Gold on the runway is not a new concept, but it’s one that never fails to leave jaws dropped. From Versace’s Fall/Winter 1994 Collection, where Naomi Campbell dazzled in a shimmering gold chainmail dress, to Dolce & Gabbana’s Alta Moda 2012 Show, where Bianca Balti turned heads in a lavish gold-embroidered gown, the luxurious metal has always made a statement.
Today, gold is a much more expensive commodity, as are luxury handbags, but that didn’t stop French fashion house Rabanne from showcasing the ‘Most Expensive Bag in the World’ at the Spring 2025 Paris Runway Show. Crafted as a tribute to the world’s “most expensive dress” in gold and diamonds, created by Paco Rabanne for French fashion icon Françoise Hardy in 1968, this gleaming beauty stole the show. Reviving Paco Rabanne’s legacy of using unconventional materials in fashion, including metal, paper, and plastics, the one-of-a-kind 1969 Nano bag, made of 18-karat gold, required 100 hours of meticulous work by Maison Rabanne and French artisan jeweler Arthus Bertrand, reported WWD.
It’s high time a bag with such beauty, considered a jewel in itself, rivals the elusive Hermès bags that command astronomical prices without the abundant use of precious metals. The metallic Nano bag is priced at 250,000 euros ($279,000) and is accompanied by two other bags crafted with heritage artisanal workshops: the Handcrafted 1969 Glass Bag, made of Murano glass pastilles by the Venini glassmaking house, and the Handcrafted 1969 Ceramic Bag, featuring ceramic discs by Astier de Villatte.
The most expensive handbag is the Mouawad’s 1001 Nights –
The world’s most expensive bag was the ‘Mouawad 1001 Nights Diamond Purse.’ Worth a staggering $3.8 million, this heart-shaped arm candy, crafted from 18k gold, is adorned with 4,500 diamonds totaling 381.92 carats, giving it an unparalleled glamour. Created in 2010 by jeweler Robert Mouawad, this masterpiece took 8,800 hours to complete and held the Guinness World Record for the most valuable handbag in the world. It was auctioned by Christie’s in 2017 through a private sale after a tour in Hong Kong, Geneva, and London to generate interest in this unique piece that, admittedly, wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea.
