8 luxury bags made famous in films and TV shows, from Chanel 2.55 in Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Louis Vuitton in Mean Girls and Cruella, to Hermès Birkins and Kellys – and The Devil Wears Prada

Aug 10 , 2023

Mery Streep in The Devil Wears Prada, Rachel McAdams in Mean Girls, and Reese Witherspoon in Legally Blonde. Photos: 20th Century Studio, Paramount Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

‘This is not a bag, it’s a Baguette!’ Sarah Jessica Parker shouted in her role as Carrie Bradshaw on Sex and the City, elevating the Fendi Baguette handbag to a pop culture icon

Reese Witherspoon’s Elle Woods paired the roomy Bottega Veneta Intrecciato Montaigne bag with her bright, monochrome outfits at Harvard while Sandra Bullock wore her own Birkin in The Proposal

From Carrie Bradshaw’s purple sequinned Fendi Baguette to Holly Golightly’s classic Chanel 2.55, luxury bags have played a significant role in classic films and TV shows, transcending beyond their appearances on screen to become cultural touchstones and inspiring countless fashion trends.

Read on to know more about these iconic appearances on screen.

1. Fendi Baguette – Sex and the City (1998-2004)

Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City with the purple sequinned Fendi Baguette. Photos: Warner

The Fendi Baguette is one of the most famous bags in pop culture, gaining worldwide recognition among luxury bag enthusiasts after being featured in the TV show Sex and the City. The scene in which Carrie Bradshaw, played by Sarah Jessica Parker, shouts as she is being mugged, “This is not a bag, it’s a Baguette!” has become a truly quotable one.

The Fendi Purple sequinned Baguette Photo: Fendi

Created by Silvia Venturini Fendi in 1997, the Fendi Baguette was inspired by French women carrying the bread loaves of the same name under their arms. With a long silhouette, the bag fits under the arm as snugly and comfortably as a baguette does, and has over 1,000 variations, reappearing in Fendi’s collections with new identities over the years. Most recently the Baguette saw its 25th anniversary at New York Fashion Week – with Parker in attendance, of course.

2. Chanel 2.55 – Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)

Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s carrying the Chanel 2.55 bag. Photos: Paramount Pictures

Holly Golightly, played by Audrey Hepburn, famously carried the Chanel 2.55 during the last part of Breakfast at Tiffany’s. The bag encapsulated Hepburn’s character perfectly, given its classic, chic silhouette. Hepburn herself owned a collection of 2.55s in the 1960s.

The iconic handbag was created by Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel herself who, tired of having to carry her bag in her hand, looked at the hands-free packs of soldiers that inspired her to create the Chanel 2.55. The numbers in its name, 2.55, refer to its date of creation, February 1955. Featuring a long chain strap, the handbag has a quilted texture centring a “Mademoiselle” turnlock, a timeless design popular to this day.

8 luxury bags made famous in films and TV shows, from Chanel 2.55 in Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Louis Vuitton in Mean Girls and Cruella, to Hermès Birkins and Kellys – and The Devil Wears Prada

1. Fendi Baguette – Sex and the City (1998-2004)

2. Chanel 2.55 – Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)

3. Prada Spazzolato handbag – The Devil Wears Prada (2006)