Ashley Olsen in The Row backpack (image: WENN); Hermes-designed fanny pack (image: IMAXtree)
Ever since the unveiling of the debut handbag collection of the Olsen twins’ The Row line which featured a $39,000 crocodile skin backpack and hits Barneys later this month, the word from most fashion publications has been that the backpack will be making a comeback this Fall – but what about the much-hated fanny pack? It’s as convenient, or more so, than a backpack or even a cross-body bag, and it’s certainly safer in terms of pickpockets. The waist-focused style has already gotten a chic makeover from the likes of Hermes and Dolce & Gabbana and designer Donna Karan was recently photographed at Super Saturday in the Hamptons sporting a chic brown leather one.
Donna Karan (image: Getty); Rihanna (image: Just Jared)
Of course, no one could forget the Gucci print fanny Sarah Jessica Parker famously wore in character as Carrie Bradshaw about six years ago. The Sex and the City episode in question aired while I was a student at Cornell University and I was interning in the buying department in Gucci‘s corporate office at the time – their fanny pack instantly became a bestseller. More recently, Rihanna was seen sporting a fantastically chic and opportunely roomy monogrammed Louis Vuitton fanny pack with tassels. Personally, I’ve owned a few fanny packs over the years, but most of them have been of the tacky over-the-top variety (think a blue one completely covered in sequins from Patricia Field), but I think it’s time this bag style gets the respect it deserves and I, for one, wouldn’t say no to wearing the Hermes or Dolce and Gabbana iterations pictured above.
Patricia Field fanny packs
The only danger with this style is that, as with stripes, it draws attention to where it lays — your hips — something that may not appeal to some women. Aside from that, I cannot think of a more convenient alternative to a clutch for a night out on the town or a more welcome alternative for a day-to-day handbag (at least for those days where one can limit oneself to the essentials). Plus, given how difficult it is to find a handbag design that’s truly original these days (if I spot one more imitation PS1…), isn’t it time for something fresh?
Dolce & Gabbana Fall 2011 (images: IMAXtree)
What say you? Do you agree that it’s time to move on from our pre-conceived notions of the fanny pack and give it a chance to make a comeback?
