The Fendi Archive

The Fendi Archive

Vintage Zucca Baguettes, embroidered and beaded Baguettes, fur and pony hair designs and rare seasonal Fendi accessories

Fendi's archive is full of invention. This edit covers vintage Zucca Baguettes, embroidered and beaded Baguettes, fur and pony hair designs, and seasonal pieces like the Mama, Chef and Bag du Jour.

What is a Zucca Baguette

A Zucca Baguette is a Fendi Baguette in the house's Zucca canvas, the interlocking FF print Karl Lagerfeld designed in the 1960s. The Baguette itself launched in 1997, and the Zucca versions came soon after.

 

Among the eight in this grid, I would look first at the Fendi Yellow Floral Embroidered Zucca Baguette, the Fendi Brown Pequin Canvas Convertible Baguette Medium and the Fendi Pink & Brown Pony Hair Baguette.

 

The Pequin and Zucchino variants are close cousins, and the embroidered ones add a floral note. For more on the shape, see The Great Fashion Revival.

Embroidered and beaded Fendi

Fendi's workshop covered the Baguette and its relatives in embroidery, beads, sequins and lurex. The designs are bold and the handwork is heavy, so each one feels like a small piece of craft.

 

Among the eight in this grid, I would look first at the Fendi Grey Knit Baguette Bag, the Fendi Gold Zucca Lurex Mia Large and the Fendi Brown Sequin Mama.

 

I would wear a beaded one with a simple black outfit and nothing else competing. For more pieces like it, The One-of-a-Kind Edit is worth a look.

Fur, pony hair and texture

Fendi began as a fur house, and its bags still show it. Pony hair Mamas, corduroy and denim Baguettes and a velour Bag du Jour all explore texture rather than print.

 

Among the eight in this grid, I would look first at the Fendi Navy Denim Convertible Baguette Large, the Fendi Brown Zucca Velvet Bag Du Jour Medium and the Fendi Blue Denim Baguette.

 

Pick the one that suits the season you carry it in. For more bags with a tactile streak, The Pieces That Got Away has a few siblings.

Seasonal shapes: Mama, Chef and Bag du Jour

The Mama, Chef and Bag du Jour were the practical siblings of the Baguette, roomy and soft. They came in Zucca canvas, Zucchino canvas, velvet and lurex, and each carries a slightly different mood.

 

Among the eight in this grid, I would look first at the Fendi Brown Zucca Coated Canvas B MIx Tote XL, the Fendi Brown Zucca Canvas Mama and the Fendi Black Leather Mama.

 

These are the bags I would use for a normal day. For more on bags of this era, see The Lost Art of the It Bag.

How to choose a Fendi

Choose the Fendi that matches how you carry a bag. The Baguette goes under the arm, the Mama goes on the shoulder, and the Chef sits somewhere in between.

 

Then decide how much texture or sparkle you want, and let that guide the rest. The house made enough variations that there is almost always one that suits the way you already dress.