Spring/Summer 2024 wasn't for the weak of heart — or arms. Forget the frivolity of micro-purses and minaudières. Across New York, London, Milan, and Paris, designer got down to business with roomy carry-alls and messengers — generously proportioned bags optimal for schlepping all your sh*t.
At Ferragamo, Maximilian Davis balanced practicality with polish. Boxy shoulder bags, triple-zipped top-handles, and soft-sided shoppers were roomy enough to accommodate multiple laptops, plus essentials like a waterbottle and notebook.
Bottega Veneta followed suit with croc-embossed backpacks (which, on second thought, better resembled gigantic laundry hampers) and mammoth, woven totes.
And we can't forget Balenciaga, whose clattery, keychain-laden shoulder bags recalled the lived-in charm of Jane Birkin's very own Hermès Birkin.
Other brands that debuted schlep-set (schlepcore?) accessories: Loewe, Miu Miu, Prada, Dior, and Victoria Beckham.
The proliferation of ludicrously capacious bags on the runway might make Toms Wambsgans wince, but they offer a modicum of practicality that's been missing from fashion ever since Jacquemus introduced the teeny-tiny Chiquito, a style that sparked the onset of micro-bag mania.
I, for one, say: schlep on!
