Bags are the bread and butter of the fashion industry—so naturally, designers are keen to present shoppers with a range of new and exciting styles. Fall 2023 was no different; and, like the shoe trends we saw on this season’s runways, purses, clutches, and carryalls corresponded with fashion’s return to elegance and practicality. There were plenty of pervasive accessories styles we loved from designers like Louis Vuitton, Proenza Schouler, and The Row—including a notable brooch revival; cinched waists with simple belts; and hats made of soft, touchable materials. But there was no doubt that the new, fresh interpretations of classic bag silhouettes were the real star of the shows. Below, we’ve zeroed in on four bag trends that we saw on the fall 2023 catwalks, which will surely be everywhere by the time September rolls around.
Pack Your Life In It
A look from Burberry fall 2023.
A look from Ferragamo fall 2023.
A look from Gucci fall 2023.
A look from Loewe fall 2023.
A look from Fendi fall 2023.
A hard pivot from the mini bag, this trend embraces the (at-times comically) oversized carryall. This season, huge bags continued to dominate the runways at Fendi—where the classic double-F print was applied to a leather tote—and Ferragamo, which essentially took your standard handbag and blew it up to ludicrous proportions. You can’t actually pack your life in these purses, but you can certainly get pretty close!
It’s Handled
A look from Ferragamo fall 2023.
A look from Givenchy fall 2023.
A look from Puppets & Puppets fall 2023.
A look from Louis Vuitton fall 2023.
A look from Chanel fall 2023.
Ladylike bags have been making their way back into fashion for a few seasons now, but for fall 2023, they were injected with a bit of freshness. At Ferragamo, Louis Vuitton, and Givenchy, the focus was all about the top handle. The New York-based indie brand Puppets & Puppets really had fun with this aspect of the trend—turning the strap of one of its purses into a telephone.
Grab and Go
A look from Fendi fall 2023.
A look from Miu Miu fall 2023.
A look from Gucci fall 2023.
A look from Alexander McQueen fall 2023.
A look from Valentino fall 2023.
We were tempted to ID these bags as clutches, but really, they’re a new style in their own right. Fall was all about bags you can grab quickly and carry close to your body. The style—and manner of carrying—was seen at Gucci (where the brand’s signature horsebit became a handle) Miu Miu, and Valentino, just to name a few.
Matchy-Matchy
A look from Bottega Veneta fall 2023.
A look from Gucci fall 2023.
A look from Dior fall 2023.
A look from Ferragamo fall 2023.
A look from Chanel fall 2023.
We can’t think of anything more elegant than coordinating your handbag to your gloves. Designers encouraged shoppers to channel their inner lady-who-lunches for fall by coordinating accessories: a little lace and leather at Chanel, or by creating an optical illusion with the same material for both accessories in Bottega Veneta’s matchy-matchy moment.
This article was originally published on
