The bag that made Sex and the City a show about fashion: Sarah Jessica Parker on how the Fendi Baguette marked a 'defining moment' for Carrie’s closet
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UPDATED:
07:25 GMT, 16 May 2012
Sarah Jessica Parker's flair for fashion in Sex and the City was as much a part of the show's success as the story of the four protagonists.
And according to the actress, the defining moment that set her character Carrie Bradshaw on a path towards the most coveted wardrobe in television, came when she was loaned a Fendi Baguette bag.
In a new book that pays tribute to the iconic purse, the co-author and style maven talks about how the classic designer purse propelled the show and its narrator into new territory.
Defining moment: Sarah Jessica Parker explains in a new tribute book how the loan of the Fendi Baguette bag put the show on the fashion map and led to the creation of Carrie Bradshaw as style icon
As reported by The Financial Times, Ms Parker writes: 'Having the Fendi Baguette was a very big deal, and the gateway to everything else.
'It really opened the floodgates and influenced the storyline – especially Carrie's habit of spending more money on fashion than her home.'
Bag ladies: The Fendi Baguette was originally designed in 1997 and appeared in the show several times
Variations on a theme: Even artists like Damien Hirst and Jeff Koons have designed limited edition models
Prior to the loan of the neat rectangular bag – a staple in the closet of every handbag fanatic- Sex and the City's stylist Patricia Field, had to be 'industrious and creative with a low budget by getting clothes from thrift stores,' she explains.
But once Carrie had carried the Baguette, it quickly became a regular feature on the show and other fashion houses were clamouring to lend the series their luxury items.
This shift helped the production 'dramatically in conveying Carrie's decadence,' writes Ms Parker.
The Fendi Baguette was originally designed in 1997 and was an instant hit in the fashion world earning the company an award in 2000 for excellence in accessory design.
Since then 700 variations have been made in a variety of fabrics, colours and with an array of playful embellishments.
Iconic: A new coffee table book that pays tribute to the famous bag, re-imagined in 700 different versions since its birth in 1997, was co-written by Ms Parker
Even the world's most famed artists such as Damien Hirst, Richard Prince, and Jeff Koons, have lent their talents to the Baguette for one-off, limited-edition works of art.
Ms Parker shares her admiration for the iconic shoulder-piece with others in a tribute coffee table book this summer entitled Fendi Baguette.
'I have very sentimental feelings toward the Baguette,' admits Ms Parker. 'My very first Baguette was olive-green satin, with beautiful floral beading, a red snakeskin strap, and a colourful interior lining. I used it for everything.'
Her nostalgia for the bag is reflected in the the numerous scenes in which it appeared throughout the beloved show.