Bare Necessities
Eschewing seasonal trends for timeless chic, Fendi’s Peekaboo Essential is a truly modern bag for the ages, writes Kim Reyes
imeless. Classic. Icon. These words are too often uttered in reference to accessories with lifespans measured in seasons. But the savvy among us know that only a rarefied list of items can truly live up to their meaning. The ultimate test of an icon, surely, lies in its lasting appeal across generations. Yet despite it seeming a bit premature, we’re calling it now—the Fendi Peekaboo Essential will rightly occupy a place on that list.
Since its debut in spring/summer 2009, the Peekaboo has been a canvas for Fendi’s playful designs, lending itself spectacularly to the Italian label’s decorative flights of fancy—from suede, sequins and shearling, to exquisite furs, multicoloured python and even monster eyes. With its sophisticated tophandle silhouette and unmistakable slouched look, the Peekaboo’s most enduring quality is its stylish ease. “Simplicity is the new eccentricity,” Silvia Venturini Fendi has said in referring to the design. “Simplicity relies on the concept of whispered luxury.”
The bag’s latest iteration, the Peekaboo Essential, is the ultimate elevation of the designs that came before it. Swathed in full pelts of smooth leather with touches of diamond-cut hardware, this bag is comparatively austere, pared down and lighter. Only the essentials. But what the Peekaboo Essential lacks in ornamentation it makes up for with thoughtfully considered architecture, exquisite materials, handworked construction and meticulous attention to detail. New hardware is introduced, including the handle rings, which can be used to secure removable Strap You shoulder straps (fun fact: Fendi was the first luxury house to introduce the detachable straps) for a hands-free approach to carrying the bag, while the most notable design change is the absence of the metal bar atop the central partition, which makes the bag significantly lighter.
In a constantly and rapidly evolving industry, Fendi’s reinvention of a modern classic is refreshing—pure, purposeful and authentic. Now more than ever, these codes epitomise the kind of whispered luxury that lasts a lifetime.