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Last year, there was a contest for the best baguette<\/a> in New York City. Seventeen different bakeries entered the competition, and the results were graded on appearance, taste, and something a little less tangible. As one chocolatier put it<\/a>, \u201cA good baguette is a mouthful that brings back memories.\u201d<\/p>\n FABRIZIO MARTINEZ<\/p>\n You don\u2019t need a scorecard to rate the reasons for the continuing popularity of the Baguette, the iconic Fendi<\/a> bag designed by artistic director and third-generation family member Silvia Venturini Fendi<\/a> in 1997. The Italian house is celebrating its centennial this year, but the bag feels as fresh as it did nearly 30 years ago. Elizabeth Taylor was rumored to own at least 18 of them. In more recent years, Madison Beer<\/a> clutched<\/a> her phone and Baguette in one hand while heading to a workout class in Los Angeles, and Zo\u00eb Kravitz<\/a> carried<\/a> a highlighter-green version on a winter\u2019s day in New York City. After announcing her pregnancy, Rihanna<\/a> even carried <\/a>a plush, cheeky crossbody version shaped like a literal baguette while on her way to eat at Italian hot spot Carbone.<\/p>\n Antonello Trio<\/p>\n True to its name, the style was inspired by \u201cFrench bread, traditionally carried under the arm,\u201d Fendi says. The design was surprising for its time. Hard, large, structured bags were in, like the boxy leather tote favored by Carolyn Bessette Kennedy<\/a>. In contrast, the Baguette was soft, and \u201cmeant to be kept close to the body\u2014small, but perfect to carry all the essentials.\u201d Fendi calls the act of designing it spontaneous, reflecting that \u201cI was so sure of the attitude of this short shoulder strap\u2026that it could be part of your body.\u201d After Carrie Bradshaw famously told a mugger on Sex and the City<\/a> that his target was not just a bag, \u201cIt\u2019s a Baguette,\u201d it officially crossed over into cultural and fashion icon status. <\/p>\n Since then, there have been numerous editions of the Baguette with different twists, from a scented leather creation made with master perfumer Francis Kurkdjian to the \u201cMonster,\u201d complete with cartoon eyes and fur (perhaps a precursor to the Labubu craze). Over the years, Fendi has become philosophical about the bag\u2019s timeliness. \u201cI consider the Baguette a manifesto of individualism, because it is always the same but always different, never losing her identity. No matter what we do to her, her personality and the pleasure of wearing a Baguette remain. She protects you, and you protect her,\u201d she says of its enduring appeal. \u201cAnd I hope this pleasure remains for centuries to come.\u201d<\/p>\n A version of this story appears in the September 2025 issue of ELLE.<\/p>\n![\"fabrizio](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/elm090125frfendi-003-68b73295b4438.jpg\" "\\"fabrizio")
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