Prada’s Nylon Bags are Fall 2017’s Most Functional Handbag Comeback

These lightweight, neutral, durable bags are both on-trend and super useful

There’s only on sector of the fashion industry that’s been largely untouched by the megatrends of streetwear and athleisure: handbags. Everything from sneakers to bomber jackets have come into favor over the past few seasons because of the super-duper casual direction of the industry, but when it comes to bags, it’s so hard to convince shoppers to go with anything other than leather that the sporty trend has been largely stymied. There’s one existing brand with a big opportunity to change that, though: Prada.

In order for luxury bag shoppers to look at anything other than leather, a brand needs a strong narrative on why they should, and that story usually centers around either quality or a material’s specific history with a brand. That’s why so many people are willing to pay top dollar for Louis Vuitton’s coated canvases: not only are they super durable and functional, but they’re part of the brand’s long-term history and public perception in such a way that they don’t feel alien to the concept of luxury.

Prada’s nylon value proposition is similar. Not only is its Tessuto nylon lightweight, durable and super functional, but the image of a sporty, utilitarian black nylon bag with a Prada logo triangle is about as iconic as anything else in the pantheon of great accessories. I’ve been expecting these bags, which hit their previous popularity peak in the 90s and early 2000s, to have a resurgence for a while now, and some super-stylish celeb support (including names as disparate as Dakota Fanning and Kourtney Kardashian) mean that it indeed seems to be happening.

If you haven’t checked out Prada’s nylon offerings recently, they’ve expanded a bit. Not only are there plenty of simple, foundational bags like those you remember (with many of the same designs having been produced continuously since then), but the brand has also expanded nylon to some of its more fashion-focused bags, like the Prada Corsaire Saddle Bag. Check out a bunch of our nylon favorites, both traditional and new, below.