The B list

It may be called the B bag but every A-list celeb (and her statement bag-greedy publicist) from here to Timbuktu has been salivating over Fendi’s new bag. Designed with the iconic Fendi buckle in mind, the ultra-luxe label, known for their logo-friendly bags and upscale merchandise, has created one of the most ingenious shapes of the year. Forget those bulky totes and blend-with-the-wallpaper leather bags, the B bag combines delicate lacework or intricate beading with summery raffia or exotic crocodile. A bold over-size buckle and double-F clasp dominate the sleek bag’s front. These new staples make a splash in bright red and white patent leather or a minimalist all-black. Summer lovers will find the canvas version surprisingly chic, while working girls can pay homage to its calfskin sister. Just like the much-venerated Spy bag, with its chameleon-like style (it reinvents itself in silk, satin, leather, croc or gold python), the B bag has already been spotted on the arm of socialites and actresses with enough pull to get to the front of the waiting list.

While the bags have been on every fashion know-it-all’s radar, the spring-summer collection, headed by management guru Karl Lagerfeld, debuted to accolades from critics across the board. In what’s shaping up to be a year all about the cinched silhouette (hurray for hourglass-figured women everywhere), the Fendi Defile collection returned to the form Sophia Loren made famous. A fitted waist, embellished with the signature belt which can be worn high or cinched tight, riffs on the label’s latest look: beginning with a fitted top and a flared bottom. Feminine ruffles and poufy skirts mark the line’s return to classic lines.

The fashion show kicked off with summery pieces in ladylike dotted Swiss cotton, crisp pique eyelet and lace. Dresses in airy organza were made for walks by the beach and lunches with the family at the Hampton’s. Evening dresses in georgette and mousseline are equal parts dainty and sexy with cutouts revealing slivers of skin. Chic black and white ensembles make way for kaleidoscopic prints and patterns in dreamy watercolors by Lagerfeld himself.

No detail was left untouched, from the dramatic buttons edging classy pouf-sleeved blouses to the hand-cut appliqués of wisteria blossoms to the patent leather flats that the models wore as they walked the runway.

If this is what the future of Fendi looks like, the B list will no longer refer to low-grade style. Just ask any of the drooling celebs lining up at the nearest Fendi store.

Fendi is available at Rustan’s Department Stores. – Bea Ledesma