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2 weeks ago

Rabanne Shows Off The World’s Most Expensive Bag

Priced at almost $280,000, the 18-karat solid gold bag made its debut at Paris Fashion Week.

By Ellys Woodhouse

On the runway of Paris Fashion Week, fashion house Rabanne has officially declared the ‘quiet luxury’ trend dead. The Spanish designer brand, once known as Paco Rabanne, returned to the fashion spotlight to debut its Spring/Summer 2025 ready-to-wear collection. But amidst the futuristic looks and avant-garde silhouettes, one standout piece stole the show: an 18-karat solid gold handbag, quickly making headlines as the most expensive bag in the world.

The Spring/Summer 2025 collection paid tribute to the late French style icon and singer Françoise Madeleine Hardy, who passed away in June earlier this year. Hardy had a special connection to the brand – famously popularising Rabanne’s chainmail designs, including the iconic shoulder bag that inspired this latest iteration.

The piece, an updated version of Rabanne’s iconic 1969 Nano bag, embodies the brand’s long-standing tradition of breaking boundaries in fashion. Under the current creative direction of Julien Dossena, the 1969 Nano has been revived in a striking new form – quite literally as this time the Nano is made entirely of gold. 

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The 18-karat Nano bag not only recalls the original but also serves as a nod to the ‘world’s most expensive dress’ ever made, which Paco Rabanne designed for Hardy in 1968. Made entirely of 1000 joined gold plaques, the dress was said to weigh nearly 83 lbs with a collar encrusted with 300 carats of diamonds.

The so-called world’s most expensive bag formed a trio of bags inspired by the 1969 Nano that Rabanne showcased in this latest collection. Each made using novel materials by skilled artisans, one Nano bag is made from fired white ceramic by Astier de Villatte while another is made from blown glass from Murano’s Venini.

Meanwhile, the 18-karat gold bag is made by metalworker and artisan jeweler, Arthus Bertrand, who devoted over 100 hours of meticulous craftsmanship to create the all-gold masterpiece. The result is not only an eye-catching accessory but definitely an eyebrow-raising price. Reportedly hitting the shop floor with a staggering price tag of €250,000 (approx. $279,500), it firmly claims the title as the most expensive bag in the world.

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