This gives a whole new meaning to stealing your boyfriend’s shirt. Now, we’re full-on shopping the other side of the store… and that includes the bags.
Gone are the days of the cringeworthy man bag. For Spring/Summer 2020, menswear bags have been given a revamp and we ladies want in on it!
During Men’s Fashion Week in Paris, a new trend stood out. The man bag got a makeover! No longer just boxy and utilitarian, they were cool and interesting. We couldn’t help but feel a tinge (okay a bit more than that) of jealousy.
Here are PurseBop’s top picks of the most stylish male arm candy from the Paris runways. And who says they’re just for men?
Louis Vuitton
Photo courtesy: Jason Lloyd-Evans
Virgil Abloh is no stranger to inspiring some serious bag envy but this season the artistic director of Louis Vuitton men’s wear turned it up a notch with the bags from the spring/summer 2020 menswear collection.
Building on designs from his Fall/Winter 2019 collection for the brand, Abloh employed bright colour and unusual bag shapes to make his mark on men’s accessories. Using the beloved Monogram and Damier prints in a mixture of materials and textures, Abloh’s designs are instantly recognizable. New shapes and colours not commonly seen in the women’s collections have allowed the designer to create his own unique twist on classic prints and styles.
Photo courtesy: Filippo Fior/Gorunway.com
Photo courtesy: Filippo Fior/Gorunway.com
Who says men travel light? This triangular Keepall in Abloh’s take on the house’s signature Damier print would beg to differ.
Photo courtesy: Filippo Fior/Gorunway.com
They may be late to the party but Louis Vuitton men are finally getting into the Mini Bag trend. About time!
One piece resembled a miniature trunk, again sporting Abloh’s take on the house’s Damier print. With a black trim and studs, this mini is everything a mini should be – chic, compact and resembling a classic. Smaller than the women’s mini trunk – the trend is really being embraced here! Abloh has shaken up what we expect from man bags.
Photo courtesy: Filippo Fior/Gorunway.com
Abloh’s trunk designs were not restricted to miniature form. Models walked the runway carrying trunks of all colours, textures and sizes. The designer is described as the bridge between contemporary streetwear and luxury. In this Abloh’s true genius lies. He understands that in order to move a brand forward you must look back. His designs celebrate Louis Vuitton’s heritage as well as embracing its future which will no doubt be one of innovation.
Photo courtesy: Filippo Fior/Gorunway.com
Photo courtesy: Filippo Fior/Gorunway.com
Abloh put his own stamp on the classic Louis Vuitton trunk design Photo courtesy: Filippo Fior/Gorunway.com
Hermès
It’s easy for Hermès bags designed specifically with men in mind to be overshadowed by the likes of the Birkin. However, there may be hope yet. Hermès veteran,Véronique Nichanian, showcased her spring/summer 2020 menswear collection for the house on the Paris runway last month and some of the bags took our fancy.
Belt Bags probably aren’t the first thing that come to mind when you think of Hermès and yet something tells us we should get used to the image.
Photo courtesy: Alessandro Lucioni/Gorunway.com
Photo courtesy: Alessandro Lucioni/Gorunway.com
It even works when worn cross-body.
Photo courtesy: Alessandro Lucioni/Gorunway.com
The beloved Birkin may typically be viewed as a bag for women but this didn’t stop Nichanian from designing man-size Birkin variations in leather-accented canvas. With the investment value of a Birkin Bag becoming more and more common knowledge, it may be wise to snap up one of these new designs as soon as you can.
Photo courtesy: Alessandro Lucioni/Gorunway.com
Dior
Photo courtesy: Christina Fragkou
Described as looking like it had been “dug up from a futuristic world”, the Dior spring/summer 2020 menswear collection designed by Kim Jones did not disappoint.
Inspired by radical artist Daniel Arsham, Jones used the collection to bring Dior menswear firmly into the 21st century. Vogue comments how far the house has come since the days of the Dior gray men’s suit that the house’s menswear was synonymous with. Transferring embellishments and techniques from the women’s couture side of the house gave this collection a unique look and feel.
Structured cross-body design in light fuchsia Photo courtesy: Christina Fragkou
You’ll be pleased to know that the Dior Saddle Bag is going nowhere. Jones payed homage to John Galliano’s time at the house with a newspaper print Saddle Bag. The iconic design debuted at John Galliano’s spring/summer 2000 collection for Dior so it seems only fitting that two decades later Jones would want to showcase it once more. Kim Kardashian rocked a similar design earlier this year.
Photo courtesy: Christina Fragkou
Photo courtesy: Rex
The futuristic collection said a lot about the future of menswear. Sarah Mower put it best when writing for Vogue, “Jones clearly believes that 21st-century men see the rigid gendered binaries their fathers and grandfathers conformed to as a thing of the past.” No longer restricted by the confines of gender stereotypes, menswear is set to change. If the spring/summer 2020 menswear shows are anything to go by then this change is set to be momentous.
While it’s easy to see the latest menswear accessories as simply some new, cool and colourful pieces that any gender would want to own, they signify so much more than that. The new wave of designers eager to throw away the rule book and make strict gender dressing divisions a thing of the past are set to propel menswear clothing and accessories to the next level. Are you ready?
What are your thoughts on men’s handbags?
Would you ever shop the other side?
Which of our picks are you crushing on? Let us know.
Love, PurseBop
XO
Updated: July 17th, 2019
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