Linda Evangelista Makes Runway Return at Fendi Baguette 25th Anniversary Show
The House honored the historic It bag's 25th anniversary with a historic collaboration collection and runway show.
Lats month, Fendi launched its latest campaign fronted by legendary model Linda Evangelista wearing a silver Baguette bag. Not only did the campaign celebrate 25 years of Fendi's iconic Baguette bag, but it also announced that the House would be headed to New York Fashion Week for an anniversary show to honor its cult bag, the Fendi Baguette.
“I didn’t want to do a traditional ‘collection’ for the anniversary. Rather it’s a celebration of a time, of the moment the Baguette became famous. I relate that time to a sense of freedom in excess and fun – both qualities the Baguette possesses,” said Creative Director Kim Jones.
The Baguette bag, created in 1997 by Silvia Venturini Fendi, rapidly became the It bag after it was popularized by celebrities. “It was a special day when I designed this bag; the stars aligned. The horoscope said it was a Fendi day," said Venturini Fendi. At the time, HBO’s new show Sex and the City was gaining traction fast, and so was the Fendi Baguette as it was spotted often in the wardrobe of the show's protagonist, Carrie Bradshaw. And with designers embracing the nostalgia of Y2K fashion, the bag has re-established its fame.
For the collection, Jones and Venturini Fendi also called in some help from designer Marc Jacobs, Tiffany & Co., and Porter to help bring the show to life. The fashion show opened by pulling down a curtain, dramatically revealing newness from an archived piece that was popularized among celebrities in the early 2000s. Lila Grace Moss, daughter of iconic model, Kate Moss, opened the show with a silver Baguette bag. Supermodel Bella Hadid walked the runway in a Tiffany blue jumpsuit paired with a small Baguette bag, while Anok Yai sported a classic jacket of the same color. Neons, purples, whites, greys, blacks, and blues were the palette of colors painting the show. From small necklaces to backpacks to mini bags, Jones and Jacobs emphasized its historic Baguette bag in different campy ways and styles. Baseball cap-inspired hats were seen with small Baguettes on the front and bomber jackets featured Baguette-shaped front pockets.
“I’ve got one word: Fendiroma. And it is one word! It is another land, this Fendiroma...And I’ve got two words: The Baguette. It’s a bag – and I am never one to shy away from an iconic bag," said Jacobs.
Kim Kardashian was in attendance wearing an all-sparkle look. Other notable attendees included Amber Valletta, Anna Cleveland, Christy Turlington, Evan Mock, Grace Jones, Jordan Alexander, Kailand Morris, Karlie Kloss, Kate Moss, LaLa Anthony, Lee Min Ho, Lily Allen, Maude Apatow, Naomi Watts, Natalia Dyer, Nicholas Galitzine, Rachel Brosnahan, Shalom Harlow, and Winnie Harlow.
Finally, the star of the show, And Just Like That's Sarah Jessica Parker made an appearance—. who can forget when Carrie corrected a mugger, saying, "It's a Baguette," after he called her Baguette a "bag" while holding her at gunpoint—as the most iconic Baguette muse.
At the show's end when Jacobs, Jones, Delfina Delettrez, and Venturini Fendi emerged to salute the attendees, they immediately turned to welcome the legendary Linda Evangelista in a gorgeous Tiffany blue gown and holding the Baguette bag from the campaign. As the show came to an end, the star-studded collaboration took bows as the lights faded.
