Carrie’s Fendi Baguette was “the It bag that begat the entire It-bag industry,” as Plum Sykes put it in an issue of Vogue. The foldover handbag swept the industry and foreshadowed later must-haves like Louis Vuitton’s Murakami and Balenciaga’s motorcycle bag, as well as catalyzing the designer knockoff craze memorably shown in the episode “Sex and Another City.” When Fendi reintroduced the Baguette last May, Sarah Jessica Parker revealed just how important it really was.
In the Sex and the City’s early seasons, as Parker told the Financial Times, Patricia Field sourced clothes and accessories from thrift stores to stay within the show’s budget. Fendi was “the first important design house to loan us items,” including the Baguette, which was introduced in 1997. “It really opened the floodgates and influenced the storyline—especially Carrie’s habit of spending more money on fashion than her home.” She said other design houses were more willing to loan items after Fendi did so.
Other notable purses were Samantha’s coveted Hermès Birkin, Carrie’s Dior saddle bag, and Jennifer Hudson’s “Louise” Vuitton in the first movie.