The 7 best new designer bags to invest in this summer
One of the savviest fashion investments you can make, great designer bags never go out of style – and this season’s latest crop of It-bags from the biggest names in fashion are no exception to the rule. Nostalgia and the new come together in fantastic form, with reworked classics and soon-to-be-cult styles that nod to Y2K and Nineties archival references. Here, discover the best new designer bags you’ll be proud to have on your arm this summer and beyond.
Fendi
Fendigraphy Bag
When it comes to designer bags, logomania isn’t going anywhere, not least where Fendi is concerned. The Fendigraphy hobo comes in three sizes – small, medium and nano – and multiple colours, but all feature the fashion house’s logo in huge gold metal lettering across the base. While the Italian brand’s iconic Baguette bag may have made a resurgence of late thanks to being spotted on Sarah Jessica Parker’s arm in And Just Like That, this latest offering is the Fendi It-bag of the moment.
Jacquemus
Le Bambinou
We have Simon Jacquemus to thank for the recent micro bag craze, with the brand’s miniature Le Bambino bag becoming an instant bestseller when it launched a couple of years ago. Now, for those of us who like their handbag to hold a little more than just an iPhone and a lipstick, a more capacious version is available – Le Bambinou. The same angular design, removable shoulder strap and bold colour options – just with much more room.
JW Anderson
The Bumper Bag
Jonathan Anderson’s Bumper Bag comes in a kaleidoscope of colour-blocked shades, contrasting the leather body with a dramatic, oversized tubular outline. It’s already a firm favourite It-bag of choice for celebrities, with Dua Lipa spotted carrying it earlier this year. Futuristic yet reminiscent of early Noughties Bratz dolls and cartoons in its colour pairings and available in a variety of silhouettes, including the crescent-shaped Bumper Moon and the cylindrical Bumper Hobo, it’s a guaranteed mood booster.
Gucci
Bamboo 1947 Mini Top Handle
Gucci looks to its past this season, paying tribute to the 75-year-old Bamboo bag, which was first created by the fashion house in 1947. Though they were first created due to the fact that traditional raw materials were hard to come by in the post-war era, the bamboo handles went on to become one of the brand’s biggest and most instantly recognisable historical identifiers. The updated Bamboo 1947 Mini Top Handle style is smaller, and comes in new colourways with interchangeable straps and, of course, a curved bamboo handle.
Balenciaga
Le Cagole
If this season is all about the resurgence of the Y2K fashion trend, then this latest offering from Balenciaga epitomises the look in accessory form. Demna Gvasalia has unveiled five new bag styles this season, but the cream of the crop is Le Cagole, which has reimagined Balenciaga’s early Noughties Motorcycle bag for a new generation, giving it a smaller baguette silhouette but with all the studs, buckles and braided straps that are so familiar.
Loewe
Luna Bag
As one of the world’s oldest luxury houses, statement designer bags have always been one of Loewe’s calling cards, with their history steeped in fine leather work that goes all the way back to 1846. The Spanish brand’s fresh, new silhouette, the Luna bag, is so named because of its crescent, moon-like shape, which curves elegantly under the arm. Subtle gold-tone hardware and a jacquard strap complete the 70s vibe.
Chanel
Heart Bag
When Chanel releases a new bag the fashion world sits up and takes notice, and their latest Heart Bag is no exception, with rumours that the waiting list for the It-bag started in the middle of last year. Virginie Viard’s heart bag is a throwback to when Chanel first introduced the shape into its designer bag collections in the Nineties. Crafted from quilted lambskin leather with the French fashion house’s signature leather and chain strap, choose from black, white or candy pink and wear to your heart’s desire.
