You don’t have to be an equestrian to appreciate the Dior Saddle bag. Designed by Dior’s former artistic director, John Galliano, the purse made its debut during the luxury label’s spring/summer 2000 ready-to-wear runway show. Models strutted down the catwalk carrying the bag while wearing denim skirts with asymmetrical hems, midriff-baring tops, and plenty of leather.
Following its introduction to the masses, the bag started popping up everywhere—Carrie Bradshaw famously sported one in a season three episode of Sex and the City. Popular early-aughts celebs, like Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie, were often seen out and about with them, too.
What makes the bag so desirable, however, isn’t just its eye-catching shape but the fact that it’s available in an array of different prints and colors. Leopard, velvet, monogram, floral, silk green—the options are seemingly endless. Over two decades past its debut, the accessory is still instantly recognizable.
