As the year comes to and end, we thought it only appropriate to take a look back on celebrities, their handbags and the happy moments they made together. For 2015, we went beyond the usual Chanel Flaps and Hermès Birkins to celebrate some more interesting and seasonal choices; after all, variety is the spice of life.
Check out our picks below and let us know whose handbag style inspired you in 2015.
Alicia Vikander
Louis Vuitton City Steamer Bag
$3,850 via Louis Vuitton
Louis Vuitton was slightly less aggressive with its celebrity handbag placement this year, so I paid more attention when one of the brand’s new celeb faces, It Girl Alicia Vikander, carried a bag like this one. The stately Steamer is barely even available in stores yet, but I think it has serious staying power.
Amber Rose
Moschino Biker Jacket Bag
$2,295 via Saks
Moschino and Amber Rose are a match made in heaven. Her style is an even better fit for the brand than brand ambassador Katy Perry’s, and Amber isn’t even on the payroll (to the best of my knowledge). And really, could a Moschino bag be more Moschino than this Moschino Biker Jacket Bag? We’ll see in 2016.
Cat Deeley
Altuzarra Ghianda Bullrope Shoulder Bag
$2,195 via Barneys
Altuzarra is an established American brand that’s still up-and-coming on the handbag front, and it specializes in gorgeous detailing worthy of your attention. Celebs like Cat Deeley and Olivia Palermo are big fans of Altuzarra, and so are we.
Chrissy Teigen
Chloé Hudson Tassel Shoulder Bag
$2,150 via Barneys
Tassels and fringe have been in for a few seasons now, but PB readers were still instantly swept away by Chrissy Teigen’s Chloé Hudson Tassel Shoulder Bag. You’ll notice some similarities between this bag and the Altuzarra we just showed you. Frankly, with all the great bags Chloé is putting out these days, I think I’d prefer the former for variety’s sake.
Elle Fanning
Gucci Dionysus Blooms Bag
$2,490 via Gucci
Gucci had a surefire hit on their hands with its new Blooms line, and we’ve been showing these bags love all year. Of course, we were delighted when the Elle Fannings of the world started carrying the design. This bodes extremely well for Gucci.
Kiernan Shipka
Coach Swagger 20 Bag
$262 via Coach
Coach does a great job of getting its bags in the right hands, and the brand had a serious win in 2015 when it sent Kiernan Shipka to NYFW with the Swagger 20. (The 20 refers to the bag’s size: 20cm across.)
Lady Gaga
Valentino My Rockstud Top Handle Bag
$3,045 via farfetch.com
Valentino’s My Rockstud was a huge hit with celebrities. We were not at all surprised when Jessica Alba or Jessica Simpson stepped out with one, but we were strangely delighted when Lady Gaga gave the bag her endorsement, in her unique Lady Gaga way.
Lupita Nyong’o
Prada Inside Bag
$3,450 via Bergdorf Goodman
The Prada Inside Bag can be a tougher sell in photos than it should be, as a large part of the design’s appeal lies, well, inside. This shot of Lupita Nyong’o carrying hers on Broadway gives you a good feel for the bag’s classic, practical appeal.
Patti LaBelle
Goyard Saigon Top Handle Bag
Goyard was definitely having a moment in the waning months of 2015, but picking a single Goyard style to include in this “Best Of” seemed almost as pointless as including a Chanel Flap–we’re well aware of the bags’ lasting appeal and all the ways to wear them. Until we remembered Patti LaBelle and her beloved Goyard Saigon Top Handle Bag, that is. If anyone’s going to rep for Goyard and its timeless style, it should absolutely be Patti LaBelle.
Reese Witherspoon
Chloé Georgia Shoulder Bag
$1,090 via Net-a-Porter
I don’t think we could’ve predicted the kind of return to form Chloé would have in 2015 a couple of years ago. Of all the slam-dunk styles they put in stores this year, the Georgia might have been the sleeper hit of the bunch, but Reese Witherspoon and I both feel it deserves its moment in the sun.
Reese Witherspoon
Salvatore Ferragamo Fiamma Bag
$1,750 via farfetch.com
I have done a lot of waxing poetic about Reese Witherspoon and her Fiamma bags this year. Reese acted as chief celebrity ambassador for Salvatore Ferragamo for the entire year, so we can’t just ignore her efforts. Also, we love the Fiamma.
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley
Saint Laurent Studded Bucket Bag
$1,350 via Net-a-Porter
Did we experience Peak Bucket Bag in 2015? That remains to be seen, but I doubt any designer will be able to top Rosie Huntington-Whiteley’s Saint Laurent Studded Bucket Bag. (But I’d love for them to try.)
