This Is What A “Handbag” Looks Like In 2025 | British Vogue

There’s a difference between a “bag” and a “handbag”. The former is a generic term, widely used to describe any kind of carrier that you can put things in – even those micro pouches that hold next to nothing. The latter is more specific, and in 2025, popular exemplars include (but are not limited to): The Row’s Margaux, Prada’s Buckle, Bottega Veneta’s Andiamo and Ciao Ciao, Balenciaga’s Le City, Miu Miu’s Aventure and Hermès’ Birkin. The Birkin predates the others by almost 20 years, but remains a permanent fixture on the fashion circuit – and a blueprint for what a “handbag” should look like.

Read more: The Key Spring/Summer 2025 Bag Trends To Know Now

This influx of new models, alongside the continued demand for heritage styles, suggests a return of the classic handbag silhouette: broadly defined by a boxy shape, top handles and at least one pocket on the interior or exterior. “For those commuting more regularly, there’s a growing preference for bags that can carry all the essentials in one place,” notes Kay Barron, fashion director at Net-a-Porter. “Carrying a tiny handbag to work isn’t practical, and often requires the need of an additional tote for all the essentials.”

Handbags witnessed a hiatus during the pandemic, when their capacious and practical traits were no longer required as the country descended into lockdown. Since then, as far as bag trends are concerned, accessories have primarily taken the form of crossbodys, XXL totes and tuck-and-go shoulder bags. But the increased interest in The Row’s Margaux – circa 2023 – signified a shift. Dupes came in thick and fast, while the original sold out as quickly as the label’s minimalist-focused founders, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, could restock to meet growing demand.

It’s rare for a bag – especially one from a contemporary brand – to make it into the pantheon of handbag greats, but the Margaux has done just that. The catalysts? A loyal fan base (featuring influential celebrities) and timing. “I feel really fortunate to be very close with those women, and they really do dictate where we go season to season […] When we design, we’re designing for specific clients… We understand what their day looks like, how and when they travel,” Mary-Kate previously told British Vogue. The brand has since released multiple Margaux counterparts that echo its classic handbag shape.

In the same vein, Miuccia Prada introduced the Buckle for spring/summer 2024, which, for many of the same reasons as the Margaux, has been a resounding hit. Of course, Ms. Prada is no stranger to great handbag design: the 2007-launched Galleria and Re-Edition 1995 are just two examples from her vast repertoire. The Buckle, and the over-stuffed buttery leather Beau, debuted on the Miu Miu spring/summer 2024 runway, is her modern interpretation of what a handbag should be.

A$AP Rocky with a Bottega Veneta Andiamo.

Jacob Elordi with a Bottega Veneta Andiamo.

Many people have – and still will – favour totes, rendered in leather or merch-emblazoned canvas, but they posses a different persona to a handbag. Speaking from experience, I can recall the hardwearing handbags that the women in my life have carried over the years; the way they’ve chosen to pack them and the patina they develop over time, whereas totes seem more transient. Sure, they can make a statement of their own – canvas carryalls from The New Yorker, Mubi and Daunt Books are entrenched in social signifiers – but a handbag somehow feels more intentional.

Of course, the handbag market is ever-changing: various women have prompted the rise of – and lent their names to – some of the most iconic styles, but handbags have also found home in men’s wardrobes. A$AP Rocky and Jacob Elordi have fallen for the appeal of Bottega Veneta’s Andiamo, while The Row promotes certain styles in its accessories offering across both men’s and women’s. The handbag might fall in and out of favour in the mainstream and on the runways, but find a good one and you’ll be loyal for life, whatever the trend cycle is saying.

Bottega Veneta

Andiamo Bag

Bottega Veneta

The Row

EW Margaux Bag

The Row

Miu Miu

Aventure Bag

Miu Miu

COS

Suede Bowling Bag

Cos

Gucci

GG Emblem Bag

Gucci

LOEWE

Puzzle Bag

Loewe

Balenciaga

Rodeo Leather Shoulder Bag

Net-a-Porter

Totême

Suede Bag

Toteme

Neous

Aries Bag

Neous

Balenciaga

Le City Bag

eBay

Bottega Veneta

Ciao Ciao Bag

Bottega Veneta

Prada

Leather Buckle Bag

Prada

Chloé

Paddington Bag

eBay

Polène

Numéro Neuf Bag

Polene