Bags are a big deal to brands—for many, like Louis Vuitton and Chanel, they account for a huge percentage of sales, and for a smaller label, they can be the ticket from fashion-insider acclaim to mainstream success (think Alexander Wang’s blockbuster Rocco bag or Anya Hindmarch’s kooky Eyes and Smiley collections). So while clothes may be the first thing we notice on a runway, handbags are a close second—and this season, they were especially hard to miss, with Céline, Balenciaga, and Mulberry sending out super-sized totes and cylindrical bags as big as Moroccan poufs.
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While the “bigger is better” trend pervaded much of Fashion Month, others, like Valentino and Hermès, went the opposite direction, shrinking them down to the size of playing cards and draping them on chains across models bodies. Not the most practical of trends, perhaps, but certainly a pretty one. Of the ones we’d actually carry IRL (budgets permitting), Alexander Wang’s rose-printed bucket bag, Loewe’s slouchy leather hobos, and Gucci’s satin chinoiserie Marmont reigned supreme.
MORE: 50 Spectacular Street-Style Accessories We Spotted During Fashion Month
In the slideshow, see the 50 best bags from the Spring 2017 shows.
