Alessandro Michele, the Italian designer who stepped down as creative director of Gucci last month, has long personified that attitude with his maximalist approach, which incorporates clashing patterns and surprising, often Surrealist accessories. Those interested in trying out that look can consider the small bag featured above, which was part of the brand’s 2023 cruise line. The handbag, which hangs on a goldtone chain strap, is shaped like a large, ripe strawberry – a pleasant reminder of the coming warmer months.
A same humorous attitude motivated Hedi Slimane’s Dysfunctional Bauhaus 2023 spring men’s collection for Celine, which includes a number of items using work from the estate of Swiss conceptual artist David Weiss. This weekender bag is made in the house’s Triomphe logo-print canvas with black leather accents and has a picture of a massive wave by Weiss that is reminiscent of those shown in Edo-period Japanese Ukiyo-e woodblock prints and paintings.
Louis Vuitton is creating a new kind of splash with a monogrammed bucket bag shaped like a paint can, complete with a metal handle and warning markings. The design, made of coated canvas and cowhide leather and available in a variety of brilliant hues such as deep plum and bright orange, pays homage to the brand’s heritage: The address of Louis Vuitton’s Paris headquarters and the year the house was founded, 1854, are printed on the label.
Prada also paid homage to its past this season, offering an embroidered cloth bag with a green-and-black geometric design that replicates the brand’s distinctive triangle insignia, which was originally used on trunks by the company’s founder, Mario Prada, in 1919. The graphic tote — fittingly dubbed Symbole — is complete with Prada’s characteristic Saffiano leather tag and feels indicative of the house’s ongoing reputation.
During a tour to North American vehicle manufactures in the 1910s, Émile-Maurice Hermès, then the director of his family’s namesake company, discovered the zipper for the first time. In 1923, he launched the Bolide carryall, the first bag to feature a zip closing, inspired by the beauty of both the fastener and the vehicle. The brand’s witty new rendition takes that concept literally by incorporating toy wheels on the base of the bag, which can be adorned with a tiny version of the same design for more fun.
Tennis is a recurring motif for Chanel; throughout its history, the house has supplied tennis-inspired clothes as well as tennis balls imprinted with its renowned double-C emblem. The brand revived rackets enclosed in lambskin cases for its 2023 cruise collection, and to complement them, it developed smaller novelty versions of the bags including racket-shaped hand mirrors – ideal for checking your look in between matches.
Patek Philippe’s newest ladies’ moon phase watch offers a similar icy atmosphere, with a midnight blue dial and alligator strap. It has a sunburst dial with white gold-applied Breguet numerals and a bezel set with 132 diamonds in a lacelike Dentelle setting. It’s a piece that will survive a lifetime of Christmas parties and beyond, sparkling and joyous but also strictly utilitarian.
Later, the Speedy, a smaller version of the Keepall, was created. This was the house’s first handbag that was intended for daily usage.
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