Your Summer 2024 Bag Trends Report
LÀB REPORT
As champions of circular fashion, one thing we’re sure of is what goes around comes around. Hang on to a designer handbag for long enough, and it will have its moment in the sun again (we’re looking at you, Dior Saddle Bag). As such, you can see our SS24 bag trend report as an excuse to invest in a new bag (from SACLÀB, naturally), or simply as inspiration for reevaluating your existing bag collection — it’s surprising how many vintage styles fit with today’s aesthetics. Whichever the case, there’s a host of fresh and fabulous shapes, textures and colours to embrace this season. Dive in…
Published on 10 Jan 2024 / Updated on 15 Oct 2024
Table of Contents
Picnic perfect
Balmy summer days hold the promise of lazy picnics and languid strolls on the beach. Thankfully, the SS24 runways were brimming with bags in natural materials and basket-weave textures that fit the brief perfectly. Opt for accessories in raffia, wicker or crochet, embrace seashells and fringing, or go extra girly with gingham prints.
Bags from Hermès’ aptly-named Picnic collection are top of our list for this trend. Expertly crafted in wicker by an artisan basket weaver, this Garden Party Picnic bag is made for carefree weekends. Keep your eyes peeled for Kelly Picnics too, which are alluringly rare. Hermès’ woven ‘Toile Quadrille’ fabric is another search term to save, like this delightfully checked Kelly. For a more avant-garde approach to the trend, try the supersized intrecciato weave of a Bottega Veneta Cassette.
Feminine flourishes
After 2023’s penchant for all things Barbie-girl pink, the SS24 runways turned things up another notch, embracing flouncy materials, florals and soft pastels in all their feminine glory. Bags came crafted in organza, lace and broderie anglaise or festooned with giant 3D rosettes, pearls and bows. Lilac and peach stood out as particularly popular hues (alongside pink), with Pantone even pronouncing their 2024 Colour of the Year as the soft and sumptuous ‘Peach Fuzz’.
This is one of the easiest and funnest bag trends of the season to experiment with due to the plethora of fabulously girly bags on the secondary market. At Hermès, search for their softer shades of pink, purple and coral, such as Mauve Sylvestre, Crevette, Flamingo, Rose Sakura, Rose Confetti and 5P Bubblegum Pink. With its girlish charm, a Picotin bag strikes the right note for this trend — try a Picotin 18 in Mauve Sylvestre, or a Micro Lucky Daisy in Chai leather with a Rose floral print.
Looking to Chanel, this Timeless Classic Flap weaves white, peach and magenta threads into a frothy, feminine concoction. The house can always be counted on for pearls too, like this Timeless WOC with a pearl-strewn strap. For modern femininity, head to Dior — we love the whipped, soft texture of the leather on this Dior 30 Montaigne.
Mixed metals
If pearls and pastels aren’t your thing, metallic accessories also lit up the runways for SS24. Handbags in shimmering tones of silver, gold and bronze will add a dash of urban glamour to any outfit, be it day or night. They’re especially striking when contrasted against all-white or beige looks.
Dial Chanel to get your high-shine hit: gold is one of their five house colours and features prominently throughout their collections, like this exquisite white Boy Bag with gold lizard detailing. We love the liquid-metal gleam of this Dior Lady Mini in silver python — surely the ultimate party accessory. For a mega metallic statement, set your sights on the ultra rare sterling-silver Hermès Kelly (or for a more affordable option, its mini Pill Case sibling).
Tiny top handles
For the last few years, cross-body bags have reigned supreme as the street-style accessory of choice. While there’s still a place in our heart for this practical style, SS24 collections are awash with handbags that revert to a more ladylike silhouette, with dainty top handles for toting by hand or in the crook of your arm.
The Lady Dior is the OG tiny top-handle bag: we love this mini version for drinks and dinners. The slim, prim top handle of an Hermès Kelly Pochette offers a more delicate approach. If you aren’t quite ready to let go of a shoulder strap, Chanel’s Timeless Handle bag has both a top handle and a detachable long chain strap. For a vintage feel, this limited-edition Dior Babe bag combines a tiny top handle with an old-school coin purse.
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Y2K OK
The nostalgia-filled redux of all things noughties shows no signs of abating this season, with Prada’s crystal-encrusted Cleo bag a particular hit with A-listers. Add denim, cargo pockets, patches, charms and sparkling embellishments to your hit list when searching for secondhand styles.
Thanks to its seasonally-themed runway collections, vintage Chanel is a particularly good source of Y2K-ready accessories. Case in point, this camellia-adorned denim WOC, metallic silver keyboard clutch or any bag from the Lucky Charms series. Transparent bags are also making a comeback: Chanel’s PVC numbers are your best bet on the secondhand market, like this Timeless version with pastel piping.
Elsewhere, this washed-denim Bottega Veneta Cassette bag recalls the heady days of Juicy Couture velour and ultra-low-rise jeans, but thankfully with far chicer results.
Baguette silhouettes, which fit snugly under the arm, are another easy way to ace the Y2K look. With its short strap and undulating shape, Dior’s resurrected Saddle Bag encapsulates the trend perfectly. Try this canvas-green number, or for extra kudos track down an original noughties version (you can spot them by their Velcro fastening).
Oversized Totes
The micro-mini bag has been in the spotlight for several seasons, so SS24’s predilection for supersized totes is a refreshing and somewhat more sensible change in direction. Look for a tote that you could almost imagine climbing into (we’re picturing that iconic Victoria Beckham x Marc Jacobs campaign) and you’re on the right track. Consider carrying one alongside a mini bag for bonus fashion points — bag layering is officially a thing for SS24.
With an open top and artisanal intrecciato weave, the Bottega Veneta Cabat is a masterclass in luxurious simplicity — a timeless investment for this season and forever. Hermès’ Haut à Courroies is another capacious classic: the first bag designed by the house in the early 20th century. It was originally made for carrying a saddle and riding boots, so just imagine what it can fit today! We adore the playful proportions of this satin drawstring bag by Chanel — the perfect way to rock the OTT tote trend for the evening, and roomy enough to easily fit a spare pair of flat shoes.
Seeing red
The colour red has been bubbling away as a global trend for a couple of years now, with warm shades of ruby, burgundy and terracotta becoming increasingly popular in home interiors and on the red carpet. The SS24 runways saw red make its way to bags, too. At the Hermès show, accessories came in Rouge H, a deliciously rich claret shade, and the cherry-like Opera Red (a new hue for the house).
Like a slick of red lipstick or the flash of a Louboutin sole, a little red bag makes for a fabulous exclamation mark to your look. Pair this Constance in Rouge H Ostrich with a pale blue suit for a modern contrast, or match your lips to the scarlet hue of this alligator Bolide in Braise.
Clutch control
Long the preserve of cocktail parties alone, the designer clutch bag has been gradually edging its way into daytime dressing (you can thank Daniel Lee’s iconic Pouch design at Bottega Veneta for that). For SS24, the trend exploded, with sharp envelope styles, voluminous pouches and circular clutches clasped by models on the runway.
Invest in a Bottega Pouch (truly a modern clutch classic), or for something sleeker, a Saint Laurent Uptown Pouch or Dior Saddle Clutch. For a quick SS24 hack, simply style an existing tote bag as a clutch by carrying it under your arm. Easy!
Which SS24 bag trend is top of your list? Browse our curated selection for a unique pre-loved designer bag to carry throughout the season.
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