7 designer handbags named after famous female icons: from royals Princess Diana’s Lady Dior and Princess Grace of Monaco’s Hermès Kelly, to Selena Gomez’s Coach Trail and Jackie Kennedy’s Gucci bag
The Lady Dior inspired by the late Princess Diana is one of the most iconic handbags of today, reflecting the timeless elegance and grace of Britain’s “people’s princess”.
Classic styles like that Dior classic sometimes enjoy modern revamps, like the brand’s new Lady D-Joy bag which is a reinterpretation of the original in horizontal format, while Gucci just named Dakota Johnson as the latest face for its Jackie Onassis bag collection.
So, which “It” girl celebrities and royals have had handbags named after them?
1. Princess Diana: Lady Dior
Originally (and unofficially) called the Chouchou, Princess Diana’s beloved bag was gifted to her by the first lady of France in 1995 before its release, per Vogue.
By 1996, Dior renamed the bag after the princess.
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2. Amal Clooney: Ballin Amal
The 44-year-old specialises in human rights and international law, per her Columbia Law School profile. It’s no wonder she’s gained social status and clout – and she does everything ever so fashionably.
The style icon was recognised by Ballin, an Italian shoes brand, which named one of its bags The Amal, a leather top-handle tote. According to Glamour in 2014, the bag retailed for about US$1,200 though it’s unclear whether it’s still on the market.
3. Selena Gomez: Coach’s Selena Trail
As part of Selena Gomez’s multimillion-dollar partnership with Coach, the 30-year-old singer unveiled its iconic Selena Trail bag available in different colours.
The limited-edition peony/gold design comes with a handtag of the star’s autograph and was listed for US$370 on its website when it was released in 2018, though it’s since been sold out.
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4. Princess Grace Kelly: Hermès Kelly
The photo sent the world into a frenzy as women would line up at boutiques to ask for the “Kelly bag”. In 1977, the house changed the model’s name to Kelly. Today, the Kelly is considered one of the most expensive options in the handbag department.
5. Jackie Kennedy: Gucci’s The Jackie
Originally called the G1244, Kennedy was photographed wearing Gucci’s saddlebag in the 70s and 80s so often that it became referred to as “the Jackie”, reports The New York Times. It officially changed its name in 1971, and the hobo style has carried its legacy into Gucci’s latest runways.
6. Nina Simone: Gabriela Hearst’s Nina Bag
Gabriela Hearst named one of its bags after artist and activist Nina Simone.
Released in 2016, the structured top-handle handbag is made with a distinctive pouch silhouette and crafted from smooth Italian nappa leather. Although Simone was never able to see it since she passed away in 2003, the bag pays tribute to the US civil rights movement leader and remains a popular choice among style icons today.
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The designer also has a bag named after actress Demi Moore.
7. Jane Birkin: Hermès Birkin
But who’s the face behind the name? Apparently, the idea for the world’s mega “It” bag came to fruition when British-French singer and actress Jane Birkin was sitting next to an Hermès executive on a flight and said she’d been looking a bag that was suitable for a young mother, per L’Officiel USA. The bag was designed on the spot, on the back of an aeroplane sick bag, and thus named after the Death on the Nile star.
- The Lady Dior inspired by Britain’s late Princess Diana is today worn by modern fashion icons from Paris Hilton and Sarah Jessica Parker, to Blackpink’s Jisoo and Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh
- George Clooney’s wife and human rights lawyer Amal Clooney also has a Ballin bag named after her, while Jane Birkin’s Hermès Birkin is a collectable obsession of celebs like Kylie Jenner and Cardi B