The 1970s Dior Gathered Suede Bag: A Silk Cord That Becomes a Clutch

Many bags offer a choice between carrying and holding. This Christian Dior bag makes the choice simple: its silk cord handle, finished with a fringe, can be worn over the shoulder or tucked inside, so that the bag becomes a clutch. Made in soft gathered suede in brown and black, it dates from the 1970s or 1980s.

Dior under Marc Bohan

From 1961 to 1989, Christian Dior was directed by Marc Bohan. La Galerie Dior's chronology records his long tenure, and an obituary reproduced by the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, describes the steady inventiveness that sustained the house's clientele in those years. This bag belongs to that period.

Gathered suede

Gathering is a technique more familiar from dressmaking than from leather goods: material is drawn together in soft folds, adding volume and texture. Applied to suede, it gives the bag a pouch-like softness rather than a rigid form. The combination of brown and black keeps the colour quiet while showing the play of light on the folds.

Inside, the bag is lined in black suede and has a zipped pocket.

The cord and the fringe

The handle is a silk cord, with a drop of 19 inches, about 48 centimetres, long enough to be worn on the shoulder. It ends in a stylised fringe, a decorative finish that recalls the tassels of passementerie, the trimmings used on furnishings and dress. When the cord is tucked in, the bag is carried in the hand as a clutch, and the fringe becomes a detail rather than a fastening.

The bag measures 9 inches long, 8 inches high and 2.5 inches deep, about 23 by 20 by 6 centimetres, a medium size between an evening bag and a daytime one.

The object

The Archivary describes the bag as a medium-sized Christian Dior handbag in soft gathered brown and black suede leather, with a black suede interior and zippered pocket, and a silk cord handle ending in a stylised fringe that can be tucked in to carry it as a clutch. It is recorded as a 1970s or 1980s piece in excellent condition, with very minimal wear.