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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

Princess Diana, Selena Gomez, Jackie Kennedy and Princess Grace Kelly all had designer handbags named after them. Photos: @dior, @coach, @aazar.mx/Instagram; @oldhllywoods/Twitter
A woman’s legacy can be honoured in many ways, and for luxury brands that have found their muse, it often comes in the fashionable form of a handbag.

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

Princess Diana wearing a Lady Dior bag in 1996. Photo: REX/SIPA

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.

A Mini Lady D-Lite. Photo: Dior
She was first seen wearing the top-handle companion in public during a trip to Argentina the same year. King Charles’ former love even asked the fashion house if she could commission a piece in navy blue to match the colour of her eyes because it “suited [her] well” (in Diana’s own words), according to the same source.

By 1996, Dior renamed the bag after the princess.

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Blackpink’s Jisoo with Dior bags. Photo: @sooyaaa__/Instagram
Lady Dior has since been reimagined in many different colours, sizes and shapes, and is a wardrobe staple for modern fashion icons from Paris Hilton and Sarah Jessica Parker, to Blackpink’s Jisoo and Malaysian superstar Michelle Yeoh.

2. Amal Clooney: Ballin Amal

Amal Clooney wearing Ballin’s Amal bag named after her. Photo: @ballinitalianshoes/Instagram
Amal Clooney reached global star status when she married Hollywood veteran George Clooney, but the British-Lebanese lawyer has been carving her own path and it’s a far cry from showbiz.

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

Selena Gomez with a Coach bag named after her. Photo: @coach/Twitter

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.

This Coach Selena Trail Bag is inspired by its ambassador Selena Gomez. Photo: Coach

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

Grace Kelly wearing the iconic Hermès Kelly bag. Photo: Claire’s Handbag Care/Facebook
According to Hermès, Princess Grace Kelly of Monaco was photographed holding the brand’s legendary bag over her stomach to conceal her pregnancy from the paparazzi in the 1950s. Although the bag had existed since as far back as 1852, per Sotheby’s, it wasn’t until the Hollywood icon donned the beauty herself that it gained international fame.
This is the original Hermès bag of Grace Kelly, exhibited at Shanghai’s K11 mall. Photo: Bagism

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

Jackie Kennedy would wear her hobo-style Gucci bag everywhere in the 70s. Photo: @aazar.mx/Instagram
Jackie Kennedy is still revered for being one of the most fashionable first ladies in American history and whatever she wore would catch attention.
Jackie 1961 medium hobo bag in black leather. Photo: Gucci

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

American jazz and soul singer Nina Simone. Photo: Handout

Gabriela Hearst named one of its bags after artist and activist Nina Simone.

Nina Bag by Gabriela Hearst. Photo: Gabriela Hearst

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

Jane Birkin lent her name to the most iconic Hermès bag of all. Photo: @janebirkindaily/Instagram
A Hermès Birkin is renowned for its ultra-extravagant price tag, with some resale models fetching for as much as US$500,000 a pop.
A pre-owned Hermès Birkin bag available on Farfetch. Photo: Handout

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.

Kylie Jenner owns about US$1 million worth of handbags. Photo: YouTube
Whilst some celebrities like Kylie Jenner and Cardi B own dozens of Birkins, the original woman behind the name, now 76, has apparently only ever owned just five or six in her life, using one at a time and donating the previous to charity before replacing it.
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  • 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