Luxury handbags have continued to dominate the fashion industry — in both their cultural relevance and their resale value in the secondhand market. As Italian fashion journalist Anna Dello Russo once said, “Accessories are like vitamins to fashion. Handbags are the main course.”

Assouline on Monday has launched its latest coffee-table book with luxury re-commerce platform Fashionphile — “The Book of Iconic Bags.” Ranging across the past three decades, the book examines the 25 most iconic bags that have been seen as status symbols, a means of personal expression, collector’s items and investments.

The book features everything from Hermès’ record-breaking Birkins and Kellys to “Sex and the City”’s Carrie Bradshaw and her beloved Fendi Baguette and Dior Saddle bags. Newer viral bags include Jacquemus’ Le Chiquito, Balenciaga‘s Le City and Loewe’s Puzzle. Other brands highlighted are Gucci, Prada, Saint Laurent, Celine, Judith Leiber, Stella McCartney and Goyard.

Sarah Davis, founder and president of Fashionphile, told WWD in an interview that making a coffee-table book has been something the company has wanted to do for decades.

“We’ve seen everything from one-of-a-kind, record-breaking Hermès Birkins to beloved pop-culture staples like the Fendi Baguette that we have sold thousands of,” said Davis. “We realized we were in a position not just to sell these bags, but to tell their story. But we recognized that to do it right, we needed the right partner. Assouline is itself an iconic brand. They were the only partner for us.”

Citing the process as being collaborative, Fashionphile worked with Assouline to pull from its archives and leaned into its resale market expertise to inform the book’s contents. The two teams heavily researched, curated historical imagery and dove into what made each handbag so significant to the cultural zeitgeist.  

“At Fashionphile, our mission has always been about more than resale,” continued Davis. “It’s about preserving the artistry, honoring the heritage and extending the long-term value of the world’s most exceptional handbags. The Assouline book is a natural extension of that mission. With decades of data and expertise, we’ve seen first hand which designs transcend trends and become true cultural icons. By documenting these 25 handbags, we’re honoring their legacy. We look forward to educating a new generation of collectors and to reinforcing the idea that these pieces are not disposable fashion but enduring works of art.”

When selecting the 25 bags featured, Davis said they first looked at bags that, beyond retaining value in the resale market, have shaped cultural moments.

“These bags are instantly recognizable and continue to influence fashion today,” continued Davis. “If you close your eyes, and think of a brand, what styles come to mind? Our team relied on decades of sales data, historical context and cultural impact to identify which designs truly deserved the label ‘iconic.’ The final 25 are not just bestsellers, they’re milestones in the story of fashion itself.”

From a historical standpoint, Davis said in the early 20th century, Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Hermès began the era of brands transforming functional pieces into status symbols through craftsmanship and exclusivity. This was cemented by iconic Hollywood starlets such as Grace Kelly wearing her namesake bag, Jane Birkin and the iconic plane ride that led to the creation of the Birkin and Audrey Hepburn touting her Louis Vuitton Speedy. Then the 1990s and early 2000s saw luxury and pop culture meeting like never before. Now the internet age and resale market have made the “It” bag a phenomenon of shoppers purchasing as investment pieces.

Some standout moments from the book for Davis include Marc Jacobs joining Louis Vuitton in 1997 and giving the 150-year-old brand at the time a creative boost, which led to others following suit. And the following year, Carrie Bradshaw’s Fendi Baguette turned handbags into characters themselves — fueling desire, recognition and global appetite.

Looking ahead to what’s to come from the next era of iconic handbags, Davis said timelessness and trends are not necessarily at odds with each other — they in fact go hand-in-hand. A truly timeless bag, Davis noted, will balance the best of both worlds.

“You’ll find pieces with enduring craftsmanship and design on one hand, and the ability to capture the spirit of the moment on the other. Creative directors like Daniel Lee, who was able to combine the spirit of the Bottega [Veneta] brand, with cultural momentum of the moment are able to catapult styles into the zeitgeist in a way that elevates the brand for years to come. This blend creates true icons, not hits that act as flashes in the pan,” said Davis.