Cross: Quality Lost
Once a highly respected American leather goods company, Mark Cross is now sadly defunct. Shown here are some lovely leather bags numbered and handstitched in Italy, as well as its signature tweed treated canvas and a treated canvas logo bag.
The Princess and the Bag
Dior has always been a beloved fashion house, but their foray into consumer madness began in earnest in the mid-1990s. Around 1996 Princess Diana began faithfully toting a "Lady Dior" bag wherever she went, and a craze for quilted, hand-held, charm-jangling bags began. By 1998, no well-dressed woman in Paris was without one. In 1999, Dior did it again, creating the now-iconic "Saddlebag." Both famous styles are still created by Dior.
Better than Horses
A starring role on the fashion cult hit SEX AND THE CITY only fanned the flames of desire for women around the world for the Saddlebag. In 2001, a renewed logomania met this shape, as can be seen from the examples in this picture. Around 2002, a more-affordable Saddle Pouch was created. The one shown here is in light blue denim, also a trend in 2002.