Some trends make sense. Navy! Chain Details! Fur and calf hair! All of those things, with their relatively heavy feel, sound right at home on a fall handbag. Or, you know, on a handbag in general. Somehow, though, handbags with eyes seem to be just as popular for the impending season. If you understand what all those words mean, but not necessarily in that order, read on below.
I’m not talking about the bags that have abstract “faces” made out of design elements like conveniently placed zippers or hardware bales. I’m talking about actual eyes, sometimes with lashes, that are intended to be the focal point of an entire handbag. If you feel something look at you this fall and just can’t place it, look down – it might be a fellow party-goer’s clutch.
Eyes are most commonly found in fashion through modern interpretations of the various global talismans, like the Egyptian Eye of Horus or charms meant to ward off the malevolent powers of the evil eye. Most famous are the hamsa charms of the Arab world, which feature an eye in the palm of a hand, but there’s nothing historical about these handbags. I’m getting a vaguely Illuminati-referencing vibe from Kenzo’s interpretation in particular, but beyond that, I have no idea how any of this happened, let alone how all these various designers, who generally have wildly varying collections, ended up on the eye motif all at the same time. Still, with this many eyes popping up on bags, it’s a bona fide trend.