Welcome to the satchel bag era

This month, the brands present at the Fashion Week could be divided into two distinct categories: the practical and the dreamers. What separated them was a single object of desire capable of turning even the most uncomfortable look into a functional outfit, the satchel bag. Spacious, full of pockets, made of thick leather, folded and slouched over the models' forearms as if it were too heavy to be worn over the shoulder, it reminded us of all the times the straps of our favorite bag unfortunately gave way, forcing us to carry it by hand. As they say overseas, "one man’s trash is another man’s treasure," and so carrying huge bags on the arm à la Jane Birkin has become chic. Prada and Miu Miu, although they were among the last brands to showcase this fashion season, are undoubtedly leading the trend by presenting spacious bags on the runway, sometimes hung from the wrist with a belt, other times held tightly at the waist, followed by younger brands like Acne Studios and Undercover. For FW24, Jun Takahashi brought back past silhouettes to Paris Fashion Week, such as the beloved postman bag, a shoulder bag with a metal clasp that pays homage to vintage aesthetics like indie sleaze and twee.

Kiko Kostadinov FW24

Kiko Kostadinov FW24

Miu Miu FW24

Undercover FW24

Undercover FW24

Ferragamo FW24

Ferragamo, led by Maximilian Davis, matched the shoulder bags to the same shade as the garments, blending seamlessly with the looks, while at Marine Serre, they were covered in the brand's iconic monogram, Crescent Moon. Even Kiko Kostadinov, who made functionality a distinctive trait, found inspiration in the timeless elegance of the messenger bag, created by female designers Laura and Deanna Fanning in an oversized version, bark brown with bright yellow profiles or in corduroy mustard. At Hermés, the satchel bag remained unchanged, just like the one used years ago, but also carried by hand on their runway, while at Chloé, under the new creative direction of Chemena Kamali, hobo bags and shoulder bags covered in convenient pockets were brought back, flaunted by models between a fringe and a ruffle.

Marine Serre FW24

Diesel FW24

Diesel FW24

Chloe FW24

Chloe FW24

The three brands that exemplified the satchel bag were - not coincidentally - three globally recognized fashion houses known for their extremely avant-garde approach to accessory design. Balenciaga created an essential satchel, in smooth black leather with a thin shoulder strap, Bottega Veneta explored the boundaries between messenger and tote bags, vastly enlarging the dimensions of its accessories with the classic addition of the brand's characteristic weave, while Diesel, following the artistic momentum of creative director Glenn Martens, played with a palette of icy colors, from mint green to ice blue, to bring denim and leather shoulder bags to the runway in full distressed-chic style. Looking at the latest catwalks, the days seem long gone when disco girls had to make do with slipping a mini-sized lip gloss into their equally mini Jacquemus signature Chiquito bag.