Hello bag lovers! I’m currently located in Vancouver, Canada - which means I’m also currently located under a non-stop downpour of rain. I’m serious - we’re on like, day four here. So what do I do when I’ve got the weather blues? I look towards Spring, of course! More specifically, Spring fashion.
We’re a quite a few weeks out from seeing all of the major Spring/Summer fashion shows but, call me a lazy fashion girly, I simply can’t think about bright sunny next-season trends in October. So you know what I do? I wait. I wait until I get the Spring itch, and then I take my sweet, sweet time scrolling through my favourite fashion houses and the new looks they provided us for the upcoming season.
First on my list? Fendi, of course. After just over 30 years as Creative Director for the house, this collection - Spring/Summer 2026 - will be Silvia Venturini Fendi’s last. As she is stepping down, she welcomes Maria Grazia Chiuri as the new Creative Director of her namesake house.
Another female powerhouse - we know Chirui’s work from Dior and Valentino, and something tells me she’ll be able to carry out Fendi’s creative vision quite flawlessly. But until then, let’s review the bags within Silvia’s last collection with Fendi.
A dose of reality before we get started - I’m writing this wearing my scratched up glasses, my hair pinned at the top of my head (and not in a cute way), and a sweatsuit with questionable stains on it. These are simply my opinions, not my judgements - because in this state (or any other, for that matter) who am I to judge miss Silvia Venturini Fendi?
3 Loves
To be honest, I had way more than three loves - but for the sake of cohesiveness within this lil’ newsletter - I’ve gone for 3 and 3.
Let’s start with the Peekaboo in Look 2 - This is the Spring bag if you ask me. I love how delicate that overlay beading is, sans lining. But I also love that when I look at it, it makes me nostalgic for childhood - it almost looks like it came from one of those craft boxes from Toys R’ Us. This, combined with the modern, artistic interior is perfection.
Offering similar feelings is the Baby B. Bag in Look 65. Again, we see a very playful, very child-like motif. It’s the juxtaposition of the neutral-colored Baby B. paired with this, quite frankly, random plush flower that makes me gravitate towards it. It’s memorable - and, I’ve always been a big fan of mixed textures.
Speaking of mixed textures - the Peekaboo in Look 58 is giving just that. Unlike my first two picks, this bag is a little bit more more posh in its style (minus the plush charm). It’s a brilliant, structured balance into an otherwise playful collection. the outside is classic, and mature. Then we get a peek of the large blue sequins in the interior and bam, it’s the unexpected and playful detail that we’re looking for.
3 Letdowns
The few handbags that didn’t leave a lasting impression, or that I just downright did not like.
Okay, I’m annoyed at myself for the reason I don’t love the tote in Look 62. But when you see this leather weave, what do you think of? And if you said anything other than Bottega Veneta, you’re lying. One part of me is saying - “Bottega doesn’t own the intrecciato weave, of course other designers can incorporate it!” But the other part of me is saying “Why even do it? Haven’t we already seen it enough?”
And then we have this strange bag from Look 45. There’s just too much happening here for me - the pleating, the polka dots both printed and 3D, and the gradient beaded handle? It’s playful, it fits, and it has all the things I typically like in a bag - mixed textures, unexpected details - but the execution is just not doing it for me.
Lastly, we have this shoulder bag from Look 12. I don’t have much to say other than to tell you that as I was writing this article, I forgot my third “letdown” option, this bag, three times. That’s how forgettable this bag was to me.
Tell me, which ones were your loves, and which were your letdowns?
XO Bags For Breakfast by Shay Prasad
Sources: Vogue, Vogue, Fendi
Disclaimer:
This article is based on publicly available research, archival materials, and my own analysis. I do my best to ensure accuracy, however, this is not a scholarly publication — just a deeply researched love letter to vintage handbags.
Image Note:
All images in this piece are used for educational and historical commentary. Credits belong to the original creators and rights holders. If you own any of the imagery featured and would like an update or removal, please contact me and I’ll address it immediately.