Two years ago to the day, my mom and I travelled to Paris together to celebrate her 70th birthday. I didn’t know it then, but on that trip, my mom would fall in love with designer bags. In the two years since, her collection has expanded to include a Loewe Puzzle Bag from that first trip, the Loewe Raffia Crossbody, Bottega Veneta Andiamo, and most recently, a Louis Vuitton Alma.
Her collection also includes a few contemporary bags and an old blush pink Chloé Marcie that my dad bought her during my internship at Chloé. She’s slowly building her collection, averaging around 2 bags a year, and looking at the bags she has to see what she needs.
Most recently, I got a call from her—my favorite kind of call! The one where she’s decided she needs a new designer bag, and this time, she’s on the lookout for a white shoulder bag, all thanks to my coverage last month on Gucci’s new fall arrivals.
Immediately, I told her to look at the Celine Triomphe too, which offers a very similar feel to the Gucci Siena bag, but has proven its staying power. Both bags are similar in shape, offer a flap closure, and are defined by bold gold hardware. Similar, but different. Let’s get into it!
Celine Classique Triomphe Bag
The iconic Celine Triomphe logo, revived by Hedi Slimane when he took over Celine’s helm, is one of the brand’s most important motifs. Though the motif had not been used in some time, one of Slimane’s biggest (and earliest) decisions was to bring back the storied logo.
The Triomphe made its debut at Celine’s Spring 2019 show, marking Slimane’s runway debut. Rooted in Parisian history, the logo, which contains double links forming two Cs, is inspired by the Arc de Triomphe and dates back to Celine’s early days. The bold logo was introduced as the finishing touch to a classic Celine silhouette: the boxed bag.
The Celine Triomphe was born, quickly becoming a new House icon, and it remains an integral part of the Celine family, proving its staying power. The teen size retails for $4,250 and has overall dimensions of 8.7″ x 6.1″ x 2.4″. It’s lined in lambskin, has three inner compartments, and has an adjustable shoulder strap.
Gucci Siena Small Shoulder Bag
Next, we have the Gucci Siena, which is defined by its half-Horsebit hardware. A Gucci brand signifier for over 70 years, the half-Horsebit refreshes an iconic symbol that Gucci lovers know and love.
It first debuted in the 1970s and was widely used again throughout the 2000s, on bags, shoes, and more. This season, the half Horsebit takes center stage once again—the focal point of the new Siena bag. Debuting as part of the Fall 2025 collection, the Siena feels both modern and vintage.
Its interior is very similar to the Triomphe’s, featuring 3 compartments; it is also lined in leather. The Siena has overall dimensions of 8.9″ x 5.5″ x 3.1, making it comparable in size to the classic Triomphe. Its strap allows for short or long shoulder wear, as well as crossbody wear.
How Do They Stack Up?
Similar in style, color, size, and even price (though the Celine is $300 more), it really comes down to preference, and truthfully, I would recommend either of the bags. The major key difference is that the Gucci Siena is brand new this season, while the Celine Triomphe has proven its staying power time and time again.
Another difference is that the Gucci Siena can be shortened due to the strap’s construction. Truthfully, I don’t like straps constructed this way, looping through hardware on the top of the bag. I prefer the construction of the Celine Triomphe, which just so happens to be one of my all-time favorite logos.
Which would you choose?
Gucci
Love that your mom is a bag collector at her age! Fashion has no age limits!
What difference does it make how old you are?
Celine!
I would choose the Celine only because I do not like when the bags straps loop through the top. I’m very tall and might end up with the Gucci if the straps work better for my height even though I hate that strap construction. Something to consider if your mother is tall.
I like the Gucci bag.