“Would be nice if these models were holding these bags in a way most people would!” PurseBlog reader Layo commented on our review of Fendi’s Fall 2024 runway show.
Models walked down the runway, quite literally, clutching Fendi’s classic Peekaboo and By The Way bags. Instead of toting them via each bag’s top handles, models rested the bags on their hips with their arm slung through the handle and their hands gripping the bottom of the bag.
And it wasn’t just Fendi where this phenomenon took place; on the runway at Ferragamo, it was more of the same, models hugged totes close to their bodies while bags with crossbody straps were cradled in the crooks of the arm.
Then, at Prada, chaos ensued. Fashion chaos, that is.
Part Wristlet, Part Bag?
While walking down the runway, models wore bags like the iconic Prada Galleria and Prada Cleo, a newer House classic, dangling off their wrist. While at first mention, dangling off the wrist sounds somewhat normal, it was actually anything but.
Instead of utilizing the bag’s actual handle, an oversized buckle strap was affixed to each bag, allowing it to teeter on the edge of emptying its imaginary contents onto the runway.
While transitioning a small crossbody bag into a clutch to be cradled under the arm is nothing new à la the Chanel runway—I’ve done it myself, and I love how chic it looks—there is something utterly ridiculous (not to mention cumbersome) about carrying a tote any other way than how it’s intended.
Plus, bigger bags are meant to house our stuff, and that’s gotta be heavy, no? Maybe I just need to get into the gym and lift some weights heavier than 3 pounds, but I digress.
We understand (even more than the average person) that the styling and creative direction behind the scenes are meant to make us think. There’s also the innovation factor, which is appreciated, but for the average consumer, it doesn’t offer a look at how the bag can seamlessly go from runway to real life.
