A rare Chanel quilted handbag in a shade of red that was only used for two years is among the gems on offer at a pop-up sale of vintage bags in Fenwick’s flagship Bond Street store.
Despite being second hand, the classic 2.55 bag, with a distinctive Chanel logo on the fastening, has a rather hefty price tag of £4,500.
Dubbed the first “It bag”, the 2.55’s design is among the most famous produced by the French fashion house.
The original version was created by Coco Chanel in the 1920s after she became irritated with having to hold on to clutch bags. Inspired by the thin straps on soldiers’ bags she had seen in Paris, Chanel added gilt and leather chains to her designs, allowing them to be carried on the shoulder.
In February 1955 the 2.55 version was launched — the date gave the bag its name — and it was an immediate hit.
Catherine Zeta Jones, Lily Allen, Patsy Kensit and Tamara Ecclestone are among those who own one. The bag on sale at the Fenwick event is a distinctive red 2.55, in a shade only produced by Chanel between 1986 and 1988, making it particularly rare.
Although the iconic bag is yet to be bought, the store said it had sold more than a third of the other items in the pop-up sale to a range of buyers, both international and local. They include bags by Celine, Gucci and Chanel, at prices ranging from £500 to £4,000.
Adam Kelly, buying director at Fenwick in Bond Street, said: “It’s a beautiful bag but there are some other incredible items too and we’ve been amazed by how fast they have sold.
“We’ve had two people sourcing the bags for us from around the world. Some may come from an Asian princess who bought four of the same bag in one go and has barely used them, others are from London. Vintage has been a big thing at Fashion Week and I think Bond Street is experiencing a huge boost at the moment, so there are no shortage of buyers.”
