Fendi and Korean Traditional Knot Craft – The Baguette Bag Collaboration Project

Italian luxury brand FENDI recently unveiled a special collaboration product: the ‘Baguette Bag’ inspired by Korean traditional knot craft. This project is part of Fendi’s ‘Hand in Hand’ initiative, which collaborates with artisans from different regions worldwide to integrate their traditional craftsmanship into modern designs.

The Fusion of Korean Traditional Knot Craft and Fendi

For this project, Fendi partnered with Master Artisan Kim Eun-young, who holds the title of Seoul Metropolitan City Intangible Cultural Property No. 13 for traditional Korean knot craft. This craft involves intricately tying and securing a single long thread to create decorative knots, a technique widely used in clothing and accessories since the Joseon Dynasty.

Fendi incorporated this traditional knotting technique into its signature Baguette Bag design. The bag features meticulously crafted knots on the handle and embellishments, blending a heritage-rich aesthetic with a modern touch.

The Intersection of Global Fashion and Traditional Craft

Fendi’s ‘Hand in Hand’ project has consistently collaborated with artisans worldwide to reinterpret traditional crafts into contemporary fashion. This Korean collaboration holds particular significance as it exemplifies the harmony between tradition and modernity.

Luxury brand collaborations with traditional crafts are not merely about borrowing design elements—they serve as a means to introduce and preserve cultural craftsmanship on a global scale. Korean traditional knot craft, known for its intricate technique and artistic value, is not yet widely recognized by the public. This collaboration offers an opportunity for Korean traditional knotting to gain international attention.

Controversy and Expectations

Following the bag’s release, some Chinese netizens claimed that the design was rooted in Chinese tradition and accused Fendi of “cultural appropriation.” As a result, Fendi has received complaints and is currently reviewing the matter.

China has frequently instigated similar collective protests, driven by Sinocentrism, which teaches that everything originates from China. Some even go so far as to claim that European staples like pizza and pasta originated in China.

While utilizing cultural elements in design is a common practice in global brands, disputes may arise when cultural origins are ambiguous or overlapping. However, in this case, the collaboration is significant as it was led by a certified Korean intangible cultural heritage artisan, reaffirming the originality and authenticity of Korean traditional knot craft.

The Meaning of Modernizing Traditional Craft

The Fendi-Korean traditional knot craft collaboration is more than just a fashion item—it serves as an example of how traditional craftsmanship can be reinterpreted in modern contexts. By merging heritage skills with luxury fashion, new cultural value is created, allowing Korean craftsmanship to gain wider global recognition.

Going forward, further collaborations like this could help evolve traditional techniques beyond mere preservation and allow them to be embraced and celebrated on the world stage.