8 Newer Designer Bags I'm Starting to See Everywhere

Can you recall the first designer bag you ever had? For me, it was a gift from my father—a '90-inspired rainbow-hued Coach bag with an aqua-blue shoulder strap that I wore to death. The joy that my first bag brought me turned me into somewhat of a purse aficionado. I'm always stalking the runway to spot which bag trends are bubbling up, I'm forever scrolling through The RealReal for hidden gems, and I am constantly scouring sales to secure a bag for less. Basically, I'm a bag lady to my core. And if you're reading this, I'm guessing that you, too, have a thing for handbags. Although I love my bags, that doesn't mean that discerning which designer handbags are worth the investment comes easy.

It makes it more challenging because there's a constant stream of new designer bags, and I'm generally pickier. I'm chasing that original euphoric feeling my first bag gave me, and if I'm being honest, not every bag can conjure butterflies. So which styles can make me giddy again? Ahead, I did some research around recent luxury drops and dug around Instagram to identify the eight newest designer handbags to be excited about right now. These are not only gaining popularity with the fashion set, but they're also bound to make you feel like a child with an exciting new toy.

"So is Diesel back?" This question posed by a friend in my direct messages a few weeks back made it clear that this brand has reentered the chat (quite literally). While this Italian brand has always managed to cause a stir because of its alternative aesthetic, its newfound buzz can be attributed to Glenn Martens. Appointed as the creative director in 2020, Martens has brought the brand into the future while paying homage to the label's history.

You can see that artful balance throughout the Diesel F/W 22 collection—denim and leather pieces were created using distressing techniques but were packaged into nostalgic '00s hemlines (e.g., motorcycle jackets paired with miniskirts and low-rise jeans with matching boots). But possibly the strongest indicator of the direction Martens is carrying Diesel into is the release of the 1DR Shoulder Bag. The handbag gives off a "motorcycle chick in 2003" vibe, but don't be fooled. This bag is the future—not just because it comes in metallic hues, but because it's steadily becoming the embodiment of a conversational piece. 

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Which brands come to mind when you're contemplating handbags that stand the test of time? There's definitely no shortage of luxury brands out there, but if I'm being honest, none can quite do it like Gucci. There's a laundry list of bags from this Italian fashion house that have managed to become cemented as It bags, from the GG Marmont to the Jackie 1961 to the Dionysus. The brand's ability to draw inspiration from the archives and revitalize pieces for the present moment makes it—and, by extension, its bags—stand the test of time. Such was the case with the release of the New Blondie in May 2022. Before Gucci's S/S 22 collection presentation in Los Angeles, you could only find this handbag style on online resale platforms like eBay, as it was released in 1971.

But the genius of Gucci—to the credit of Creative Director Alessandro Michele—is that there's an understanding that evolution is a key part of keeping a legacy brand alive, and it's the secret to doling out the best designer bags in the game. This makes the return of the Blondie bag all the more exciting. This bag may be from the '70s, but it's brought into this decade through a focus on versatility. It's available in clutch, messenger, and shoulder iterations and is offered in leather, suede, and canvas, all adorned with the iconic interlocking-G symbol. The result is a bag that's very much of-the-moment but can stand the test of time too.

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Consider this your public service announcement that there are a ton of contemporary luxury brands creating handbags worth buying, and BY FAR happens to be one of them. Since its founding in 2016 by Bulgarian sisters Valentina Ignatova, Sabina Gyosheva, and Denitsa Bumbarova, this luxury label has cemented itself as a trendsetter in the industry. And this isn't just because it has been spotted on the celeb and fashion sets alike. (Though, that helps.) This brand has a knack for taking classic silhouettes and applying a more trend-forward spin that leads to the pieces going viral. Just look to the brand's hero bag, Rachel, as proof—the '90s-inspired crocodile shoulder bag adorned with a chain managed to kick-start the frenzy for the nostalgic silhouette back in 2019. But these sisters aren't resting on their laurels. Season after season, they manage to up their game, and the most recent example of that is the release of the Dulce Shoulder Bag. 

From BY FAR's Pre-Fall 22 collection, the Dulce Shoulder Bag is the type of bag that can make you stop mid-scroll. It's got that classic '00s shape and is adorned with crystals and studs. It also comes in everything from leather to suede, from neutrals to metallics. Basically, it's got all the elements to be an It bag, and I'll be placing heavy bets that, come fall, you won't be able to scroll without spotting this BY FAR bag.

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Candidly speaking here, I don't think a day has passed this year that I didn't hear someone talking about one specific brand—Miu Miu. Of course, this Italian luxury house has always had a space in the fashion lexicon since its founding by Miuccia Bianchi Prada in 1993, but that doesn't take away from the fact that the fashion set has been under a Miu Miu spell this past year. It wasn't a potion that transfixed all fashion people. Rather, the brand's viral S/S 22 and F/W 22 collections championed micro miniskirts, moto jackets, and ballet flats. While social media was rightfully set ablaze by Miu Miu's ready-to-wear and footwear collections, we should give equal attention to the brand's handbags—more specifically, the Matelassé. 

