EXCLUSIVE: Rebanne’s 18-karat Gold Bag Made Its Debut At Paris Runway Show

What’s inside the bag or should we say, it is the bag? We all know quality handbags can come with a hefty price tag, but would you be willing to pay this much?

Hello Folks,

The DNA of a legacy fashion brand, Rebanne continues repackaging their signature metallics, chainmail, and cutout styles not only in their pieces but also in creating something entirely unexpected.

Here’s the cue for y’all—The Hermes Birkin bag just met its match.

On Wednesday, French luxury brand Rabanne—formerly known as Paco Rabanne introduced what’s now being called the world’s ‘most expensive bag’ during its Spring 2025 runway show in Paris. The Metallic Nano Bag made from 18-karat gold, pays homage to the iconic minidress the late designer created for style icon Françoise Hardy in 1968.

Perhaps that’s why Rabanne’s spring/summer ’25 opened with an outfit as elegant as it was wearable: a t-shirt and deconstructed shirt with jean shorts and lilac pumps encased in PVC to keep the best for the last.

In this season’s collection, plastic reappeared through the collection adorning a variety of bold accessories and totes. However, the showstopper was undoubtedly a stunning bag made from 18k gold chainmail. It was proof that despite Dossena’s keenness for wardrobe solutions, he’s still making pieces to be seen.

At the runway show, Creative Director Julien Dossena honored Hardy’s iconic chainmail look, pairing it with a dazzling gold mini dress, metallic pointed heels, and a statement pendant necklace in the latest collection. The head-turning garment was made from 1,000 gold plaques and inlaid with 300 karats of diamonds—earning the title of the ‘most expensive dress’ of its era.

The Handcrafted 1969 Golden Bag, which was on the runway Wednesday, took 100 hours to craft by hand and was constructed from interlinked gold discs by Maison Rabanne and French artisan jeweler Arthus Bertrand, and will be priced roughly around $279,000 or €250,000.

During Rabanne’s most recent Paris Fashion Week presentation, which included everyone from Cardi B to Ed Westwick and Camila Cabello as guests, the label revealed two other glamorous accessories as part of this season’s ready-to-wear collection.

First, the Handcrafted 1969 Glass Bag which is made of Murano glass pastilles by the Venini glassmaking house founded in Venice in 1921, and known for its brushstroke-like marbling effects in color. The other, the Handcrafted 1969 Ceramic Bag is made of ceramic discs by Astier de Villatte.

According to creative director Julien Dossena, all three bags are now available for order at the Rabanne boutique in Paris.

The Hermès Birkin is infamous for its steep price and status as a favorite among A-listers like Jennifer Lopez, Kris Jenner, and Victoria Beckham. However, this new bag surpasses even the Birkin in cost, making it the priciest on the market today.

We’d love to hear your thoughts—join our newsletter and share your take with us!