A Chanel Wicker Handbag Gives Impossibly Chic Picnic Vibes

Only Chanel could elevate humble materials like denim and wicker to icon-level status.

It’s a hot item this summer: the wicker basket bag. This stylish yet unpretentious design has played a foundational role in fashion history — it was Jane Birkin’s omnipresent wicker basket bag, after all, that spilled during an Air France flight long ago, inspiring Birkin’s seatmate, the chief executive of Hermès, to design her namesake handbag.

The French chanteuse and style icon is said to have favored wicker bags from Portuguese fishing villages. This little wicker-and-denim beauty is from Chanel. Très chic.

Model wearing Chanel denim and wicker bag
The bag’s hardware was plated in 24-karat gold, which Chanel no longer does.

According to L. Kiyana Macon, proprietor of Newfound Luxury, this Chanel wicker and denim picnic basket, with its unique shape, is a rare vintage find in immaculate condition. Furthermore, “it’s from the 1990s, which some argue is the best Chanel era,” she says. “I have clients who only buy ’90s Chanel because they recognize that it is the best quality.”

Just what makes the quality exceptional? For one thing, the bag’s hardware is plated in 24-karat gold, which was the norm for Chanel handbags until the house switched to gold-toned metal in 2008. For another, its combination of wicker and denim is an unexpected mix.

“I see it for women who relish exclusivity and who want to have something that not everyone else has,” says Macon, especially “Chanel collectors and millennial girls wanting to floss on Instagram.” After all, she adds, “it’s a fantasy bag.” Worn with a white dress for brunch, or even just jeans and a tee, “it’s a standout piece for when you want to take your look to the next level.”


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