SUPER 7
We don’t keep buying bags because we need a lot of them. We buy bags because they are mood-lifting, wardrobe-changing accessories. The best ones this season range from the purely delightful to, well, the triangular.
Our selection of the trendiest mood-lifting, wardrobe-changing, purely delightful bags.
1 THE CUTEST: FENDI’S OWL-FACED MONSTER BAGUETTE
The Monsters, a bunch of furry (real, not faux) bug-like bag charms, have been a monstrous hit for the Italian brand since they were introduced in 2013. The owl was one of them, and it went on to take a starring role on the Baguette – its features rst appeared on the original, then the mini, and now, the micro. In calf leather, $2,660 each.
2 THE “PART 2”: CELINE’S CLASP
The range debuted in March this year with three styles – a gigantic shoulder number, a crossbody, and a ladylike handbag – and it was one of the most unexpectedly coveted of the season. Unlike any of the French label’s bags, you have to pay for a Clasp – in full – before you get it two months later. This, the Soft Medium – one of three variations from its second edition – is a hybrid of the Clasp and the brand’s utilitarian Trio, which is a shoulder bag with three detachable pouches. It has softer and longer straps like the Trio. Also like the Trio, it opens up and spreads out accordion-style, giving you three compartments (one has a zip closure). $4,350.
3 THE STAR: SAINT LAURENT’S TUXEDO BOX
The Tuxedo – introduced earlier this year – is artistic director Anthony Vaccarello’s rst bag for the fashion house, and it’s a homage to the rst Le Smoking tux made for women by YSL. For Fall, it gets four upgrades: with a car print, multicoloured snakeskin with an embossed panther, or with an embossed star either in black or black and silver. $5,580.
4 THE TRIANGLE: BALENCIAGA’S LATEST COLLECTIBLE
Creative director Demna Gvasalia’s reference for this was the ski boot bag. The brand name on the Triangle is made up of individually laser-cut leather letters inserted into each bag. Duffle bag in calfskin, $2,070, and Pochette in calfskin, $530.
5 THE MEDALLION: MARC JACOBS’ HOTSHOT
With its hip-hopmeets-soul-train influence (cue the double-J logo and thick gold chain), it’s a wannabe rapper’s delight. On the runway, it’s worn proudly and loudly as a neck bag (a bag that’s also a necklace). We highly recommend it for real life. In calf leather, $500 each.
6 THE CUSTOMISABLE: GUCCI’S TOTEMS
This season, these pouches have rings and hooks so you can attach or detach them to or from one another. On their own, each is a clutch or cross-body. When you combine three of them, they become anything you want, with up to 15 permutations. From top: canvas leather with fabric strap, $1,280, calf leather, $1,660, and calf leather, $1,540.
7 THE (CLOSE TO) VINTAGE: CHRISTIAN DIOR’S BACKFROM-THE-’70S LOGO CANVAS
The reason why logos looked right during that era (unlike in the ’80s and ’90s): they were printed on classic bags. This one isn’t literally from the archive, but it’s a recreation – with the exact canvas design from its rst launch. To make it even more authentic, it’s manufactured in its original birthplace, Belgium. The only modern touch: the calfskin leather trim is now tanned using minerals and vegetables for a wrinkle-free structured material that develops a beautiful patina as you knock it around. Oblique, $4,300.