Fendi’s most famous bag gets a relaunch from its original designer

Fendi has relaunched the Baguette bag as the “26424 Re-Edition,” almost 30 years after it first appeared in 1997. The twist this time is that it’s being reworked by Maria Grazia Chiuri, who actually helped design the original Baguette back when she was an accessories designer at Fendi in the ’90s, before her decade running Dior and now her return to Fendi as creative director.

The Baguette became one of fashion’s first true “It bags” thanks largely to Carrie Bradshaw carrying one on Sex and the City, and original and archive versions still fetch serious money on resale sites. This new edition embraces that history rather than reinventing it, as there’s a version with “FENDI 1925–26424” embossed straight into crinkled leather (a nod to the house’s centenary), a zebra-print take with a red lizard flap, the classic brown FF-jacquard, one done entirely in black sequins and a fringed style dripping in teal, pink and orange beading.

It’s part of a wider accessories season that works with texture and print. Calf-hair totes come in tiger stripe and leopard, the latter split by an embroidered floral panel that looks almost collaged on. The Peekaboo returns in slick black leather and a crinkled dark brown patent. Jewellery gets a menswear twist too, with detachable leather shirt collars worn as necklaces, finished with a single hanging charm.

In shoes news, there are pointed pumps in snake print and two-tone leather and platform sandals in scaled snake and tiger-print calf hair. There’s even a black leather harness boot that looks lifted from a motorcycle jacket.

It’s all in Fendi boutiques and online now.