The Balenciaga Lariat handbag was the “it” bag of 2001, smoothly settling in as the celebrity handbag of choice due to the clever Balenciaga marketing campaign which ensured that celebs such as Kate Moss and Sienna Miller were photographed using a Balenciaga Lariat after receiving them as a free gift from the makers. The Lariat’s design, sometimes known as ‘Le Dix’, is inspired by fringed leather biker clothing and it is now seen as a classic must-have bag. The bag is made using goat hide which is distressed to give it a slightly crumpled look that says you are a long-standing Balenciaga fan, even if you only got the handbag that same day!

The Balenciaga Lariat was also one of the first designer handbags to have a long waiting list, increasing its desirability by miles. Women everywhere decided they must get hold of this bag before the exterior shutters came down. Small and simple, unlike the Dior Saddle Bag, and with an appeal utterly incomprehensible to anyone not obsessed with fashion, the Balenciaga Lariat bag became a victim of its own success when the Wags adopted it – suddenly the Lariat Handbag did not have the same exclusive cachet as before. Balenciaga Designer handbags have now become chic again, however, thanks to the devotion of celebrity Kate Moss to the oversized Lariat bag.

Balenciaga Lariat bag carried by Nicky Hilton

Nicky Hilton, sister of Paris, is also rarely seen without it. Here she is pictured carrying the Lariat bag in black, teamed with grey sweat pants and white design t-shirt.

If the Prada Bowling Bag was a little on the large side for a handbag, then the Dior Saddle bag offered another test for handbag buyers – this time the bag was trimmed with some serious horsey ephemera that weighed a ton! The bag touched a nerve with girls who had loved ponies and even those who had never seen a horse in their lives. This bag was weighed down with more jewellery than the average body could stand. The trend towards ostentation can still be seen in this year’s designer bag collections from the major fashion houses.

There are many different models in the Dior Saddle Bag range, including the Dior regular saddle handbag, Mini Saddle, Wristlet saddle purse, and Baudier saddle. If you are looking for an authentic Dior Saddle Hnadbag at a discount, look out for these design features to make sure you are buying the genuine designer article. Look closely at the metal connecting the ‘C’ and ‘D’ on the side of the handbag. The words Christian Dior” should be engraved within the piece and there should not be any screws between the ‘C’ and ‘D’. If you can see screws then it is a fake Dior bag, beware! Read more »