Until I stumbled upon this picture of a Celine Woven Luggage Tote in Style.com’s Fall 2013 accessories listing, it hadn’t occurred to me that Celine, for all the different iterations of the famous Luggage Tote that its produced over the bag’s short life, has never gotten particularly adventurous. One season brought us a couple of neon shades, produced in small numbers that sold out immediately, and another brought us a Nano with a shearling panel. Beyond that, though, we’ve seen a fairly standard lineup of solid and colorblocked colors and textures. That’s probably owing largely to Celine’s penchant for what’s often termed the “new minimalism,” but this photo indicates that things might be about to expand in the world of the Luggage Tote.
This photo appears to show the back of the bag, based on my own experience with the Celine Luggage Tote – it’s not just that there’s no front pocket or logo, but that the tab at the top of the bag appears on the back panel of regular Luggage Totes. Style.com doesn’t appear to have a picture of the front panel. (Unless, of course, Celine is pulling some kind of funny business and this IS the front. I wouldn’t put it past Phoebe Philo, she of the fur shoes.)
If this bag means a newfound willingness to tinker with the winning Luggage Tote forumla, then I’m interested to see what will come next. Celine’s aesthetic can be a bit limiting on the bag front, though – things like studs, embroidery or crystals wouldn’t fit at all. Even this simple tricolor woven leather feels a bit rococo in the context of the bag. What do you think? Are you excited to see what’s to come from a bag you’ve already seen in practically every color?
