Lauren Santo Domingo, Lindsay LohanMarc Patrick/BFA.com
Tucked behind an unmarked door on the Upper East Side, Chez Fifi staged a covert comeback: the Spy Bag’s return. Fashion, art, and culture boldfacers slipped into the townhouse-turned-bistro with a single agenda—the It bag of the aughts was back.
True to its name, the night had a clandestine hum. The unassuming brownstone brimmed with a salon-y crush; downstairs, Paul Sevigny—who once helmed the Beatrice Inn—set the mood from the decks as guests arrived. Upstairs, in the 1930s-inspired Parisian rooms, Lindsay Lohan and Lauren Santo Domingo traded notes. Talita von Fürstenberg and Ivy Getty posed nearby. Alisha Boe, Derek Blasberg, Bianca Lawson, and Tessa Brooks—among other actors, models, artists, and socialites—circulated through the living-room-turned-bistro. On cocktail tables, Spy Bags in richly grained leathers sat beside Frites Maison with caviar-topped aioli.
“Even Lindsay Lohan turned up, because where else would she be in 2025? What I love is that the women who once saved up for their first Spy have grown into collectors, and now a new generation gets to discover its appeal all over again,” Lauren Santo Domingo told Vogue.
Originally launched in 2005, Fendi’s Spy Bag quickly achieved cult status, claiming pride of place in the accessory closets of discerning fashion folk. Its espionage-adjacent detail—a hidden pocket beneath the flap that opens via a disguised button—sealed the lore. Now, Moda Operandi is joining the revival with a curated selection from Fendi’s Fall/Winter 2025 collection—including an exclusive first drop of the mini Spy Bag—available to preorder through the retailer’s private Trunkshow.
As the evening unfolded, Lohan added, “I have so many memories with my Fendi family and the original Spy, so to be here for this anniversary makes it extra special.” With her stamp of approval, the Spy Bag’s second act looks secure.
