THERE’S BAGS TO GET EXCITED ABOUT

Opportunities to show off our arm candy at the moment are sparse, but designer bags this season are still serving us in several ways and prepping us for when the world reopens. From totes for carrying all the essentials to colourful bags to brighten your mood, there’s plenty to get excited about, and earth-conscious options at every turn – just look out for our green Project Earth labels, as well as our favourites from Mulberry, Givenchy and Chloé.
 

WHAT DO WE WANT…?

…SOMETHING ONE OF A KIND

One way to find a bag that’s pretty much guaranteed to stand out is to shop for a pre-loved or upcycled gem. Our expertly curated RESELLFRIDGES edit is armed with designer brands’ greatest hits (salut, 90s Celine), and it’s an earth-conscious way to add to your bag collection, too. Equally, if you’re currently side-eyeing your overspilling wardrobe, thinking, “Can I really justify a new addition?” you can unburden yourself of the designer bags you may have fallen out of love with by selling your accessories with us.

…TO BRIGHTEN OUR DAY​

We all need a dose of that right about now. Sensing we could do with a bit of a boost, designers have debuted bags in every shade of the rainbow, including a spectrum of Mulberry bags that are part of our Responsible Leather edit. Looking across the collections, green is proving a big hitter; lilac, buttercup yellow and dusty pink are representing pastels; there’s blue, fuchsia, orange – you get the picture. Like a squeeze of lemon in a summery drink, it’ll add a bit of pep to your bundled-up-for-your-daily-walk outfit and then, when things start opening up, you’ll be semaphoring fun.

…TO PUT THE ‘FUN’ IN FUNCTIONAL​

Who said bags should be purely practical? We’ve had little need to carry much more than our phone, keys and a bottle of hand san with us for the past year, so for us to deem them worthy of use, bags have had to work harder than usual to catch our attention. Circles, semi-circles, knots, triangles – designer handbags have stepped up to the challenge and shapeshifted for spring (we have our eye on the “hat box” from Aspinal, who sources responsible leather from certified tanneries). Consider this a geometry lesson you can put to use.

…TO DEFY THE DECADES​​

“As a teenager, I would wear my great-grandmother’s handbags that she would have worn as a young woman in the 1920s, and I have carried this approach to longevity into adulthood – anything new that is added needs to remain forever,” says Accessories Buyer Raffaella Fulgoni Sheehan. Designers are continuing to reissue classic bags – Mulberry relaunched the Alexa (the ultimate 00s ‘it’ bag, reimagined using environmentally responsible production methods), Coach reworked the 70s Tabby, and Prada debuted the 90s-inspired Cleo, inspiring us to invest in accessories destined to become heirlooms. We’re looking to these old-school icons, classic shapes and throwback fabrics, such as Gucci’s retro GG canvas, to long outlast the season.

…TO STASH ALL THE ESSENTIALS​

When we do require bags of room for essential trips and, very soon, actual days out (imagine!), designers are ready and waiting with armfuls of spacious shoppers and roomy bucket bags to rival Mary Poppins. Continuing this season’s theme for bags that are designed to be noticed, the accessories that have caught our eye span glossy patent at Mulberry, Givenchy’s Antigona (which is crafted with responsible leather from certified tanneries), denim at Burberry (and countless others) and Valentino Garavani’s artful petals.