Why is the Rabanne 1969 Nano Bag a phenomenal symbol of fashion history and future…
What makes a bag phenomenal and memorable? Is it the price? Is it the structure, is it the material? Or is it just a vibe? Maybe it’s all of the above. For instance, Rabanne’s 1969 Nano bag, more specifically, the 1969 Nano Golden Bag by the fashion house is the most expensive bag to exist. A collaborative design with French jeweller Arthus Bertrand, this piece features 18-carat gold medallions and is valued at $ 275,726 (nearly INR 2.3 crores). Having been reissued five years ago, the handcrafted masterpiece’s recent appearance at Paris Fashion Week, Spring-Summer 2025 has revived the glamour of chainmail accessories and dresses, something we’ve seen pop up, every couple of decades; From the 1970s to the 2000s and then most recently, in the mid-2010s. I mean, remember when we saw Kendall Jenner pull up to her 21st birthday bash in the stunning, blingy, silver chainmail halterneck dress resembling Paris Hilton’s iconic Julien Macdonald dress?
But it does make you wonder, why were all these specific times in history filled with so much glitz? And does the emergence of the Rabanne 1969 Nano Bag for Spring-Summer 25 mean something similar? Are we returning to chainmail bling and glamour? “I think fashion is going through a lot of retrospective times right now. I mean, look at how well Schiaparelli is doing right now in the resurgence of Schiaparelli. Whenever there are wars, economic depressions, and uncertainty, we always look back. And fashion is looking back. And Paco Rabanne was an iconic designer. He brought a very futuristic, artistic time in fashion, it’s kind of natural for us to look back,.” tells us author and journalist Sujata Assomull.
Paco Rabanne created excellence, with his futuristic designs, what can one expect from a mastermind who was a trained architect before he became a designer? For instance, the 1969 Golden Bag drew inspiration from two sources, the first was from the steel apron historically worn by butchers in France and the second was from the world’s most expensive dress (also a Rabanne creation) which was custom-made for the French, singer and songwriter Françoise Hardy in 1968. The assembly and creation of the bag took 100 hours, and many major celebrities such as the coquette icon Brigitte Bardot to Indian actress Priyanka Chopra have been witnessed carrying the bag and cementing its reputation as a statement bag.
The metallic nature, along with being gold (Hello, almost every South Asian loves gold in all forms), can make the ‘world’s most expensive bag’ a natural to traditional Indian occasion-wear. “I have one that can be used as a crossbody and as a shoulder bag too. I love wearing it on Indian clothes, because I love the futuristic and artistic element it adds to wearing a traditional craft piece. This is such a well-crafted, architectural bag. I love the dialogue between the Indian zari and this more architectural piece. So, I love wearing the piece when I am wearing zari,” says Sujata.
The 1969 Nano Bag is quite versatile. It’s the bag you can carry for a cocktail party, with a black pant-suit and an emerald and polki choker as well as a ritual ceremony such as a sangeet with a silk sharara set. There is just something timeless yet extremely on-trend about the bag.
Consisting of 2000 diamonds this Hermes Birkin bag was created in collaboration with Ginza Tanaka, the Japanese designer. It also has detachable straps, and a clasp which can be used as a necklace and brooch.
Auctioned for a record-breaking price at Christie’s auction house in Geneva, the pink promise diamond is an exquisite 19-carat diamond incredibly rare in nature. We get why it was sold for a whopping $50 million.
The dazzling 201-carat watch was designed in 2000, and is encrusted with 874 diamonds is a fine example of Swiss craftsmanship and luxury, if timekeeping as well as fashion are your thing, this is your watch.
Worn by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz, the OG ruby slippers can be found in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, in Washington, D.C today and were designed by Gilbert Adrian.
The 1 million dollar shoes consist of 100 carats worth 1,800 Kwiat diamonds that were placed on the roses, over the toe portion of the shoes. And, just FYI The shoes themselves are encrusted with another 400 Kwiat diamonds!
Harshita Singh is a Digital Writer at Manifest and besides obsessing over aesthetic ‘IT Girl’ Sunday reset reels on Instagram, she finds joy in going down the rabbit hole of conspiracy theories, exploring new wellness practices and being mildly addicted to oat-milk coffees. View Profile
