1999:

John Galliano, the then-creative director at Dior, designs his very first bag for the house. A short-strapped shoulder bag, it is shaped like the side of a horse saddle and features a swinging, gilded ‘D’ charm that resembles a stirrup. Though Galliano has never confirmed it, the bag is believed to be inspired by Helmut Newton’s “Saddle I, Paris” (1976) (From website ArtsyNet)– a racy black-and-white photograph of a model posed on her hands and knees with a horse saddle harnessed over her back. Galliano aptly names it the Saddle Bag.

Later that year, the Saddle Bag makes its debut in Dior’s Spring/Summer 2000 collection (From article by Vogue). At a time when most designers are obsessed with Y2K, anticipating what the future will hold, Galliano instead looks back, referencing the hip-hop culture and western trends of the 1970s. To Lauryn Hill’s “Everything is Everything,” models emerge wearing asymmetrical skirts, halter tops, knee-high, lace-up boots, and the Saddle Bag.

2000:

The Saddle Bag is tucked under the arm of every style setter – both fictional and real! 

Though some of Carrie Bradshaw’s fashion choices are questionable (to name just a few: a belt worn over bare abs, the ‘80s prom dress styled with a silk Hermès headscarf, and flower boutonnieres galore), her bags are indisputable must-haves. Among them, the Dior Saddle. In Season 3, Episode 5 of Sex and the City, she carries a silk, pink-and-white patterned iteration on her second date with Aidan, fumbling to open it to retrieve her hidden cigarette. 

While Carrie Bradshaw is on everyone’s screens, Paris Hilton (the notorious hotel heiress, wild child of the new millennium) is on the cover of every tabloid. Long before Instagram, Hilton’s street style looks are snapped by the paparazzi. From her Von Dutch trucker hat to her handheld, teacup Chihuahua, she has all the early-aught accessories. Most notably, the Saddle Bag in white calfskin leather. 

2001:

Following its breakout success, Galliano releases the Saddle Bag in a variety of styles, including the Christian Dior Daily newsprint, tricolor Rasta, Adiorable, and floral Girly. With new materials, patterns, colors, and embellishments coming out every season, the Dior Saddle Bag becomes a collectible. 

Within just one year, the Saddle Bag is really hitting its stride. WWD reports that it has already increased Dior’s accessories sales by 60%. (From article by Garage) 

2002-2005: 

As the Saddle Bag becomes Dior’s top-selling piece, it is rumored that someone in the marketing department is tasked solely with determining how to best display it in stores. 

2006:

Galliano presents 12 limited-edition Dior Saddle Bags, each representing a country that has influenced him and his design aesthetic. For the United States of America, there is a white leather one encrusted with rhinestone stars. For Egypt, there is a black silk one embellished with gold sequins. For Japan, there is one with red tassels and enamel letter charms. And, so on. 

In a New York Times article covering the capsule collection, Galliano proclaims, “It was the first bag I created here at the house of Dior, and she’s still with us. She’s become a classic.” (From article by The New York Times) 

2007:

Following a sharp decline in sales, the Saddle Bag is no longer on Dior’s runways. The ‘IT’ bag that was once reimagined according to the theme of every collection virtually disappears. 

2011:

At La Perle, his neighborhood bar, Galliano is videotaped slurring anti-Semitic, hate speech at other patrons. After The Sun broadcasts it, more allegations surface and Dior fires Galliano. Following his abrupt dismissal, Galliano is replaced by Raf Simons. Eager to distance the French fashion house from Galliano, Simons instead looks to Dior’s early history. He puts his minimalistic spin on some of the founder’s original designs, moving Dior in a radically different, much more understated direction. John Galliano and his contributions, including the Saddle Bag, are all but forgotten. 

2014-2016:

Dusting off their vintage styles, celebrities are ready to saddle up again! 

In 2014, Beyoncé steps out with a black-and-blue, tie-dyed Saddle Bag (From article by The Purse Blog). Two years later, K-pop star CL (From instagram by chaelincl  instagram profile)

 shows off a Saddle bag from the very coveted, very rare Adiorable line on her Instagram feed. 

Resale shops begin selling out of the style, which they once priced as low as $150. 

2018:

The Saddle Bag is experiencing a major comeback, and Dior’s latest and first-ever female creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri takes notice. Responding to the increased demand, she reissues the Saddle Bag in Dior’s Fall/Winter 2018 collection (From article by Vogue Runway). In her show, which draws inspiration from the Paris student protests of 1968, Grazia Chiuri reintroduces the Saddle Bag in beaded fringe, denim patchwork, printed canvas, and grained calfskin leather. Modernizing the classic silhouette, it is now larger, comes with a detachable crossbody strap, and features the updated Oblique logo. Grazia Chiuri proves, that after 18 years, the Saddle Bag is still “one of those emblematic pieces that always manages to remain contemporary.” (From article by Vogue) 

Later that year, in July, Grazia Chiuri launches a social media campaign to promote the Saddle Bag before it hits stores. She enlists 100 of fashion’s insiders to post photos of them carrying it to their Instagram feeds. Within hours, the platform is flooded with #DiorSaddle. Because few of them tag Dior or mark their posts as sponsored, violating advertisement terms, the campaign is widely critiqued. But, searches for both vintage and reissue Saddle Bags still spike by 957% within 48 hours. (From article by Who What Wear)

2019:

Kim Jones, Dior’s artistic director of menswear, follows suit and reinterprets the Saddle Bag for men. Showing in Jones’s first collection for the newly renamed Dior Men, his take replaces the ‘CD’ letter charms with an industrial-style buckle from Matthew Williams of ALYX and transforms the silhouette into a belt bag and backpack. 

Present: 

Because Dior has resurrected the Saddle Bag, vintage styles now sell for up to $3,500, depending on their rarity and condition. 

Giddy up, and get a Dior Saddle Bag!