag has quickly rose to become one of the Maison’s best-sellers.
30 Montaigne bag
Year of launch: 2019Background: Named after Dior’s historic Paris address, the bag’s focal point is the hand-sculpted ‘CD’ logo.
Bobby bag
Year of launch: 2020Background: Dior’s latest bag is named after Monsieur Dior’s loyal pet dog, Bobby. Introduced in a half-moon shape, the carrier is a modern take on a hobo bag.
Dolce & Gabbana
Devotion bag
Year of launch: 2018Background: The bag features a distinctive heart clasp that is made with the same techniques used by artisan jewellers.Fun fact: First unveiled during Milan Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2018, the bags were sent down the runway with drones.
Fendi
Peekaboo bag
Year of launch: 2009Background: Named after the hide-and-seek game, the bag is well-loved for its drapey silhouette that reveals the interior when unfastened.
Givenchy
Mystic bag
Year of launch: 2019Background: Introduced by then-creative director Clare Waight Keller in her Pre-Fall 2019 collection, the bag strikes the right balance between soft and sculptural, and it exudes sophistication with a sense of ease.
Antigona Soft bag
Year of launch: 2020Background: The classic Antigona has been given a fresh update this year with a slouchier silhouette in conjunction with its 10th anniversary.
Loewe
Puzzle bag
Year of launch: 2015Background: First launched in the Men’s collection, the bag features an origami-inspired silhouette that allows it to be worn five different ways—slung across the body, on the shoulder, as a backpack, as a sidepack, and as a clutch.
Hammock bag
Year of launch: 2016Background: When it comes to versatility, the Hammock bags embodies that quality like no other. The shape expands when the zips are unfastened, and it can be worn three ways.
Gate bag
Year of launch: 2018Background: The Gate is creative director Jonathan Anderson’s take on a classic saddle bag.
Balloon bag
Year of launch: 2020Background: Loewe’s latest bag is the Balloon which pays homage to the Spanish fashion house’s “longstanding expertise in leatherwork”.
Louis Vuitton
Pont 9 bag
Year of launch: 2020Background: The French fashion house has launched many It-bags throughout the decades, and its latest features the LV Circle—a logo that dates back to the 1930s.
Michael Kors
MKC Monogramme bag
Year of launch: 2020Background: Crafted in Florence, Italy, the Monogramme bag takes up to 11 hours to make. Fun fact: The logo was sketched by the designer back in high school.
Prada
Panier bag
Year of launch: 2018Background: Sleek yet roomy, the tote bag is crafted in the brand’s signature Saffiano leather, and it’s finished off with a (detachable) single handle.
Versace
Palazzo Empire bag
Year of launch: 2016Background: The bag highlights the brand’s iconic Medusa hardware, and it’s crafted with the modern women in mind.
Virtus bag
Year of launch: 2019Background: The distinctive gold ‘V’ hardware on the flap is embellished with acanthus leaves—the same details that can be found on Versace’s iconic Barocco print.
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