THE IT BAG

Designed in Paris the baguette was named after the French loaf of bread that sat comfortably under ones arm.

The Fendi Baguette was an instant success, being chronicled on Sex and the City only added buzz to this must have bag. The Fendi Baguette started the Era of the IT Bag. Being the first bag to ever have a waitlist. Owning the baguette was the stamp of approval all fashionistas needed. It was a trophy you were able to purchase that screamed, you knew fashion and you knew cool. The baguette was seen on all of New York City IT girls and socialites in the late 90’s and early 2000’s.

Silvia had no limits for the baguette, designing it in all different fabrics, textures, prints, and sizes. Soon, one Baguette was simply not enough. We had to have more, we needed more.

Fast forward to 2019, Fendi relaunches the iconic silhouette, being crowned top revival product of 2019. The bag had search engines at 138%!!

2021 is here and the Baguette just won’t quit! With updated prints and sizes, the Baguette remains a hit. Being seen on everyone. What makes the baguette tick for me is that now, in 2021 its not just a cool girl bag, its so IT that everyone knows it. Someone who owns a Gucci Mormont can be seen sporting it AND someone adorned in Rick and Margiela. The Baguette is the bridge between if you know you know and if you don’t know you must live under a rock in Idaho or something. My point being, you don’t HAVE to be a fashionista to own this bag, you can be your basic bitch, but you can also be an avant garde editor at Vogue. Its a pretty cool thing, because I know no other bag, or item of clothing that falls into this very specific, widely recognized yet cool and kinda hard to get category.

Pre full time ITSVINTAGEBITCHHH I worked at The Real Real. For those that don't know The Real Real, you must live in Idaho or something. I don't feel like explaining it because its too established and I always get a little weirded out when people explain obvious things. Anyways, at this point in my Real Real carrier I was working as a retail consignor specialist on Madison Ave. (I later transferred to the office in midtown.) (less luxurious enviorment and it meant I couldn't do my usual thrift shop route during lunch but midtown had no mandatory dress code aka no ugly ass shirt and there was endless amounts of unbelievable snacks + I got off for holidays). 

Anyways.... It was one of those winter days where the sun is blaring but its still minus 10 degrees outside. I remember taking a photoshoot of the snow as I walked from the 6 train to 71st and Madison. I was drawn to the way the sunlight hit it and how the New York City juices painted the snow like a canvas. I keep digressing but I also keep liking what I'm writing so I'm not gonna delete it but I will try my best to get to the point. 

Okay so because of the brutal temperature the consignment office was dead. I mean, who wants to shlep a bag full of clothes on a freezing cold day with the chance of slipping on ice.

Icy days were my favorite days. It meant I had time to update my Poshmark, do some office gossip with my co workers, and bother my then boyfriend with cup pong.

I was looking at my phone screen that said opponents turn when the notorious and frankly Iconic VIP named..... Melissa, yes well call her Melissa, came in. Just like the USPS system, Melissa was delivering in rain, snow, sleet and hail. Some background- Just like any shop we had a couple of regulars, Real Real lingo would be to call them our "VIPs" which was basically anyone who consigned over 10k worth of inventory a month. I know, crazy. People truly treated The Real Real as their full time job, and technically, they made more than 75% of America doing so so I guess it kinda was. 

Melissa came in, I kid you not, every. single. day. to consign. Shed drop off one item a day, only one. She assumed we knew her, I mean, we did but the way shed come in, drop the item on the reception podium, not saying a word and simply walking away was kinda like a scene out of a movie. Her singular items daily never disappointed, from runway Mcqueen pieces in his hay day to exotic crocs and furs from around the world, it was obvious this bitchhh was hooked up. Naturally, my curiosity grew, she was so mysterious, always in a rush, never impolite but certainly not polite. I wondered about her but more importantly I wondered how she had all these iconic pieces. Today Melissa came carrying a paper cvs bag, she did her usual drop and run but before she had a chance to get down the stairs i called after her. What was inside the CVS bag was.... chills worthy. A Fendi Baguette so beautiful, so intricate, so luxurious, you feel it should be put on display. like a sculpture, or work of art. Heres a photo of it. 

FYI- theres only 100 of them that exist. I knew this bag not from seeing it displayed behind glass at Barneys, no no no, this was a limited addition, live only for auction, or as Fendi likes to call it a "Exclusive Sale". I knew this bag from reading articles about it. Silvia designed it herself. Named the Geometrica baguette. The bag was first displayed at the baguettes 15th  anniversary at Collete in 2012. For those that don't know Collete, 1. Im sorry you should. The same way I didn't describe The Real Real I wont be describing Collete. 

I was kind of stunned to see this bag, its the type of thing that would be placed on auction at Sothebys. What stunned me the most was that Melissa owned this bag. I had to know how, so, being me, I called after her. 

Turns out Melissa is Russian, which I told her explains the fur. It also turns out that Melissa was a New York City socialite. She was an editor at a big magazine and had actually attended the Fendi 15th anniversary party at Collete where she fawned over the bag and waited patiently until the exclusive sale went live on fendi.com . A true love story if Ive ever heard one. The reason for her parting with it? "The money, of course." Turns out Melissa really was a business women, with the relaunch of the baguette in 2019 the Geometrica has trippled in value. Me and Melissa continued chatting and actually formed a friendship, We bonded over all things 90's, and she urged me to moisturize my hands which were cracking from the cold.  I went to her apartment shortly after leaving The Real Real. The goal was to clean out her closet and sell her shit but it became apparent to me Melissa had a a hard time parting with things. It was then that it I realized she came in with one item a day because she quite literally could not handle parting with more. Id love to stay on here for longer and chat about her insane closet but I've gotta go measure a pair of silk shorts with lots of ruffles all over them. 

BYE! 

and- Buy the Baguette I posted, <3 its no Geometrica but it is a classic black satin with metal Logo..... classic is classic for a reason :) Its also amazing condition and easily the best price on the internet. 

I wish I knew how to link but I don't so heres one of my stock photos.