Forget the slouchy or the oversized, a mood of nostalgic elegance defines this season’s handbag offering, which sees a return to the structured, top-handle styles of the 1950s – albeit reimagined in a multitude of ways that are anything but prim.
At Prada, Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons’ angular take was described by the duo as ‘an open dialogue between past and present’, clashing retro references with a geometric silhouette inspired by the house’s triangular leitmotif (which here becomes the bag’s distinct clasp).
Refashioning a classic: the finest top-handle bags
Bag, £5,350, by Louis Vuitton (enquire at louisvuitton.com)
Meanwhile at Louis Vuitton, Nicolas Ghesquière – who has long juxtaposed eras in his distinctly postmodern style – proposed the GO-14 MM bag, designed to be held in the hand and crafted from boldly quilted ‘matellage’ leather to sculptural effect.
Also quilted is Maria Grazia Chiuri’s latest riff on the classic Miss Dior, reimagined as a ladylike top-handle style adorned with the house’s signature criss-crossing ‘cannage’ motif, originally inspired by the design of woven rattan cane which first appeared in furniture in the 18th century.
Bag, £3,200, by Dior (available at dior.com)
At Ferragamo, Maximilian Davis’ ‘Frame’ bag – available in a multitude of colours and iterations, including this version with its graceful twisting metal handle – recalls the traditional pocketbook. Finally, at Hermès, an ever-elegant take on the top-handle style comes in the ‘Medor’ bag, adorned with a tough studded clasp.
A version of this story appeared in the December 2023 Entertaining Issue of Wallpaper*, available in print from 9 November, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today!
Bag, £7,710, by Hermès (enquire at Hermès boutiques)
-
Step through Rubenshuis’ new architectural gateway to the world of the Flemish painterArchitects Robbrecht en Daem’s new building at Rubenshuis, Antwerp, frames Rubens’ private universe, weaving a modern library and offices into the master’s historic axis of art and nature
-
Find interior design inspiration at Eba’s new Marylebone showroomEba, a specialist in kitchen and living room design, brings its elevated interiors to London’s Marylebone
-
An eco-conscious reconfiguration of space revives a London homeAn eco-conscious reimagining of a Victorian terraced home for a growing London family, THISS Studio’s Hartley House offers sustainable, spacious living
-
Giant cats, Madonna wigs, pints of Guinness: seven objects that tell the story of fashion in 2024These objects tell an unconventional story of style in 2024, a year when the ephemera that populated designers’ universes was as intriguing as the collections themselves
-
Loafer bags to sock shoes, 2024 was all about the mashed-up accessoryWallpaper* fashion features editor Jack Moss reflects on the rise of the surreal hybrid accessory in 2024, a trend which reflects the disorientating nature of contemporary living – where nothing is quite what it seems
-
Inside Dior’s ‘Gold House’ in Bangkok, a spectacular celebration of Thai art and craftDaven Wu takes a trip to Bangkok to discover ‘Gold House’, a gilded new concept store from Dior which is rooted in both Parisian savoir-faire and artisanal Thai craft, featuring a café, gardens and showstopping gilded facade
-
‘He immortalised the birth of the supermodel’: inside Dior’s career-spanning retrospective of photographer Peter LindberghOlivier Flaviano, head of Paris’ La Galerie Dior, talks us through a new Peter Lindbergh retrospective, which celebrates the seminal German photographer’s longtime relationship with the French house
-
Fashion features editor Jack Moss’ style gift guideWallpaper* fashion features editor Jack Moss compiles his fantasy festive wish list – from a surreal Bottega Veneta tree decoration to Hylton Nel’s Dior-approved ceramic cats
-
What makes a ‘winter perfume’? The Wallpaper* guide to fragrances that linger on the skin and in the airThe Wallpaper* guide to winter perfume has been compiled by our beauty editor Hannah Tindle, including scents from the likes of Bottega Veneta, Frederic Malle and Marissa Zappas
-
Why the slipper is set to be this season’s definitive men’s shoeWallpaper* fashion features editor Jack Moss unpacks the rise of the men’s slipper, which looks set to become this season’s most ubiquitous shoe. Plus, five styles to channel the slipper’s louche elegance in your own wardrobe
-
Louis Vuitton drafts contemporary artists to use the house’s silk ‘carré’ scarf as a colourful canvasIn a tradition which dates back to the 1980s, Louis Vuitton has asked five artists to reimagine its silk carré scarf using floral motifs
