Anyone in fashion will tell you that this has been one of the most anticipated seasons in a decade. At every turn, a designer’s debut was on—as luxury houses were refreshed under new creative helms. Matthieu Blazy at Chanel; Louise Trotter at Bottega Veneta; Dario Vitale at Versace; Pierpaolo Piccioli at Balenciaga, just to name a few. From New York to London and Milan to Paris, it was a scintillating affair all around, as designers came through with renewed visions, whether it was through a contemporary revisitation of the archives, or ebullient expressions meant to make people feel hope for the future again.
The details at Trotter’s new Bottega for one, certainly left most stunned; beautiful tinsel skirts and jackets that caught the light, leather dresses that felt suitably bold and intimate, and numerous chic accessories, be it the sunglasses or the bags. Meanwhile Blazy has successfully managed to reinterpret Chanel for the modern woman. Coco Chanel’s knack for borrowing from men’s codes was apparent all over again, with tailoring and movement worked into those Charvet shirts and fluid skirts. Here too, a fabulous scene of refreshed cult bag classics (what would Chanel be without its bags?), from the playful, yet luxe Chanel shopping bag-lookalike, to the interestingly crushed 2.55.
Throughout the season, plenty of other houses made their mark with an inexplicably joyous outing of bags too, Fendi being one of them. With it being Silvia Venturini Fendi’s last bow, there was certainly an unbridled radiance felt all through her spring/summer 2026 runway when it came to her bags; think cushy, cable-knit Baguettes, visibly coloured linings of Peekaboos, and a larger than life patchwork duffel that made its mark. Single handed bags that just might spark a revolution—both at Loewe and Dior—also held the attention of many, perhaps inspired by the idea of having the chaos of your life on display at all times. And then there was the copious amounts of fringe—as if to say the boho renaissance was far from over; at McQueen, at Bottega Veneta, at Valentino.
Before these stunners hit the stores come next spring, peruse the most awe-inspiring bags that stole the show this season.
1 / 27
Bottega Veneta
2 / 27
Fendi
3 / 27
Coach
4 / 27
Chanel
5 / 27
Ferragamo
6 / 27
Loewe
7 / 27
Moschino
8 / 27
Valentino
9 / 27
Rabanne
10 / 27
Jil Sander
11 / 27
Dior
12 / 27
Acne Studios
13 / 27
Balenciaga
14 / 27
Lacoste
15 / 27
Versace
16 / 27
Chloé
17 / 27
Prada
18 / 27
McQueen
19 / 27
Hermès
20 / 27
Chanel
21 / 27
Miu Miu
22 / 27
Louis Vuitton
23 / 27
Burberry
24 / 27
Dries Van Noten
25 / 27
Bottega Veneta
26 / 27
Fendi
27 / 27
