Nick Jonas' Olympics Style Comes in Clutch (Literally)
At the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, Nick Jonas is all fashion, no function.
Like many of his celebrity peers, the youngest Jonas Brother is in the City of Light to fête Team USA — on Saturday night, he bumped elbows with Jill Biden, John Mulaney, and Emma Chamberlain at a party thrown by Ralph Lauren to celebrate the Games.
Before and after the event, Jonas was photographed leaving the Ritz Carlton Paris (a hotspot for the rich and famous) toting an unexpected accessory: a clutch bag.
And not just any clutch. Jonas opted for what appears to be an Hermès Kelly Depeches 25 Pouch, a style that can fetch as much as $50,000 depending on the fabrication.
For the past year or so, the "man purse" renaissance has been dominated by hefty, utilitarian bags. Think: A$AP Rocky's Bottega Veneta Adiamo, Jacob Elordi's Speedy Monogram, and Kyle Kuzma's Hermès HAC.
Amid the post-COVID return to the office, fashion — particularly menswear — has pushed the Big Bag Agenda, equating size with power and professionalism.
Flouting expectations, Jonas' styling choice is a refreshing choice. Thanks to their diminutive size, clutches are more ornamental than practical. In fact, they were once marketed as jewelry versus bags — jeweler Van Cleef & Arpels is credited with inventing the minaudière, a small, decorative clutch. Later, Tiffany & Co. and Cartier would also start producing them.
Mini bags may have faded from womenswear relevancy (RIP Jacquemus' Le Chiquito), but menswear may be in for a renaissance of teeny purses. Pharrell is on board with the trend: Just last week, he attended the Prelude to the Olympics with his new "Millionaire" Speedy, a model that would hardly fit your standard-issue paperback.
