In this, the most digital of ages, designers are well aware they're competing for space in our memories. And what better way to really make an impression than with a statement accessory? (We'll never forget Gucci's scary good Fall 2018 show when models carried replicas of their own heads down the runway.) That certainly seemed to be the thinking at the Fall 2024 shows where the bags felt especially innovative as well as exciting.
Take viral hitmaker Coperni who, with the help of NASA, made a version of its popular Swipe bag literally out of thin air. Weighing in at only 37 grams — roughly the same as a penny — the Air Swipe Bag is 99 percent air and 1 percent glass. It's made from the same nanomaterial NASA usually uses to "collect stardust."
Others happily hopped on the Balenciaga bandwagon. Please take a moment to recall the brand's clickbaity Lay's chips clutch and Erewhon co-branded paper bag. This time around the quirky bags similarly mimicked supermarket items and checkout bags. But with far greater sophistication, we'd argue. We saw a golden grape clutch at Balmain, a bunched-asparagus satchel at Loewe, a baguette tote at Undercover and even a fish-shaped clutch at Bottega Veneta. Meanwhile over at Marine Serre, Moschino and 3.1 Phillip Lim, they offered up bodega- and farmers market-ready bagging options. Of course, you should feel completely free to cart them outside the grocery store.
Girlish motifs are also proving pretty popular. From the metallic star and flower crossbodies at Sandy Liang and Susan Fang, respectively, to the heart-shaped purse spotted at Moschino. On the subject of playful shapes, Off-White's chain-link basketball purse and Diesel's animal-print, game controller-shaped handbags likewise deserve honorable mentions.
And yes, there are actually options for those with actual stuff to carry around off the runways IRL. Burberry, Bottega Veneta, Chanel and Miu Miu did huge yet decidedly chic totes. Prada updated its covet-worthy Cleo silhouette with floral embellishments, while Gucci debuted bold-hued versions of its classic Jackie bag, which will likely be in as high demand as its current iterations.
It's definitely worth taking some time to scroll all the way down to see all of the best bags from the Fall 2024 season. It'll help you create a list of the ones you may want to snag when they hit stores later this year. Not to mention plenty of time to save up for them.
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