Two words for you: top handle. No revolutions have ever been sparked by the simple curvilinear silhouette of a handbag’s architecture, but many a good outfit has.
Mansur Gavriel burst into the fashion arena a mere four years ago with a limited selection of cross-body bucket bags. They became the token grasp of fashion insider, the lady who knew what’s sartorially up. Back then they were a beast to get hold of, you needed to beg, borrow, steal or join a long, long waiting list to get hold of their affordably-priced black sacs with scarlet red lining. It was like Willy Wonka’s golden ticket - if you managed to get one, life was going to be sweet.
But, that was four years ago and trends have come and gone since then. While Mansur Gavriel has grown into a ready-to-wear label serving up candy-colored minimalist pieces using a see-now-buy-now approach, their bags are still a tell-tale sign of accessory trends to come.
Grown-up sheer layers, like tunics and duster coats, came in vanilla and cotton candy, knitwear and tailored trousers were chocolate and coffee coloured. Lemon sherbet cropped up as kick-flares and 70s-style blouses. But, in reality, it’s the bags, not the fashion, the New York label is known for.
For spring summer 2018, these trusty add-ons came in adorable micro sizes and much more practical, laptop-friendly guises, but all without fail swung from grasped hands. Read this as the end of the humble shoulder bag once and for all. While tartan popped up as an unexpected patterning, the majority of styles returned to the label’s treasured sleek minimalism.