While No One Was Watching Them, Quilted Bags Took Over the Accessories Market

It has a lot to do with Chanel, yes, but also Gucci

Some trends you notice immediately, like when a season’s new arrivals start to come in and everything is velvet or neon or covered in embroidery. Other trends sneak up on you, usually because they’re something that doesn’t ever go away entirely, like studs or, in this case, quilted leather. Quilting is most commonly associated with Chanel bags, but when paging through new Resort 2018 pre-orders this week, I realized just how much the look has spread.

Although much credit goes to Chanel for this trends—after all, the brand has been massively popular among accessories shoppers for decades, and all of its most iconic bags are quilted—but by my estimation, some of the credit also goes to Gucci for this recent uptick. The brand’s Marmont bags were an immediate success and are still going strong, and the line’s architectural quilt patterns are reflected in quite a few new 2018 bags.

In general, though, it’s easy to see why quilted leather would be popular right now. The extra stitching allows a bag to look detailed and textured, but because the thread used is generally tonal, quilting doesn’t make a bag any less neutral or work-appropriate. It’s a good middle ground between a heavily detailed statement bag and a timeless workhorse, which is likely the balance that has made Chanel’s bags popular for so long, as well as what helped the Gucci Marmont bags become an instant hit.