It was apparently Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel that created one of the most revolutionary bags: in 1955, she created a quilted-leather bag that swung from a long, slender chain. The 2.55 was the first bag to offer a shoulder strap, introducing an era of hands-free ease to a generation of women previously restricted by stiff top handles. With the 2.55 came a new kind of freedom.
This elegant almost-round shoulder bag with a long straw strap comes from Niger. Being located at the heart of the Sahel region, Niger is a land-locked country in West Africa with over 80% of its land area lying in the Sahara. Niger is listed in the least developed countries group, yet it hosts approximately 250,000 refugees. The elections of December 2020 and February 2021 marked the first democratic transfer of power in the country’s history.