Trends come and go, but if there’s one thing we’re certain of by now, it’s that they always come back again. Fashion is cyclical, and almost everything that’s trending at any given time is either a direct revival of a past trend or a reinterpretation of one.
In the last decade, the cyclical nature of fashion has been thrown in our faces season after season as the trending bags of today are really the It-bags of yesteryear. Nearly every major design House has taken a piece of the archival revival pie, from the Dior Saddle Bag and Fendi Baguette to almost every popular bag at the House of Gucci (I’m talking the Jackie 1961, Diana, Horsebit 1955, Blondie Bag, and more).
Fall 2025 and the Battle of the Revivals
While the earliest revivals were an ode to the logo love of the late 90s and early 2000s, most recently, we had a battle of the revivals for the Fall 2025 season. The recently relaunched Fendi Spy was finally back, alongside one of the first major It-bags, the Chloé Paddington.
Some naysayers are quick to argue that the archival revival boom is lazy, boring, or uninspired. While I can certainly understand this nostalgia fatigue, personally, I’ve loved this era in fashion. As a younger Millennial, I remember most of these bags, but they were all far out of my reach when they were first released.
It’s been exciting to be a part of this renaissance—uniquely, I’m able to share it with the older generation of bag lovers, many of whom owned these bags and still have them in their closets, as well as the newbies, who are experiencing them for the first time.
Nostalgia or Innovation? The Debate Around Bag Revivals
From this perspective, it makes sense why they work; those who loved the bags in their heyday appreciate the nostalgia, while younger handbag collectors can experience them with fresh eyes and wonder.
I hope our obsession with vintage bags never ends. I’d love to see the Chloé Betty bag join its sister revival as the BoHo boom continues, which is of the moment thanks to its utilitarian feel and exterior cargo pockets.
Which bag are you hoping will return to ubiquity?
balanciaga city tote
So Kelly
Maybe this isn’t trendy to say because it isn’t a brand that I feel like anyone is talking about – but how about the Amalia bag from Lanvin???
It has an East-West shape but doesn’t feel too derivative, I love the chain with the ribbon and bow, which would lend itself to adding bag charms and maximalism that some people really like right now.