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Fresh From the Archive, Handbags That Stand the Test of Time

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As of late, the Vogue fashion team has been noticing how many covetable bags have returned from the past. From Jacqueline Kennedy’s favorite Gucci bag (the eponymous Jackie 1961) to Prada’s candy-colored nylon purses from the early aughts, summer’s brightest highlights in the bag market are archival pieces made new again. In a precarious moment where consumers are looking to buy investment pieces that will stand the test of time, our favorite houses are looking back to look forward, reviving classic pieces for today’s consumer.

To celebrate this resurgence, we’ve reached out to one of our best-loved collaborators, the multi-hyphenate creative director and art director Lucas Lefler. He happens to be isolating with family in Michigan—including Vogue’s very own visuals director Nic Burdekin. And so the two set off on a COVID-19–safe weekend away at nearby Grand Hotel, a legendary Michigan resort known for its quaint charm (a 1980 romantic-fantasy drama named Somewhere in Time was even filmed there), to photograph the following story together. It turns out this hotel with enduring charm was the ideal backdrop for these vintage-inspired but newly released handbags. The result was nothing short of timeless perfection. 

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Celine Triomphe bag, $2,850, available at Celine.com; Fendi baguette, $5,900, available at Fendi.com

Photos by Lucas Lefler and Nic Burdekin

Fendi’s now-signature Baguette bag first launched in 1997 as a “manifesto of individuality,” according to Silvia Venturini Fendi. 

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CHANEL handbag, price upon request, available at select CHANEL boutiques nationwide.

Photos by Lucas Lefler and Nic Burdekin

Chanel is a house filled with iconic handbags, including this, a younger sibling to the 2.55 handbag first created in 1955 by Gabrielle Chanel because “she needed it herself.”

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Gucci Jackie 1961 small hobo bag, available at Gucci.com; CHANEL handbag, price upon request, available at select CHANEL boutiques nationwide.

Photos by Lucas Lefler and Nic Burdekin

Gucci’s Jackie 1961 is the newest incarnation of first lady Jacqueline Kennedy’s favorite bag, available online and in store on August 15. 

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Prada re-edition 2005 nylon mini bag, $850, available at Prada.com

Photos by Lucas Lefler and Nic Burdekin

Since Prada first reissued its colorful nylon mini bags from the early 2000s last year, they’ve been just as big of a hit as they were 20 years ago. 

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Gucci Jackie 1961 small hobo bag, available at Gucci.com; Celine Triomphe bag, $2,850, available at Celine.com.

Photos by Lucas Lefler and Nic Burdekin

Celine’s double C Triomphe clasp is referenced from the 1973 house logo and inspired by Paris’s Arc de Triomphe. 

Shop the Edit

Here, shop the above icons, plus a historic Coach bag back from the ’70s, a Dior bag named after Christian Dior’s beloved pet dog Bobby, and a Vivier bag made famous by French actor Catherine Deneuve. 

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Celine teen triomphe bag in floral jacquard and calfskin

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Fendi baguette

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Gucci Jackie 1961 small hobo bag

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Chanel 2.55 handbag

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Roger Vivier trés Vivier bag small

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Dior medium Dior Bobby bag

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Coach duffle 20

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Prada re-edition 2005 nylon mini bag

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Photos by Lucas Lefler and Nic Burdekin