The influx of designer debuts at several major houses this season brought a number of spring/summer 2026 bag trends to the fore. “I was interested in that kind of aspect of time and something you cherish,” Matthieu Blazy said of his new takes on Chanel’s iconic 2.55 bags – which were reinforced with wire so that they could be manipulated, giving a warped and aged effect – that he revealed at his debut.
Dabbling in the accessory archives was, by no surprise, a common theme for newcomers: at Balenciaga, Pierpaolo Piccioli updated the Le City bag; Jonathan Anderson updated the Lady Dior, and Michael Rider brought back Phoebe Philo’s Phantom bag at Celine, complete with curved zips that leant into its “smiley face bag” nickname.
Anderson’s Lady Dior – and the angular top handles he included in his inaugural collection for the house – was one of many new “ladylike” bags to take to the runways. Defined for their slight silhouettes, which riff on 1940s and ’50s purses, with top handles and understated hardware, these styles put a fresh spin on the trad handbag.
Chain-handled silhouettes were another key spring/summer 2026 bag trend to emerge at the shows, seen at Chloé, Ferragamo, Stella McCartney, Valentino, Givenchy and Chanel (the maison is, of course, synonymous with chains, which were also woven into the hemlines of shirts made in collaboration with Charvet.)
Here, Vogue brings a taster of the key spring/summer 2026 bag trends – to be updated when the new collections arrive in stores.
Fresh takes on archive classics
Chanel, Celine, Balenciaga (middle), Dior, Fendi
Creative directors often head to the archives upon their appointment at a new house to ideate new design codes that will mark their tenure, yet there can be a reluctance to mess with the classics too much. Matthieu Blazy’s reinvigorated 2.55 Chanel flap bag retained the iconic quilting and chain handle, but was given new life with structural wire to make it look as if it were frozen in time. At Balenciaga, Pierpaolo Piccioli delivered new Le City bags; at Celine, Michael Rider reintroduced the brand’s famed Phantom, beloved by It-girls in the Noughties, while Jonathan Anderson added contemporary edge to the historic Lady Dior. As the saying goes: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
₹2,27,000
Balenciaga – Le city small textured leather tote
₹3,30,000
Fendi – Vintage yellow sunset beaded baguette bag
₹3,25,000
Dior – Lady d-joy micro bag
₹3,55,000
Celine – Medium smiling new luggage bag
New “ladylike”
Toteme, Khaite, Prada (middle), Bottega Veneta, Loewe
