HERMÉS SPRING/SUMMER 2023 BAGS

Fashion month has just wrapped. After a long lineup of runway shows in New York, London, Milan, and Paris, the world has gotten a sneak peek into the fashion for 2023 and what we’ll all want to be wearing and carrying in the coming new year.

Of course, among the most anticipated of all fashion shows was from the house of Hermès. This season, the French luxury house presented a show of escapism. After the world was at a standstill, enduring endless months of a pandemic and multiple lockdowns over the last two years, Hermés wants to take its customers to an exotic destination outside of the city, with the desert particularly in mind.

Naturally, with it being Hermès, glamping rather than rustic camping was the order of the season. In the words of Hermès creative director Nadège Vanhee-Cybulski, “The Hermès girls are taking a bivouac, a big hike in the desert, and setting up a camp at sunset to have a party, a big rave.” The luxury house certainly delivered clothing and accessories to rave about, especially handbags.

Airy and ethereal silhouettes featured utilitarian elements, all of which were complemented by luxurious handbags in understated silhouettes.

Arcon Shoulder Bag

The new season comes with a new shoulder bag called the Arcon. The new Arcon can be described as a structured hobo bag with its leather shoulder strap and the crescent moon silhouette of the bag’s body. Along with a thick, adjustable shoulder strap, it’s designed with a zippered compartment that’s positioned diagonally across the front of the bag. Next to the outside pocket, the front of the bag also features a lobster claw hook clasp hanging from a D-ring.

The Arcon came down the runway in a few different materials and colorways. Among the most eye-catching were the well-known Hermés grey-brown etoupe shade in epsom leather, a version of the Arcon in grey canvas with contrasting black and brown leather details, as well as other neutral, earthy tones. The shoulder bag’s minimalist, crescent shape and utilitarian details were in keeping with the outdoor desert atmosphere of the spring/summer collection.

Feathered Bucket Bag

Another new Hermés bag for 2023 is a small, bucket bag. The bag features a well-structured north-south cylindrical silhouette. The Hermés bucket bag is designed to be handheld, with a short leather top handle attached from the inside of the bag’s open top. Setting it apart from all other bucket bags is an exterior lined entirely with ostrich feathers. The feathered bag came billowing down the runway in shades of sunset orange, peach, midnight black, and pure white.

Cylindrical Shoulder Bag

The spring/summer 2023 line up of bags from Hermés includes another vertical cylinder bag. This time, the north-south bucket bag appears slightly softer in shape and features a horizontal center seam. While models clutched the bag’s strap in their hands, the style is designed with a longer canvas strap that can be worn over the shoulder. The canvas strap, similar to that of an Evelyne, is attached from the outside of the bag’s small silhouette with a metal d-ring on one end and a hook clasp on the other. 

Like its sister shape, it also features a round open top. However, a distinct feature of the bag is its asymmetrical top, with the round opening slanted at an angle. The bag is also designed with a long, feather bag charm hanging along the backend of the shoulder strap. The cylindrical leather bag was introduced in rich shades of orange, blue, brown, and black.

Half Moon Pouch

The fourth new design from the French luxury house is a pouch with a half-moon shape. Constructed in leather, the pouch seems to be jointly inspired by a saddle taken from Hermés’ equestrian roots and the moon, coming from the outdoor, desert theme of the season. It’s unclear whether the bag is designed as a belt bag, a small shoulder bag, a crossbody or perhaps, like many bags today, it can be adjusted for either function. 

The half-moon pouch is designed with a thin, adjustable leather strap. Like a traditional belt bag, the pouch features a front-facing opening across its top with the silver zipper clearly visible. The smooth leather of the pouch is chicly contrasted with top stitches outlining its silhouette and along its leather strap and zipper pull.

Oversized Shoulder Bag

Perhaps the ultimate oversized bag for glamping, a model carried a tent-like shoulder bag down the runway. The bag was introduced in brown perforated leather that was lined by a mesh fabric, in a darker brown. The soft, shapeless shoulder bag hung from a thick leather shoulder strap in a contrasting orange and featured zippers along two sides. It’s quite unclear how the bag is meant to function but as with all things Hermès, practicality need not apply where luxury and design are second to none.

Feathered Mini Kelly 

Last but not least is a new version of the much-coveted Hermès Kelly. The new version, while mini in size, is larger than the standard Kelly To Go or the Kelly Cut Clutch. It features a thin shoulder strap and can be compared to an elongated Kelly 25, without the top handle. However, what truly makes the 2023 Kelly standout, the pièce de résistance, is the panel of feathers at the front of the purse. 

Below the familiar clasp and right along the bag’s flap are plumes that have been dyed to match the bag in color. The soft and delicate feathers contrast the popular structure of the bag. The striking feathers add a new dimension to the timeless bag, freely swaying in the wind as the straps are held and as the bag swings from the shoulder. The feathered Kelly was presented in desert shades of orange, tan, and black. Hermès lovers the world over will certainly flock to this new, feathered version of the beloved Kelly.