This bag has been an It bag for years because of its cloudlike leather, but its most recent iteration is an elixir for the bag lady chasing that euphoric feeling. The Wander Matelassé Hobo Bag comes in a sleek curved shape in various sizes and hues. There's even a version constructed from regenerated nylon made from recycled plastic bottles. The result is a bag that can manage to eclipse our wildest fantasies, all while being functional enough for everyday wear. Maybe it's magic, or maybe it's Miu Miu. Either way, it's safe to say this new designer handbag is a must-shop. 

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The beauty of a legacy brand like Celine is that, at any point in time, a creative director can look to the past and pull inspiration from it to create something that feels entirely brand-new. Designing something new, though, doesn't come without its fair share of controversies, and Celine has had them for sure. Many may remember how shaken up the industry was by the appointment of Hedi Slimane as creative director of Celine back in 2018, yet that was his exact purpose—to shake the ground a bit and unearth some gems in the process. On a larger scale, you can see that through Celine's expansion into menswear and couture, but at a more approachable level, it's most visible through the release of the Triomphe bag.

While this style was first shown in Celine's F/W 21 collection, it made a triumphant return in the brand's S/S 22 collection and has not left the chat since. The rise in popularity of this bag can partially be attributed to the fact that it's been spotted on everyone from Kaia Gerber to Selena Gomez, but it also has to do with the bag itself. The Triomphe bag pays homage to the brand's long heritage of minimalism, yet the details are where you can find Slimane's touch. It's clear that the house's foundations are there, but Slimane has decorated it in a whole new way, from sourcing calfskin leather to adding a chain strap and reimagining the interlocking-C logo as a closure for the bag. 

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Editors, to some extent, can become immune to the excitement surrounding a new launch, collection, or season. We've seen it all, honey. But every once in a while, something will come along and make our hearts flutter. For me, it just so happened to be the release of the Fendigraphy bag. It was first unveiled in Fendi's S/S 22 collection, and you'd think the bag would be the last thing I'd spot. After all, the runway was filled with beautiful '70s-inspired coats paired with illustrated knee-high boots, full-length satin maxi dresses, and colorful kaftans. Yet it was the bag that was the final nail in the coffin for me. Of course, I'm not the first person to lose it over a Fendi bag. Since the brand's founding in 1925, leather goods and handbags have been a pivotal part of this maison's success. The fact that you can identify a Fendi bag because of its logo is a part of what makes Fendi, well, Fendi. 

Logomania would not be what it is today without this luxury house. And while we've seen a subtle shift away from the head-to-toe-logo look, Fendi has made it feel fresh by introducing the Fendigraphy bag. Unlike previous bags, the vintage-gold "Fendi" lettering can only be spotted in a flash second when the purse is held on your shoulder at an angle, making it a more minimal take on logo adornment. If that weren't enough to sell you this bag, then consider the fact that it's available in three different sizes, various fabrics (such as suede, canvas, and leather), and multiple colors and prints. With so much versatility and its prominent placement in Fendi's F/W 22 collection, it's safe to say this bag will be everywhere in a flash.

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Close your eyes and visualize what comes to mind when you think about Prada—was it a triangle? If so, you'd be angling in the right direction. In the long tradition of this luxury house, this symbol has been a part of the brand's identity since Mario Prada first introduced it in 1913. Since then, it's been reenvisioned throughout the years in everything from pointy-toed heels to earrings. Each iteration of the triangle symbol thus far has managed to acutely tap into the latent desires of the fashion set without being obtuse. It's resulted in a brand that's effectively established itself as the pinnacle of fashion repeatedly and continuously has pieces reach cult status every season.

Prada's F/W 22 collection will be no exception, as it has many pieces that are prime to go viral (such as its minimalist tanks and slingback wedges). But I'm personally hedging my bets on the Symbole Jacquard Fabric Handbag. Miuccia Prada has taken the traditional motif and created a geometric design that is a minimal print with maximum impact. 

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Apologies to all my fellow mini-bag lovers, but consider this your sign that it may be time to move on to bigger bags. Of course, it's a hard transition, but luckily for us, Saint Laurent is here to save the day. Anyone who's ever considered investing in a designer handbag probably knows that this French house has long been considered one of the top luxury labels in the world. So it's no surprise that, when Creative Director Anthony Vaccarello showed the Saint Laurent F/W 22 collection in March sans handbags, it became a topic of discussion on Twitter. Hindsight shows, though, that Vaccarello wasn't thwarting the success of the brand's bags—he was making space for the splashy unveiling of the Icare Maxi Shopping Bag. 

Campaigns promoting the Icare were rolled out this past summer and featured It girls such as Zoë Kravitz and Bieber. Since then, this bag has become a fast favorite with the fashion set because of its quilted lambskin, classic YSL hardware, and spacious interior. While it's only available in one hue currently, the tote is a reminder that great bags come to those who wait. Like children anticipating the holiday season, bag lovers must remind themselves that identifying the next It bag is a waiting game. You never know which bag will become popular or which one you'll manage to fall for. Still, the excitement of finally finding a great bag is worth it every time. 

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Next: I Researched the Cheapest Bags From Every Designer Brand—These 27 Are Worth It