Fashion Test Drive: Saint Laurent's Jamie 4.3

From the get-go, Saint Laurent's approach to womenswear differed from his cohorts'—he admired menswear's utilitarian silhouettes and fabrications and sought to bring the same streamlined approach to his womenswear collections. Over 60 years later, the French fashion house, now under the helm of Creative Director Anthony Vaccarello, aims to create modern reinterpretations of Saint Laurent's visionary pieces—sophisticated slinky dresses, unapologetic power blazers, and floor-length leather trenches—to meet the need's of today's multifaceted women. 

The same ethos goes for the French fashion house's slew of "it" bags—like the Loulou shoulder bag, the Cassandre wallet bag, and the Lou camera bag—using Saint Laurent's storied archives as a key source of inspiration for the house's new and re-issued launches.

We chose to test-drive the new Jamie 4.3 bag, part of the house's famous monogram line that was introduced on the Spring/Summer 2023 runways. It takes inspiration from the Jamie quilted flap bag, a popular style from 2018. 

Size and Details

Created from soft lambskin, the Jamie 4.3 utilizes a legacy quilting technique known as Carré Rive Gauche. With Vaccarello's SS23 collection pulling inspiration from the 1980s, the size and the quilting of the bag are in the bigger, the better category—far more oversized than the original Jamie bag—but light and easily foldable if you're thinking of popping it into your suitcase. 

A long, adjustable bronze chain ring strap fashioned after Le Maillon rings—a signature hardware motif for the house—allows for a long crossbody strap if you love a hands-free approach but can double up to wear on your shoulder. A deep zippered interior pocket is great for small essentials that would otherwise sink to the bottom of the large bag. A flap and magnetic closure keeps everything inside secure.

The draw for many people will be the bright gold YSL logo on the bag's front exterior, designed in 1961 by Cassandre—a graphic designer and dear friend of Saint Laurent.

The Practicality

What's an "it" bag without a celebrity following to back it? The Jamie 4.3 has many admirers, from Hailey Bieber to Blackpink's Rosé. But aside from its star-studded fans—which may or may not impress you—the bag's size gives the style a real practical advantage. Hear us out: It's the unexpected laptop bag that doesn't give off the dreaded "I'm commuting" vibes and can join you at events or dinner engagements without a mandatory stop at the coat check. You can even throw an extra sweater inside.

If you're considering taking the plunge, the Jamie 4.3 is available in a black lambskin and a patent leather style and starts at $4,300.