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.
The Key Spring/Summer 2026 Handbag Trends:
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 reworked 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 traditional handbag.
Chain-handled silhouettes emerged as another key Spring/Summer 2026 bag trend, spotted across the runways at Chloé, Ferragamo, Stella McCartney, Valentino, Givenchy, and Chanel—a maison, of course, synonymous with chains, which this season even extended beyond handbags and into shirt hemlines via a collaboration with Charvet.
Elsewhere, the idea that good things come in small packages rang especially true at Prada, where drawstring duster pouches in marigold, lilac, and powder pink quietly stole the spotlight. The Milanese label wasn’t alone in incorporating the style: the elegant pouch appeared across the runways at Loewe—in the form of a refreshed Flamenco—as well as at Miu Miu, Celine, and Valentino once again.
As for color, cobalt blue proved to be the hue to know, with brands from Fendi to Victoria Beckham cranking up the voltage on shades that felt bold, saturated, and impossible to ignore. Rounding out the season’s standout shapes were slouchy shoulder bags from Altuzarra, Kallmeyer, and Toteme, alongside bowling bags from Jil Sander, Balenciaga, and Louis Vuitton.
Here, Vogue brings a taster of the key spring/summer 2026 trends, to be updated accordingly as the new collections continue to arrive in stores.
The Slouchier, the Better
One way to describe the season’s most covetable new bags? Perfectly undone. From Chanel and Valentino to Dior and Loewe, totes arrived with more slouch than ever—crafted in supple, worn-in leathers, buttery suedes, and finished with zippers left intentionally half open. The effect was studied yet nonchalant, echoing fashion’s current mood: effortlessly cool, pulled together without a hint of preciousness. Consider it a trend stamped with the approval of Jonathan Anderson and Matthieu Blazy alike. And while we wait for the runway favorites to land in stores, understated shoulder bags from Madewell, Wandler, and Toteme channel the look with equal ease.
