Welcome to our post Ranking The Most Legendary Designer Bags!
There are some amazing bags in fashion history, but some are more legendary than others. Here I’ll show you the most important designer bags in history, they are the most iconic bags ever!
So, without further ado here is the rank of The Most Legendary Designer Bags:
1. Hermès Birkin Bag
The Birkin bag is the most famous and popular bag in the world, and for sure one of the most classic. The Birkin was designed in 1983 when Hermès creative director Jean-Louis Dumas set next to the actress Jane Birkin on a flight. She was wearing a straw tote and explained that most leather bags were too structured for her taste. So Dumas designed the bag on that flight on the back of a napkin. Today the Birkin is an icon and is the kind of bag that will last you your whole life.
The price of a Birkin when buying directly from an Hermès store varies depending on size, leather, hardware and color. Starting at $10,075.
2. Chanel Classic Flap
The Chanel handbag that would ultimately become synonymous with the brand was not created until 1983. The Chanel Classic Double Flap was first introduced when Karl Lagerfeld became creative director and decided to reinterpret Chanel’s iconic 2.55 Flap Bag. From his artistic vision came two new features – a leather woven chain and Double C turn-lock closure. Lagerfeld’s Classic Double Flap was a breakout success.
Almost forty years later, and out of all the Chanel handbags on the market, the Classic Double Flap remains one of the most sought-after pieces ever crafted. It is a legendary bag!
3. Louis Vuitton Speedy
The Louis Vuitton Speedy was first introduced in the 1930s but remains one of the most recognizable and popular styles of all LV bags. It is an amazing choice for 2024. The LV Speedy purse was designed in response to advances in public transportation and the new need for a compact lightweight bag that was also large enough to hold your daily necessities. The shape is a mini version of the Louis Vuitton Keepall. This Louis Vuitton bag was made popular in the 1960s when Audrey Hepburn was seen carrying the Speedy multiple times, people say the mini size was designed especially for her. The original Louis Vuitton Speedy bag was designed without a strap, but in 2011 Louis Vuitton released the Speedy Bandoulière with an adjustable shoulder strap that can be removed.
Until this day the Speedy remains one of the most collectible Louis Vuitton bags. It will always be chic.
4. Hermès Kelly Bag
One of the most classic bags ever, the Kelly will never go out of style! In 1935 Émile-Maurice Hermès diversified the brands offerings designing a bag for his wife to carry. Called the Sac à Dépêches the bag was practical and elegant with a classic style. The accessory achieved worldwide recognition in 1956 when the American actress and princess of Monaco Grace Kelly used her Sac à Dépêches to cover her pregnant belly from the paparazzi. As soon as the photo of that is published on the cover of Life Magazine women from all over the world start running to Hermès asking for the Kelly Bag. In response the brand changed the bags name to the Kelly, and history was made.
Today an icon of elegance and sophistication, the Kelly is one of the most sought-after bags on the resale market. Not only for its timeless style but also for the enduring allure of the woman it is named after. The Kelly is sold in Hermès stores for around $9,000 and it sells on the resale market for about 115% of the original price.
5. Gucci Jackie 1961 Bag
Like the enduring allure of the woman it’s named after, The Jackie is a bag that will never go out of style. In 1961, Gucci introduced a Hobo-style bag that caught the eye of Jackie Kennedy, whose husband so famously loved Gucci’s loafer moccasins. It’s said that upon seeing a paparazzi image of Jackie Kennedy with the bag (then called the Fifties Constance), the Gucci family quickly christened the bag the Jackie. Relaunched in 2021, the recognizable shape is presented in many materials like leather and the GG Supreme canvas.
No matter which one you choose this is a beautiful bag that will be a cherished item in your wardrobe forever. It is perfect for any occasion! It is amazing for 2024!
6. Lady Dior
A bag that was designed almost 30 years ago in honor of one of the biggest style icons in fashion history, the Lady Dior is a classic! In 1995 Bernadette Chirac, then First Lady of France, requested Dior to custom design a bag for Lady Diana. The bag was gifted to the princess while she was on an official visit to Paris, it instantly became one of her favorite bags! After that Lady Diana was spotted multiple times carrying the bag, so Dior decided to change it’s name to the Lady Dior in 1996, with the princess’s blessing. Described as iconic and legendary the brand launched the bag in a larger series, becoming a favorite of Dior clients.
This is a classic top handle bag that will never go out of style. And is a bag every handbag lover should know!
7. Fendi Baguette Bag
It was 1997, when minimalism was all the rage, that Fendi launched the first It Bag in history, the Fendi Baguette. The bag was anything but minimalist, but because of its iconic style and pop culture it became one of the most important bags in fashion history. The bag was designed by Silvia Venturini Fendi. It was intended to be worn under the arm in the very same way French people are usually seen carrying their baguettes. The bag was a breakout success. More than 100,000 bags were sold in the first year alone, and its appearance in Sex and The City solidified it’s place as the ultimate It Bag.
Today, 26 years after its debut, the Fendi Baguette, remains a stylish it bag that is iconic of the brand! It is one of the most classic designer shoulder bags!
8. Prada Galleria Bag
Few things are more classic than the Prada Galleria bag, rooted in tradition, the Galleria is more than just a bag, it’s an icon. Though the bag was originally introduced in 2007, the history of the bag dates back to Prada’s humble beginnings. The bag gets its name from the “Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II”, which is where Mario Prada opened his first store in Milan in 1913. A hallmark of Prada’s 21st century identity, the design was first offered in Saffiano leather – a scratch and water-resistant calfskin, a material patented by Mario Prada and still a hallmark of the brand today. Reminiscent of the frame-shapes and medicine-style bags popular in the mid-century, the Galleria bag references classic styles of the past while remaining current.
This bag represents everything that Prada’s DNA is rooted in! It is an amazing bag for work!
9. Louis Vuitton Alma
The Alma is one of the best crossbody bags you could buy from the brand. It is an absolute classic! Rumor goes that the Alma was originally made for Coco Chanel in 1925 as a custom order. Its rounded shape and two top handles are inspired by Art Deco. It is as iconic today as it was 100 years ago. In 1934 Coco gave permission for Louis Vuitton to sell the bag to the public and history was made. Its unmistakable shape makes this compact bag a timeless classic. There are multiple colors and materials to choose from, as well as sizes. It also comes with a detachable strap so you can wear this bag as a crossbody or top handle. There is an Alma bag for every taste.
The Alma bag was the only non-Chanel bag that Coco Chanel ever carried. If it was good enough for Chanel it is good enough for me!
10. Gucci Horsebit 1955 Bag
As the legend goes, the horsebit hardware entered Gucci’s arsenal in 1953. It was Aldo Gucci—recognizing that shoppers liked a side of history with their handbags—who perpetuated the myth that the Gucci family had once been saddlemakers to nobility. Since the horsebit appeared on a handbag in 1955, that elegant hardware has become as recognizable as the Chanel double Cs. Reintroduced at the house’s cruise 2020 collection, the reprised Gucci Horsebit 1955 bag comes in various shapes, like tote, satchel and shoulder bag. All unified by the instantly identifiable double D-rings.
After all, there’s no need for a Gucci logo when its signature hardware is present. It is an iconic and legendary bag!
Hope you enjoyed our Rank of The Most Legendary Designer Bags! Finally, check out The Most Expensive Bag Brands in the World! See you soon!
