Bags! Bags!! Bags!!! 2021 Is All About Bags

There once was a time when the world was fixated on micro purses – teeny tiny Jacquemus Le Chiquitos and Fendi Nano Baguettes were the parodical accessories of choice throughout 2019 and 2020.

But this year, as we gradually emerge from the four walls that we have occupied for what seems like a lifetime, gargantuan handbags are set to be big.

Not mediocre, but BIG.

Khaite autumn/winter 2021.

Besides grocery-run totes, functional crossbody styles worn for our once-a-day strolls, and arm pockets to hold our phones while we exercise, bags have – on the whole – taken a back seat. Gathering dust alongside stilettos and eveningwear, purses have lain dormant since the dawn of the pandemic; save the odd reunion for those who have given their wardrobes a spring clean and remembered a horde of items that they had forgotten even existed.

Marni autumn/winter 2021.

© Marni autumn/winter 2021

Designers showing for autumn/winter 2021 want you to remember bags for all that they’re worth, so much so that you literally cannot ignore them. Supersized, capacious handbags dominated the virtual presentations, kicking off with The Row’s early showcase way back when in January.

Preemptive of the oversized enthusiasm that was to come, founders Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen presented their seasonal collection a few weeks ahead of fellow NYFW brands, debuting several new bag shapes that will doubtless populate the wardrobes of its staunch celebrity following. An elongated leather top handle, a sizeable weekender, and smaller holdalls comprised its minimalist offering.

Tod’s autumn/winter 2021.

At Khaite, huge buttery leather and soft suede totes were perched at the models’ feet, fashioned from a palette of black, light-blue and tan. Shapely curved shoulder bags tucked under the models’ arms at Tod’s were similarly large – roomy enough to house a variety of personals that we will soon require as we approach the “new normal” (your home desktop could comfortably fit if needs must.) Mary Poppins was also on the mood board at Simon Miller, Sunnei and Marni – the latter presented a meme-worthy cherry-red belted bag that served as a physical definition of “big enough to fit your kitchen sink.”

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