, creative director of
Dior when the Saddle bag was introduced. The Dior Saddle bag debuted during the brand's Spring/Summer 2000 ready-to-wear runway presentation, presented in October 1999 under the creative direction of
John Galliano. The collection incorporated
equestrian references along with elements of
streetwear and
hip-hop fashion. Commentators described the collection as a significant departure from Dior's previous aesthetic, with
The Herald characterizing the handbag as "funky, streetwise and cool". In a conversation with
André Leon Talley, Galliano cited
Lauryn Hill as a direct inspiration for the line, stating "I was dancing with her onstage, with
Nina Simone, when she was in concert in Paris last summer. She stands for all the things I love." The runway show included Hill's 1998 single "
Everything Is Everything" from
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998) as its soundtrack, and models were styled with
locs, denim outfits, and Saddle bags, echoing Hill's appearance in the song's music video, where she is depicted with locs, a denim jacket and a shoulder bag. Some fashion writers have speculated that the bag may have drawn partial inspiration from
Helmut Newton's 1976 photograph
Saddle I, Paris, which depicts a model wearing a saddle on her back in a suggestive pose. Dior did not confirm the connection, however, the brand's early 2000s advertising campaigns for the Saddle bag featured themes of sensuality. A Spring/Summer 2000 campaign photographed by
Nick Knight included an image of models
Gisele Bündchen and
Rhea Durham with the Saddle bag. Rapper
Foxy Brown appeared with the Saddle bag shortly after its runway debut, performing at the opening of Dior's boutique inside the
LVMH Tower in New York City in late 1999 while wearing a full look from the collection. Guests were invited to the event with a denim-printed, Saddle bag-shaped invitation designed by Galliano. The Saddle bag gained broader attention in season three of the television series
Sex and the City, when costume designer
Patricia Field styled
Sarah Jessica Parker's character,
Carrie Bradshaw, with the accessory. The handbag was later seen on public figures, such as
Sienna Miller,
Christina Aguilera, and
Mischa Barton,
Paris Hilton and
Nicole Richie, contributing to its classification as an
It bag by fashion media.
Vogue dubbed the Saddle bag as a "pop culture phenomenon" and a defining item of
Y2K fashion. By 2001, Dior's accessories sales had reportedly increased by 60%. Galliano continued to release new designs of the handbag, including variations in denim, monogram, camouflage, and newspaper print. ==Design and features==