The Dior 30 Montaigne: A Future Classic
The history behind the Dior 30 Montaigne
Creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri launched the Dior 30 Montaigne as part of the wider ’30 Montaigne Wardrobe’ — a series of essential pieces that reimagined the house’s most iconic silhouettes. Chiuri proposed ten different prototypes for a new handbag during the design phase, with a simple, boxy shoulder bag ultimately winning.
The bag is named in homage to Dior’s flagship address in Paris. 30 Avenue Montaigne was where Christian Dior established his couture house in 1946, revealed his ‘New Look’ in 1947 and created the Miss Dior fragrance. It’s also where subsequent creative directors have dreamt up their Dior designs, from Yves Saint Laurent to John Galliano and Raf Simons.
Christian Dior compared 30 Avenue Montaigne to ‘a beehive in perpetual effervescence’, and indeed in 2022, a huge two-year renovation of the 10,000-square-metre space was unveiled, encompassing a new Dior boutique, haute couture atelier, gallery, restaurant and patisserie. All this goes to show the significance of the ’30 Montaigne’ moniker: this is a bag that is central to the Dior creative vision.
The details
As seen in this video showcasing the production stages that go into making it, the Dior 30 Montaigne is a meticulously crafted handbag. A rectangular box shape with a shoulder strap, its silhouette is akin to an Hermès Constance or Celine Classic bag.
The design of the Dior 30 Montaigne is a lesson in luxurious simplicity. The standout detail is the metal ‘CD’ clasp at the front, which was inspired by the seal of a Christian Dior perfume bottle. The beautiful thing about this clasp is how it provides a touch of decadence without being too overtly ‘logo-tastic’. To unlock it, simply press a button at the base of the initials.
Example of (1) the gold-tone ‘CD’ clasp detail at the front and (2) the embossed wording detail on the back on a Metallic Python Green Dior 30 Montaigne, sold on saclab.com
You’ll find the words ’30 Montaigne’ embossed on the back of the bag — another alluring yet subtle feature (on canvas versions, a leather panel is added at the back to accommodate the embossing). The back also hides a slip pocket, which is great for storing your phone or anything else you need quick access to.
Inside the bag’s leather interior, there’s a zipped pocket as well as another slip pocket. This slip pocket has pleated sides, which means it can hold chunkier items such as a cardholder. It has an adjustable leather shoulder strap, although we’ve seen iterations of the bag that incorporate chain detailing on the strap as well.
Sizes
You have plenty of choice when it comes to sizes for the Dior 30 Montaigne bag. The classic bag measures 24 centimetres at the base, and can easily fit your everyday essentials with room to spare, such as your phone, wallet, keys, sunglasses pouch, lipstick and AirPods.
The small version measures 21 centimetres at the base, while the micro Montaigne is just 15 centimetres wide. Finally, Dior has also produced a box version, which has — you guessed it — a boxier shape. It measures 17 centimetres across but with more depth and detachable straps, so you can easily convert it into a clutch.
Other iterations of the Dior 30 Montaigne have also been launched: the 30 Montaigne East-West bag has similar characteristics but with a slightly elongated silhouette. Dior also sells 30 Montaigne Avenue bags, which have curved corners.
Materials
Leather Dior 30 Montaigne bags are crafted in smooth calfskin or lambskin, mainly in sophisticated, muted shades such as black, ivory, blue, beige, grey and pink. This dark navy version on SACLÀB is a classic example.
To really lean into the heritage of the bag, you could alternatively opt for a 30 Montaigne in Oblique jacquard. This distinct pattern of repeating Dior logos is taken from a Christian Dior collection from the 1950s. 30 Montaignes in Oblique jacquard feature a contrasting leather trim and straps — we love the autumnal palette of this burgundy style.
Dior has also introduced their ‘Micro Cannage’ finish to 30 Montaignes. This signature method of intricately topstitching the leather gives the bag a beautiful texture, adding an extra layer of glamour to this white bag, for instance. It also works especially well on gold and silver metallic leather.
Limited-edition and rare versions
To take things up a notch, set your sights on a rare exotic 30 Montaigne in lizard, crocodile, alligator or python — this gleaming green metallic python style on SACLÀB is the perfect dinner-date companion.
Nearly all 30 Montaigne bags feature gold hardware, other than this very special and incredibly chic So Black version which recently passed through the SACLÀB studio, which has ultra-matte black-grained calfskin and hardware.
Other limited-edition versions of the Dior 30 Montaigne bag include the heart-sprinkled ‘I Love Paris’ bag, plus renditions in blue tie-dye, houndstooth and ‘Toile de Jouy’ reverse jacquard.
How to wear it
The Dior 30 Montaigne is renowned for its versatility. Due to its minimal aesthetic and surprising capaciousness, it transitions seamlessly between the office and evening events. It can also be worn multiple ways. With the strap fully extended, you can wear it as a long shoulder bag or a cross-body bag. Alternatively, double the strap to and carry it by hand, in the crook of your arm, or as a short shoulder bag.
Pricing
On the primary market, a classic Dior 30 Montaigne in Oblique jacquard or leather currently costs around €3,300. For a bag in good condition on the secondhand market, you should budget around €2,500–3,000, making it a more accessible purchase compared to other designer handbags on SACLÀB. For a 30 Montaigne crafted in crocodile or alligator, which so far are exceptionally rare to find, expect to pay upwards of €6,000.
Ready to make a Dior 30 Montaigne your new forever bag? Discover our complete selection of pre-owned Dior bags.
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