Multi-bagging
ONE BAG JUST NOT ENOUGH? LAURA ANTONIA JORDAN ON THE NEW SEASON’S HANDY (AND HANDS-FREE) SOLUTION…
On an average day, the contents of my bag look something like this: laptop, book, diary, fully equipped make-up bag, phone, wallet, keys, shoes, notebook, plus an assortment of flotsam and jetsam that apparently breeds at the bottom of the bag (crumpled receipts, loose change, bobby pins, Sharpies, lighters etc). If that makes you feel uncomfortable, just imagine how my back feels.
Indeed, my approach to my bag (or perhaps ‘ baggage’ might be the more apt phrase to employ here) reveals three things. Firstly, that I must keep regular appointments with an osteopath ( hi, Andrew!). Secondly, that I can never find anything. And thirdly, that the itsy-bitsy bag trend is never going to do it for me. But then does it really do it for anyone who wants to carry more than a tampon? Probably not.
But now there is a way to get on-board this mini-bag moment without having to edit your belongings. Multi-bagging – carrying two, three, or frankly as many bags as you can handle, at the same time. If that sounds like the very opposite to mini-bagging, allow me to explain.
The two-bag brigade have been going strong for a while now, most conspicuously carrying cloth totes stuffed with overspill alongside reasonably sized work bags. It’s a move that allows you to prioritise rather than downsize: VIP belongings in the leading bag role and everything else in the backup bag. But now, just like the commuter trainer has been elevated in recent seasons, so has the double-bag movement.
The way to wear now? With an easy-access smaller bag up front, and a bigger one on the shoulder or back. There is no longer a backup bag; both are the main event.
The appeal for the non-editing types among us is obvious. Done right, the charm of multi-bagging is the flexibility it affords. It allows you to carry as much junk as your heart desires, but to balance yourself out – to literally spread the load. Furthermore, and this is where the mini comes in, by opting for a smaller easy-access bag up front – a belt bag or diddy cross-body is perfect – you can finally end those ‘ Why can’t I ever find anything?’ pleas. Practical, no? The basic rule of multi-bagging is this: one big, carry-everything option offset with one hands-free smaller option.
It’s a nifty bit of accessorising for the busy woman. Daisy Hoppen, the PR and girl about town, whose days take her from meetings to openings to parties, says, ‘I usually have my giant The Vampire’s Wife black velvet sack that I carry my life in like a tortoise – and then a smaller one that I can get things out from easily, that has the essentials for an event that night. In the summer I use a giant straw basket with a Ganni waterproof cross-body – ideal for the beach and boat, as well as the bar.’
With the fashion pack officially on-board, it’s no surprise that multibagging has made it on to the catwalk. For autumn/winter 2018 there were chain-handle handbags clutched with roomy totes at Coach, multiple leather pouches worn cross-body at Stella Mccartney, and double netted baubles at Preen. There’s also the bag-in-bag option – Céline’s clear shopper with leather pouch inside is still going strong on the street-style circuit and Fendi’s A/W ’18 menswear collection (where one model carried four bags at once) had colourful bags inside transparent totes, decorated with designs by graphic artist Reilly.
As the major brands harness the multibag trend, it’s no wonder that for a certain type of celeb, the appeal is less practical and more of a power move. Why do one paltry It bag when you can do two? Just look at Rihanna ( left). Attending Virgil Abloh’s highly anticipated Louis Vuitton S/S ’19 menswear debut, she wore three of his new designs to attend the show (It bags that aren’t even released yet? Major) – one on her shoulder, one around her waist and a big travel bag, which just happened to be transparent so we could see she wasn’t using it to carry anything useful. No matter. She’d multiplied the hype factor threefold.
Riri might have opted for a single brand (and, when it’s Vuitton, who can blame her?) but going mono-label isn’t a necessity. Instead, think about coordinating rather than matching. Victoria Beckham’s gargantuan totes, a haute hoarder’s dream, are begging to be worn with something more diminutive and the purple version would complement a brown one perfectly. One of A/W ’18’s colourful fluffy bags meanwhile would look great with a simple, neutral tote.
Back in the real world, the appeal isn’t purely functional either. Multi-bagging appeals to the capricious dresser and eager trend gobblers, affording an irresistible opportunity to indulge in a spot of buffet accessorising – a bit of this and a bit of that. Can’t decide between one of A/W ’18’s souped-up bum-bags or one of the supersized totes? Torn between a chain-strap handbag and a logo laden tote? Do both. Do all. Multi-bagging is a triumph for the indecisive dressers and over-packers. And if you do need the number for an osteopath, I know a great one.