The Most Iconic Designers Bags

From the iconic Hermès Birkin to the ultra-modern Jacquemus Le Chiquito, here are the best, most investment-worthy designer bags of 2021 and beyond.

The perfect designer handbag is one of the best investment buys that you can make. Once you find the right one (or two!), it can instantly update everything from downtime denim to more formal attire, and will quickly become the most frequently used accessory in your daily wardrobe rotation. 

The beauty of a standout designer bag is that they’re innately versatile, so you never have to worry about what to style them with. In fact, this is all the more reason to add an investment bag to your collection—It’s the ultimate go-to accessory, no matter your personal style. 

The iconic handbags

It wasn’t too long ago that what we now know as “It” bags simply didn’t exist. Instead, women usually had one or two handbags that lasted them for many years, and the styles were static and didn’t change much. The idea of ‘celebrity fashion’ wasn’t much of a thing back then either, but now it’s a major driving force in the industry.

Behind the most iconic “It” bags in history are fashion’s most iconic brands, cementing their forward-thinking values with prescient designs – many of which are still relevant today. Over the past 70 years, these bags have made the list because they’ve either stood the test of time or defined an era – or both.

Chanel ‘2.55’

We owe consummate innovator Mademoiselle Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel for so many wonderful fashion inventions that we still utilize today. Her major contribution to handbags came in 1955, when she created the Chanel ‘2.55’ flap bag – so named for the year of its creation.

The innovation came from the inclusion of shoulder straps. That’s right. Up until 1955, women only had top-handle totes and pocketbooks or clutches to choose from. The Chanel ‘2.55’ is still one of the brand’s best-selling bag styles to this day.

Dior ‘Lady Dior’

In 1995, France’s First Lady Bernadette Chirac gifted Princess Diana with a charming stitched-leather handbag finished with dangling letter charms from Dior. The bag also featured a stitched square pattern that was reportedly inspired by the Napoleon III chairs that Dior used in its first-ever fashion show in 1947.

Although it was a bespoke gift for one of the world’s most famous royals, Princess Diana’s obsession with the design soon caught the attention of the public, who wanted their own version. Dior named the bag ‘Lady Dior’ in honor of Princess Diana – and an instant “It” bag was born.

A sleek, feminine bag, it’s timeless yet modern.

Hermès ‘Birkin’

It’s likely that you know the legend of the Hermès ‘Birkin’ bag by now, but just in case you don’t, we’ll give you a refresher. In 1981, Jane Birkin was seated on a flight and caught the notice of her seatmate, who watched her struggle with her unwieldy carry-on.

It turns out that the passenger next to her was none other than Hermès CEO Jean-Louis Dumas, who asked Birkin if she would act as his muse by advising him what would make a better carry-all handbag. Three years later, the Hermès ‘Birkin’ was released, and has continued to be one of the most iconic status symbols in the world.

Givenchy ‘Antigona’

The Givenchy ‘Antigona’ is one of the more recently created bags on this list, having been created by Riccardo Tisci in 2010 to capture his preference for masculine/feminine design balance. However, it uniquely deserves a spot because it’s still a constant celebrity favorite, the newer iterations of which continue to improve and impress. The ‘Antigona’ – a sturdily constructed Boston bag with minimal detailing – is so named for Antigone of Greek mythology, whose name means “unbending”.

There you have it! Please let me know in the comments below which one is your favourite iconic bag?

If you also need a designer card holder accessory that can go with your bag, please check this blog post about the 10 best designer card holder.

Until next time,

Nathalie xoxo