Review: Is this the Greatest or Worst Purchase of all Time?

review

14 Jun

Written By alice scaysbrook

“Gimme your bag….it’s a baguette” Carrie Bradshaw

“Having the Fendi Baguette was a very big deal, and the gateway to everything else.” Sarah Jessica Parker

If you want to know how to authenticate a fendi baguette click here.

My love affair with the Fendi Baguette started with Sex and the City. I’m sorry I know that is cliché but it is the truth. I wish I could say something chic like “I found my first Fendi in a tiny shop, ran by an old woman head to toe in vintage Hermes, on the cobbled back streets of Paris whilst backpacking around Europe” – but I did not. [I also am not a backpacker]

Sex and the City 1st aired on 6 June 1998. I didn’t have the fancy channels (Sky/HBO) growing up so I missed the debut – also I was eight years old, so not quite the age demographic they had in mind. But, I have fond memories of Friday Night Channel 4 Television (The glory years). It was Friends 9pm, followed by Will & Grace 9:30pm – then something else… but at 10:45pm just as the theme music came on ‘da..da..dada…’ I had to go to bed. My Dad once let me stay up for 20 minutes and it was such a raunchy episode he regretted it immediately. But, it was all it took to get me hooked on SJPs style.

There’s something about the Fendi baguette. Its glorious, the sequins, the embroidery, the iridescent fabrics, the craftsmanship – the beautiful way it tucks under your arm – like a baguette – the way Silvia Venturini intended. Silvia wanted to inject fun and joy into fashion; and she did, and then some.

Silvia Venturini Fendi gave us the bag, Karl Largerfeld gave us the inverted FF Logo – but Carrie…. Carrie gave us the baguette.

The purple sequin Fendi - my review

Full Disclosure: I bought this bag new. This was not a luxury for less purchase.

Why new?

This is ‘the’ bag. This is my white unicorn. This is the “gateway to everything else” & I was fuelled by over-excitement, two Skinny Cappuccinos, on a cute weekend getaway and next thing I knew, I was on the phone to a Fendi Sales Associate.

On the 8th February 2022 it was first thing in the morning and I was reading an article in Stylist Magazine – it said that Fendi were going to be reissuing the famous purple sequin baguette. I couldn’t believe it… I thought this was a little bit of history in the making. The article had only just been published… could it possibly still be available to buy?

I clicked on the link which took me to the Fendi website. It appeared to not be sold out. The excitement that the baguette wasn’t sold out overwhelmed me. I clicked ‘buy’ but a glitch kept on happening; an error message was flashing up. I had my AMEX in the palm of my hand and was now determined to buy this bag (fuelled on adrenalin and coffee). I called Fendi. A poor harassed sounding sales associate answered the phone. I explained the situation. She sighed. “The bag was not meant to be available on the website yet – there has been a glitch” – a conversation she must have been repeating all morning. She then said “Which bag do you want, the pink is lovely? I gulped “the purple sequin”. “Yes”, she said, (I suspect that was all anyone calling wanted). I realised the enormity of money I was about to spend…there was silence… “Ok, you have to pay now to secure it and the bag will be ready in May”. (3 months time!!! Yikes).

Do you want it? …silence

I also knew due to being a limited edition if I waited for this bag to emerge on the preloved market it would actually be more money.

…silence. Do you want it?

“Yes”

I paid. I paid a lot of money…. But was it worth it?

The Bag has finally been made and has arrived

I went into Harrods to collect the bag - really annoyed at my outfit choice hence why you will see no pictures and I didn’t love my hair goddamnit! But, got a cute cookie, and secured the goods. What annoyed me slightly is because at the time of pick-up Fendi were doing a collaboration with Versace (which I did not enjoy - did anyone?) I got the collab’s box and dustbag, not classic Fendi - but anyway…. slight annoyance.

PROS

It is the Carrie Bradshaw bag
It is a Fendi Baguette
It is exceptionally well-made with the highest quality materials
It fits a lot in
It is limited edition and unique
It has the option of crossbody or shoulder.
It actually used to cost more on resale sites to buy then it did to purchase it 1st hand. That has now changed, I would say its now available on preloved sites at £2,200-£2,800. RRP is now £3,700

CONS

It is a special occasion only bag. I have limited events to wear this to.
It’s purple which is not a signature colour for me or my wardrobe
The price - it was so expensive I am too worried to wear this bag. [even though it has insurance]
The sequins attach themselves to most fabrics and pull
You cannot/its very hard to get the baguette back into the dust bag once you’ve taken it out due to the direction of the sequins - it bends them back the wrong way.

In Summary: You only live once.. if you can afford it - buy the bag - because after all its not a bag. Its a baguette and it’s f****** fabulous.

Love Alice x