From ultra-covetable buys at The Row to cultish new labels such as Savette and reissued heroes by Chloé, AW25 is awash with covetable totes; here’s everything you need to know about the season’s hot ticket bags …
It started like a lot of things in fashion do: with the Olsen twins. A rare photo of business moguls and fashion designers Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen out on the town – in full autumnal regalia – not only sent the internet into a tailspin, it also acted as an agenda-setter of sorts for the incoming season. Top of the list: a trophy bag. As the Olsens strategically used their handbags to shield themselves from the glare of the paparazzi, it could easily have been mistaken for a PR stunt (though, we know better), so perfectly positioned were their glossy carry-alls. While Ashley carried an alligator top handle Lady bowling bag, her twin trailed behind her with a slouched Agnes top handle leather tote: both of which are by the sisters’ premium fashion label The Row, naturally. It was a boon for off-duty dressing – and for structured ‘It’ bags everywhere.
These aren’t the only styles by the New York-based label that come with a cult status – and the jangle of quiet luxury. The Margaux – a softly-structured top handle bag with distinctive, gusseted sides – has fast become known as the modern day Birkin. And for AW25, there’s a new player in the ring: the Marlo. Think: a sleek bag that’s a softer shape than the Margaux but, equally, one that doesn’t sacrifice on size. The bag arrives to Brown Thomas later this month and will be available in shades of grey, green, black and brown. “The Marlo is the ultimate in luxury bags: it’s discreet, but also practical and roomy,” says Tracey Despard, head of fashion buying at Brown Thomas.
Brown Marlo 17 leather bag, €6,290; www.therow.com.
When it comes to key AW25 bag trends, the most prevalent one, according to Despard, is fashion’s continued love affair with brown suede. Popular for its tactility and decadence, it’s also ultra-wearable, with shades from beige, tan and chocolate teaming effortlessly with an autumnal palette. According to Despard, what’s new this season is suede intermingled with other materials. “We’re seeing a lot of mixed mediums, suede mixed with leather, creating a striped effect such as with Loewe‘s Puzzle bag this season,” she says.
Black Puzzle suede and leather bag, Loewe, €3,300; www.net-a-porter.com.
There’s also a nostalgic mood, with cult bags from the 2000s being reissued. It’s no surprise that these totes – worn and loved by poster girls such as Kate Moss, Alexa Chung and Sienna Miller – are seeing a resurgence, as their original style continues to influence how we dress. Take for instance, Mulberry’s Roxanne bag, reissued alongside a smaller shoulder size. Equally, Chloé’s Paddington bag – its signature shape and hardware made it a stalwart of Y2K fashion – makes a return this season, alongside a family of new Paddington iterations, at the hands of the brand’s new creative director Chemena Kamali. Indeed, the bag has already been carried by Chung, who walked the runway for Chloé’s AW25 fashion show.
Image: Instagram @nicholasgrimshaw.
Elsewhere, there was significant Instagram buzz generated by Longchamp’s London Calling collection, in part thanks to a launch party swilling with celebrities. See: the crew with Pixie Geldolf, Bel Powley and Poppy Delevingne (pictured, above) who posed with the heritage brand’s new season bags which play with candy-hued colour. In other internet news, Celine‘s new creative director Michael Ryder dropped the Printemps 2026 campaign which features the Cabas luggage bag – a flat luggage bag in glossy calfskin, with a playful smiley zip – available in selected stores and online at the end of September. Equally as appealing are the stacked necklaces and rings heroed in the campaign imagery which speak to a modern kind of Parisian gypset that’s highly aspirational.
One bag brand to watch is newcomer brand Savette which finds its first Irish bricks-and-mortar home this season as part of the AW25 collection at Brown Thomas. Founded in 2020 by alumna of The Row Amy Zurek, the New York brand has gained traction for exceptional leather goods that tap into the current appetite for future heirlooms. The aesthetic is luxurious – and dainty. Think: petite brown cross-bodies fashioned from super-soft suede and sleek, structured micro-totes in shades of cream and black.
Brown Symmetry suede mini crossbody bag, Savette, €1,200, at Brown Thomas.
Another brand that nails that sleek, working girl look is London-based label DeMellier, makers of minimalist carry-alls. The brand’s signature The New York Tote boasts a wide shape, reminiscent of Celine’s now discontinued Trapeze handbag, which was designed with distinctive winged sides by Phoebe Philo in 2010. Despard sums up it up as the mid-range bag that resonates with the cool girl. “It’s an everywhere bag: you can wear it to work, you can wear it shopping, it’s just such an easy, great piece,” she says. As before, iterations in brown suede are very of the moment; however, the leopard print varieties evoke more premium brands such as Khaite which is betting big on animal print for the season ahead.
Brown The New York Midi suede tote, DeMellier, €560, at Brown Thomas.
Leopard print The New York calf hair tote, €790; www.demellierlondon.com.
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