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Sometimes a true inspiration, sometimes a marketing trick, meet these 8 iconic bags and their muses.
We are sharing some facts and trivia about the world’s most recognizable handbags.
Hermes Birkin Bag
Born in the ’80s Hermès Birkin bag rose to become one of the most exclusive bags and fashion ultimate status symbols, named after actress and singer Jane Birkin.
Along with the superior craftsmanship is also the jaw-dropping price tag, with standard models starting at around $12,000. A recent study showed Birkin bags are actually a better investment than stocks or gold, increasing in value by 14.2 percent on average each year making it the real Holy Grail of Handbags.
The bag also comes in a variety of hides such as calf leather, lizard, and ostrich. Among the most expensive used to be saltwater crocodile skin. In 2015, however, Jane Birkin asked Hermès to stop using her name for the crocodile version due to ethical concerns.
Hermès Kelly Bag
Another timeless model, this bag is, as its unofficial successor “Birkin”, one of the most wanted and prestigious models in the world, and was named of course after the phenomenal Grace Kelly.
But unlike the Birkin bag which was designed for Jane, Kelly’s bag found its stage name later, while she was trying to shield her pregnant belly from the prying eyes of the paparazzi. Photographs of her covering her baby bump with her hallowed Hermès were splashed all over the world and made it onto the cover of Life magazine.
Mulberry Alexa Bag
The Alexa was conceived in 2010. in tribute to Alexa Chung, the British broadcaster, model, and fashion icon after Mulberry creatives leafed through a magazine and spotted a photograph of Chung carrying an Elkington, Mulberry’s classic men’s briefcase.
So they thought to design a bag that was inspired by Alexa, by that particular image. Although a hit at a time, The Alexa lost its magic and is no longer part of the Mulberry collection.
Related: 10 Things Every Fashionable Woman Should Have
Mulberry Cara Delevingne Bag
The Cara Delevingne Bag is a three-in-one style and was designed in collaboration with British model Cara Delevingne. She wanted to hide gems inside, based on things that are personal to her, so inside the bag, you can find a small lion rivet and a heart-shaped patch based on Cara’s own tattoos,
Gucci Bardot Bag
Brigitte Bardot’s legendary beauty dazzled many, and with this model the handbag, Gucci attempted to display at least part of the elegance with which the actress radiated. The Bardot Bag comes in two-tone combinations like black and white and dark brown and beige.
Related: Accessorize: Shine like a Star
Ballin Amal Bag
Like most of the world, this Italian brand was charmed by Mrs. Clooney, and that is how the handbag was given its name. Amal was spotted on several occasions carrying this bag so Italian shoe and handbag label Ballin has renamed a $1,198 tote in Mrs. Clooney’s honor.
Louis Vuitton SC Bag
The SC Bag has been designed by Sofia Coppola in collaboration with Louis Vuitton. She has been friends with Marc Jacobs, who was then Vuitton’s creative director. Through Marc, she met the bag department and designed a few collections for them. Fun fact is that Sofia Coppola interned for Chanel as a teenager and thought she was going to be a fashion editor, not expecting to work on films at all.
Gucci Jackie Bag
Gucci designed the bag in the fifties and initially named it the Fifties Constance. It was originally designed as a unisex model but quickly grew into a beloved women’s bag. When Mrs. Kennedy was spotted carrying the bag, it became an instant hit as Mrs. Kennedy was a huge fashion icon in her time. So naturally, her choices for accessories and clothes had a great influence. As a tribute to Jacqueline Kennedy, Gucci changed the name of the bag to ‘Jackie’.
