The Fendi Baguette Bag: Inspiring Fashion Frenzy And Poetry Since 1997

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Prepare yourselves for the summer of the Baguette. On June 1, Fendi will debut a book in honor of the Baguette bag's 15th anniversary, along with the re-release of six designs. Why all the fuss? The Financial Times bills the Baguette as the first "It" bag, and whether or not that's a fair title, it's most definitely the first bag named after bread that accumulated a waitlist.

Silvia Venturini Fendi, the brand's creative director, explained to the Times why she thinks the Baguette brought out the crazy in so many women:

It was like a fever because it was so difficult to find and the minute you did, it wouldn't be the one you were looking for as there would already be a new version out and you still couldn't find the other one ... so it was like a crazy moment with people begging to be put first on the waiting list. Before that moment, no one really had waiting lists so it started this crazy mania, and also for limited editions.

Sarah Jessica Parker also weighs in on the bag with authority, since Carrie Bradshaw was possibly the most visible Baguette addict of the era. "Having the Fendi Baguette was a very big deal, and the gateway to everything else. It really opened the floodgates and influenced the storyline—especially Carrie’s habit of spending more money on fashion than her home," she told the Times.

But if you think spending your rent money on a purse is batshit, read on for a poem by Japanese writer Banana Yoshimoto. It is entitled "Tiny Friend" and is an ode to the Baguette:
It wouldn’t suit me if it were even a smidgen bigger. And if
it were even a little smaller, it would double as an
ornament. We all find ourselves alone from time to time –
in a party, in a car, in a restaurant, or walking down
the street. We may not know why we are alone, or even why
we are here. In times like this, this bag will stay close beside
you like a puppy, like a parrot perching on your shoulder,
or like the doll you were never without in your childhood.
Yes, it stays with you just like a best friend.

· The First "It" Bag [Financial Times]
· All Fendi Coverage [Racked]