At a time when women prefer a neutral palette of white, navy, black and pastel pink in simple, minimal silhouettes, it comes as no surprise that the term ‘It-bag’ is almost obsolete. Rather, instead of the padlocked, heavily adorned handbags of the early 2000’s that sparked a frenzy of waitlists, women today prefer a cleaner, sleeker kind of bag. Today’s It-bag is logo-less, timeless and ultimately more classic than its successors. Blame it on the Phoebe Philo effect, but more women prefer a streamlined silhouette for their day-to-day carryall.
However, that’s not to say that micro-trends don’t exist. Louis Vuitton released an updated version of the Noé champagne bag (named—and created—for it’s flat-bottomed ability to transport bottles of champagne). Tha sparked a new appreciation for the ‘70s bucket bag silhouette and resulted in New York’s obsession with new bag label Mansur Gavriel, whose bags are currently sold out across the country. The difference, however, is that these are fleeting trends in the handbag world.
“When it comes to handbags, we prefer timeless favorites that transcend trends,” says Tracy Margolies, SVP, GMM, Contemporary 5F, Footwear & Handbags at Bergdorf Goodman. “They have to be versatile, fashionable and make a statement. Our customers are always on the go and look for bags that are functional and sophisticated and can easily transition from day to night.”
The appreciation for a minimal-luxe bag is realized in totes, shoulder bags and evening clutches across multiple brands and, although a logo might not be noticeable, the shape, hardware, and material is what makes a bag recognizable to those in the know. Just as in fashion, luxe materials such as soft-as-butter calfskin, exotic snake and alligator skins and dynamic yet practical shapes dominate the handbag landscape. These are bags that will remain in style throughout many different trend periods and appear just as chic in 10 years as they do now. And that is true luxury.
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