Story & heritage

The Sardine arrived in Matthieu Blazy's Fall/Winter 2022 collection — among his first signatures as creative director and a clear statement of his approach: take the house's Intrecciato weave and crown it with something witty and sculptural. The bag's defining feature is a rigid, curved metal handle shaped, unmistakably, like a sardine, hooked through two knotted leather loops at the top of a small woven hobo.

It became a celebrity favourite almost immediately and one of the most recognisable bags of Blazy's tenure. The fish-handle conceit — playful but precisely made — captured the way Blazy reanimated Bottega Veneta's craft with humour, and the Sardine's silhouette went on to lend its name to the house's Sardine sunglasses and Sardine fine jewellery.

Materials & craft

The Sardine's body is woven in Intrecciato from nappa lambskin — or rendered in mirror-finish metallic leather for the silver and gold editions — and shaped into a small crescent hobo. The signature handle is a single piece of curved metal, cast and polished into a fish-like form, attached through two hand-knotted leather loops. A thin detachable leather cord lets the bag be worn crossbody; without it, the rigid handle is carried in the hand.

How to choose & style

The Sardine is an evening-leaning bag — the sculptural metal handle reads as jewellery, so it pairs best with simple, polished dressing. The chalk and neutral leathers keep it discreet; the mirror-silver and gold versions lean full occasion. The mini on its thin cord is the most wearable daytime read; the larger hand-held version is the statement. Let the fish handle be the only ornament in the look.