Cult Bags: Own Them Now and Love Them Forever

3 min read

Aby Lock bag, CHLOE

The quickest way to supercharge your look is with a new – and identifiable – bag. Here are this season’s launches and updates, the extravagant essentials.

DIOR BOOK TOTE

Dior’s  original Book Tote gained notoriety almost instantaneously. Papped on celebs and fashion editors alike, it become a bag synonymous with the sartorially astute. It can be carried by hand, or over the shoulder, and comes in patterns like the Dior Oblique and embroidered canvas with the Dior logo.

This November, Dior is launching a new variation and we predict it will be just as covetable as its now famous sibling. The new Small Book Tote hails from the Cruise 2020 collection and comes in the traditional blue Dior Oblique embroidered canvas, as well as embossed denim-esque alternatives.

CHLOE ABY LOCK BAG

Inspired by Chloé’s iconic Paddington Lock the Chloé Aby has our full attention. Available in a slew of ‘70s inspired colours – think Blondie Beige, Light Cloud, Sepia Brown as well as croc and lizard effects – it can be carried in hand, on your shoulder or across the body. It also has two inside compartments, one zipped and one flat pocket, keeping your essentials stashed away in the utmost style.

It comes as a minaudière (which really encapsulates the ’70s spirit), a small shoulder bag, a chain-strap shoulder bag and as a tote. The overall aesthetic is timeless and fresh while still offering a little nostalgia through the reimagined padlock.

GIVENCHY BOND TOTE 

Meet the first signature tote by Artistic Director Clare Waight Keller, and your new must-have travel companion. The Bond, an oversized shopper, was inspired by Waight Keller’s own globe-trotting lifestyle – she’s constantly flitting between Paris and London – and comes in canvas or leather with light silver stud buttons.

It also has a removable pouch, and can be easily flattened and packed away. Only to spring back to its full potential as soon as you pick it up again. This delight is available in oil blue, aubergine or black embossed leather; in ecru cotton canvas edged in aubergine leather, or in an oil blue and white jacquard with the Givenchy chain motif.

LOEWE POSTAL BAG

The latest in Loewe’s line-up of iconic bags is the Postal bag. Inspired by past and present the bag is the first under the creative direction of Jonathan Anderson. It has a rigid frame and firm structure but is covered with extremely supple leather.

As well as coming in solid colours and more playful designs, it also launched with a limited edition series featuring illustrations of the world’s major cities including London, Paris and New York. The vintage-looking bags are designed to evoke classic postcards and each is stamped with an engraved anagram on the upper right corner. We’ll wait with baited breath for them to launch the Dubai version…

CHANEL 19 

The Chanel 19 bag has an ultra supple structure while adopting a resolutely modern attitude, and although brand new, it still looks very typically Chanel. As with the 2.55 which was named after the year it was made – 1955 – the Chanel 19, which debuted on the AW19 runway – is this year’s hero.

It was also designed by the late Karl Lagerfeld. It comes in three varying sizes, with its signature chain handle mirrored on the interlocking C clasp, and it comes in a slew of irresistible colour ways. Think magenta tweed, black quilted shiny leather, green quilted tweed, beige, black and gold tweed, as well as a smaller waist (belt bag) version which also comes in pink tweed. We dare you to resist.

 

  • Words by Elaine Lloyd-Jones