The Bags That Caught Our Eyes At The Fall/Winter 2021 Shows (So Far)
The best bags from the Fall/Winter 2021 shows are perfectly practical and stylish – with a few dashes of fun in the details.
By Gordon Ng,
The ongoing Fall/Winter 2021 fashion season feels, as you might expect, different. Official fashion week schedules may be somewhat moot, and though we’re experiencing all the collections digitally, one thing remains the same: fashion’s thirst and energy for the new and exciting and our never-ending search for the next must-have bag.
We present our roving edit of the best (so far, at least) bags from the shows that have caught our eyes and piqued our interests.
A compelling new idea from Kim Jones' debut ready-to-wear collection for Fendi: these lovely caramel-coloured bags finished with a bold "F" clasp.
The French brand's collaboration with Fornasetti yielded a slew of desirable bags adorned with illustrations inspired by Greco-Roman antiquity. We like this playful simulacrum of a statue's head.
The second-skin bodysuits at Prada this season came in a range of surprising prints. Just slightly off the art-deco kilter that the brand is usually identified with, it's perhaps co-creative director Raf Simons' modernist contribution. We're betting on this bag, one of a number made in the collection's key jacquard knit fabric and print, as a collectible design.
Virginie Viard's apres-ski fantasy for Chanel yielded a lot of fabulous outerwear and cocktail dresses. The best in-hand accessory, however, was this fun and furry bag, complete with the house's recognisable chain strap.
Brevity was on Pierpaolo Piccioli's mind for the season, with hemlines and fabrics being slashed in a multitude of ways. Most intriguing was a laser-cut technique that created a peek-a-boo net effect on garments, translated here onto a Roman Stud bag with a layered look.
It's been a while since we've seen Maria Grazia Chiuri do a more casual, unstructured bag. Which is why our vote's on this louche hobo in a deep shade of navy matched to the crisp denim jeans in the collection.
Miuccia Prada's mountainous romp for the Fall/Winter season was a masterclass in tactility. Matelasse quilts blown up, cashmere that begged to be touched, and a whole lot of fashionable shearling. This little top-handle bag, in our opinion, best captures the spirit of this Miu Miu collection.
Last spring, Jonathan Anderson revived the Flamenco clutch at Loewe. The slouchy style, marked by knotted leather drawstrings and buttery-soft nappa calfskin leather, got blown-up into an oversized iteration this Fall/Winter season.
The star of this Versace collection was clearly La Greca, the brand's new monogram. The monogram is derived from Versace's Greek key motif, and the whole show from ready-to-wear, to bags, accessories and shoes, featured it heavily. We're picking this hobo style (perfect for the aughts redux that's picking up steam now) as the best way to try La Greca on.
Gabriela Hearst's debut collection for Chloe saw her emphasising a narrative of sustainability. This hand-knit leather tote is one example: made from recycled materials, its textural plushness is punctuated by a 'C' link made from recycled wood.
According to Hearst, while Chloe leans more Aphrodite (read: sensual, feminine) her eponymous label is more like Athena – more polished and severe. It was clear in one of the collection's key bags: a stately doctor's bag crossed with louche, macrame netting.
Daniel Roseberry's Schiaparelli is growingly marked by his eye and penchant for making little details statuesque. This season, he honed in on eyes, noses, ears, lips and – as should be obvious, here – breasts.
The dark, romantic floral prints on this Marni bag were the result of an experiment that Francesco Risso had conducted, placing real flowers on black fabrics and letting the sun melt and bleed away at its colours.
At Max Mara, where the brand celebrated 70 years in business, it was back to the fundamentals for creative director Ian Griffiths. That meant a loving embrace of the camel coat, and the Max Mara brand of understated power dressing. On the shoulders: handsome satchels in smooth leather crossed with its signature camel wool fabric.
This new addition to Tod's T Timeless range is exaggeratedly large, in the spirit of Walter Chiapponi's voyage this season into the overlaps of functional sportswear and voluptuously feminine haute couture.
American designer Jonathan Simkhai debuted his handbag collection in collaboration with the Danish brand Aesther Ekme. Our favourite: this generously-sized baguette style that sleekly embodies the designer's modern, sexy aesthetic.