A staple of every woman's closet, the handbag is both a functional accessory and a collector's item. Although the concept of a purse originated during ancient times, the modern day carry-all as we know it today was invented in the mid-19th century. After the British entrepreneur Samuel Parkinson commissioned leather handbags for his wife's train travel, these became coveted by wealthy and aristocratic women in Europe, though were considered impractical by the greater population.
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In 1955, Coco Chanel invented the 2.55 bag, the first handsfree purse that women could carry from their shoulders. From long to short straps, every top designer has invented their own unique style, from the iconic Birkin bag by Hermès to the flap bags of Chanel. Though of course the design and aesthetic of the bag is important, the popularity of many handbags has derived from the women who were first seen with them, as celebrity has often driven trends throughout history. With handbags increasingly becoming status symbols, vintage bags have also become smart investments at auction. Here are five famous women who have inspired the world's most iconic, and collectible, handbags:
Jane Birkin, Hermès Birkin Bag
Arguably the most coveted handbag, the Hermès Birkin originated on a flight from Paris to London in 1984 when Jean-Louis Dumas, the chairman of Hermès at the time, and British actress Jane Birkin were seated next to one another. When Birkin complained about the lack of a chic, yet functional travel bag, Dumas decided to reinvent a past Hermès model in black leather and rechristened it the Birkin. Quickly, the new handbag reached cult status and was in high demand, with all bags custom ordered at Hermès in a wide range of materials, from classic leather to exotic crocodile skins, and accentuated in elegant metallic hardware.
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Due to their extensive craftsmanship (each bag is handmade in France), and the exclusive nature of ordering a bag, which includes being a frequent customer and having a relationship with the brand, Birkins are an excellent investment. Editions often resell, both at auction or in secondhand boutiques, for at least double the price they were originally purchased for at Hermès.
In fact, the world's most expensive handbag is a Himalaya Birkin made of white crocodile skin with white gold hardware embellished with diamonds that was sold in 2017 for $377,261 at Christie's Hong Kong.
Princess Diana, Lady Dior
The most ubiquitous Dior handbag today was originally an unreleased model that the First Lady of France, Bernadette Chirac, gifted to Princess Diana on her trip to Paris in 1995. The black leather handbag soon became Diana's favorite accessory, and she was often photographed carrying it worldwide, from an official trip to Buenos Aires later that year to the Met Gala in 1996.
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Originally, the house of Dior had named the model "Chouchou" (French for "pet"), but after it was popularized by Diana, it was nicknamed "Princesse" and then officially became the "Lady Dior." The bag's design was an homage to both Christian Dior himself and French heritage. The bag's quilting is referred to as "cannage" (French for "caning"), which is a nod to the Napoleon III chairs found at Christian Dior's Avenue Montaigne home that guests were seated on during his runway shows. The metallic DIOR letter charms that dangle from the handles speak to the lucky charms that Christian Dior, who was very superstitious, often carried with him.
Today, the Lady Dior bag has been reissued in a variety of styles, with different materials, colors, and sizes. Vintage versions from the 1990s have sold for up to $20,700 at auction, as well as those in exotic materials like colorful crocodile skins.
Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Gucci Jackie 1961
As First Lady from 1961-1963, Jackie Kennedy set a new standard for style in America. Her iconic fashions, from custom looks by Oleg Cassini to couture from European ateliers like Chanel and Valentino, were rapidly sought after by the American public. The "Jackie Look" was characterized by her pillbox hats, skirt suits, strapless gowns, white gloves, and A-line shift dresses. After the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in November 1963, Jackie moved to New York City and then married shipping billionaire Aristotle Onassis in 1968. She split time between Europe and the U.S. until 1975, when she returned permanently to New York. In the decades following the White House years, Jackie's style evolved into a simple, yet elegant look of wide-leg pants and flowy skirts, simple t-shirts and turtle necks, flats, Hermès scarves, over-sized sunglasses, and the Gucci saddlebag in leather and canvas.
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The luxe hobo-style handbag, first introduced in 1961 as the G1244, was revived in 2020 by Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele as the Jackie 1961. The new style has the same shape as the original, but in a smaller size and in vivid colors, as opposed to the neutral shades touted by its namesake. However, the rename of the bag shows the endurance of Jackie's impeccable style, of which Valentino said, "Few women in history have captured the imagination the way she did."
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Princess Grace Kelly, Hermès Kelly Bag
First discovered by Grace Kelly on the set of Alfred Hitchcock's To Catch a Thief in 1954, when the bag was purchased as a prop, the Kelly bag has become associated ever since with the Princess of Monaco, who was frequently photographed with it. The bag was a reincarnation of a 1923 Hermès bag, revived in 1934 as a larger travel bag known as the "Sac à dépêches" (French for "dispatch bag"). In 1977, it was officially renamed the Kelly. Like its famous younger sister, the Birkin, the Kelly is also handmade and features leather and metallic hardware. However, the bags differ, with the Kelly having only one handle, a shoulder strap, and a trapezoid shape.
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Grace Kelly was one of the most popular fashion icons of the 20th century, so the Kelly bag quickly became a sought-after status symbol by both American and European women. She famously used the bag to shield her stomach from the paparazzi when she was pregnant with her first child, Caroline, in 1957. Grace Kelly also popularized the crocodile skin Kelly, which is among the most expensive Hermès bags today.
Kelly bags enjoy the same resale value as Birkins, making them important collector's items. A rare Himalaya Kelly, made of white crocodile skin with palladium hardware, sold at Christie's in 2018 for $206,000. Crocodile Kellys often achieve six-figure prices. Despite the caché of the Birkin bag, the Kelly remains Hermès' best-selling handbag model.
Audrey Hepburn, Louis Vuitton Speedy
Although Audrey Hepburn was the muse of Hubert de Givenchy, who dressed her for films like Breakfast at Tiffany's and Sabrina, her favorite handbag actually came from Louis Vuitton. Louis Vuitton was founded by its eponymous trunk maker in 1854 to provide trunks for Paris' elite, such as Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III. He designed lightweight, stackable traveling trunks and even invented the first pick-proof lock. The famous "LV" monogram was patented in 1896. Throughout the 20th century, the brand expanded their leather goods offerings, from travel luggage to handheld purses and wallets.
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Introduced in the 1930s, the first version of Hepburn's beloved bag was a monogrammed 30cm bag used for travel. In 1959, Audrey Hepburn requested a smaller, handheld version of the bag that would be easier for everyday use. Renamed the Speedy 25—in reference to its 25cm size—this petite bag instantly became the ultimate Louis Vuitton classic thanks to Hepburn, a legacy that continues today.
Louis Vuitton's frequent collaborations, with artists such as Takashi Murakami, Richard Prince and Yayoi Kusama, have always included a limited-edition Speedy bag, which sells for high prices at auction.
