I have a new obsession and my business partner doesn't want to hear about it.
Bahahahahaha!
In all fairness, I have been eyeing the Saddle Bag for a while. Literally combing resale sites looking for the deal of the year. I’m not picky…I would take a micro, mini, or Saddle Messenger bag. See how easily I can choose… any size will do! I just need to find the deal. I know my number #1 is authenticity and #2 would be the condition of the bag and then if they pass those 2 criteria I take pattern and color into account. I know this is a purchase I want to make…it’s a
classic bag and it has proven the test of time. I only wish I was looking for it back in 2015 when the resale price was said to be as low as $150 (From Article From The Vintage Bar). Gasp…WHAT? I know. Now you can expect to pay at least $1500 for a Saddle Bag in very good condition. If you're willing to do a vintage saddle pochette I've seen them sell for (in very good condition) starting from $895…..AND if you're really into letting your fashion fly you might consider a Dior Men’s Oblique Saddle Pouch(Yes, I am considering this option)…if you keep your eyes out a great price could appear:) Throw those positive shopping vibes at me...please.
So a little back story on the Saddle Bag…
- 1999 - John Galliano designs his first bag as creative director of Dior. The Saddle Bag was born and debuted in Dior’s Spring/Summer 2000 Collection.
- 2000 - Sex and the City showed luxury fashion in a new way and Carrie Bradshaw’s incredible fashion choices (AKA Patricia Field’s incredible costume choices) included in Season 3 (episode 5) was no other than the Saddle Bag
- 2001 - John Galliano releases the Saddle Bag in a variety of new materials, colors,patterns, prints and embellishments. WWD reports that the Saddle Bag has been a huge success and helped increase Dior’s accessories sales by 60%.(From Article from Garage)
- 2002 - 2005 - The Saddle Bag becomes Dior’s top-seller. Rumors went around that someone was hired just to determine how to best display it in stores (From Article From The Vintage Bar).
- 2006 - John Galliano debuts 12 limited-edition Saddle Bags. Each bag represented a country that had influenced him and his design aesthetic. In a New York Times article covering the capsule collection, Galliano proclaims, “It was the first bag I created here at the house of Dior, and she’s still with us. She’s become a classic.” (From article by The New York Times)
- 2007 - The Saddle Bag sales at Dior declines rapidly and is no longer on Dior’s runway.
- 2011 - John Galliano is dismissed due to a slurring hate speech. Dior replaces Galliano with Raf Simons . Simons decides to take Dior in a different direction by taking a minimalist approach to design.
- 2014 - 2016 - Celebrities start to repurpose and buy the Saddle Bag. Resale shops are selling out of the bag that was once selling at resale shops for as low as $150 (From Article From The Vintage Bar).
- 2018 - The Saddle Bag makes a huge re- emergence along with Dior hiring its first ever female creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri. Huge demand for the bag sends the Saddle Bag into being reissued in Dior’s Fall/Winter 2018 collection (From Article by Vogue Runway). Maria Grazia Chiuri reintroduces the Saddle Bag with beaded fringe, grained calf-skin leather, printed canvas and denim patchwork. The design is modernized and is larger and now comes with a detachable crossbody strap and updated Oblique logo.(From article by Vogue) Later that year, Grazia Chiuri launched a social media campaign to promote the Saddle Bag before it hits stores. She enlists 100 of fashion’s insiders to post photos of them carrying it to their Instagram feeds. Within hours, the platform is flooded with #DiorSaddle. Because few of them tag Dior or mark their posts as sponsored, violating advertisement terms, the campaign is widely critiqued. But, searches for both vintage and reissue Saddle Bags still spike by 957% within 48 hours. (From article by Who What Wear)
- 2019 - Kim Jones, Dior’s Artistic Director reinterprets the Saddle Bag for Men and replaces the ‘CD’ letter charms with an industrial-style buckle from Matthew Williams of ALYX and transforms the silhouette into a belt bag and backpack.
- Present Day - A brand new Micro Saddle Bag will run you $2750, a Mini Saddle Bag will run you $3250 and the standard Saddle Bag starts at $3800…if you want The Saddle Messenger you will spend an additionally $100 - the price starts at $3900.
Okay…You get it now (I know..)
Case in Point….Start Looking now at any and all resale shops to get your deal on the Dior Saddle Bag!
And….I’ll let you know when I find mine!
Rachel
