Stay Ahead of the Curve With These Runway-Approved Fall Bag Trends (2024)

As summer withers away, it’s out with the old and in with the new fashion trends for fall. I took copious notes during the fall/winter 2024 runways, and with regard to accessories, it’s shaping up to be a fun season. At Marine Serre, a model carried a baby on her chest. At Christian Cowan, wine glasses and cigarettes were held in lieu of purses. And plenty of designers featured grocery bags as a recurring theme, further proving my theory that supermarket aisles are meant for strutting. Some trends even coincided with fall shoe trends, too, making a strong case for trend stacking. Keep reading for this season’s hottest bag trends, and where you can shop them right now.

Cylindrical Silhouettes

Although each interpretation was unique, cylinder-shaped bags were everywhere this season, like on the runways for Remain, Private Policy, and Sportmax. Some were held vertically, while others had a more generous form, but the inspiration for these bags was undeniably similar. It reminded me of the Vera Bradley pencil case I used in school, which was the perfect size; so, maybe they’re on to something here. After all, Proenza Schouler, Diesel, Jil Sander, and Brandon Maxwell seldom get it wrong.

Bag Charms

Order a new Tamagotchi right now, because accessories for your accessories are about to be a major trend. It’s time to relive the childhood excitement of keychains and baubles and deck out your daily purse. Use it as an avenue to show off your personality or see it as a way to make a great designer bag even more beautiful. Either way, I’m really into this trend from Coach, Fendi, Burberry, and Etro.

Fur & Fuzz

It’s not just apparel and shoes that are taking a furry turn this season. The handbags from Burberry, Tod’s, Marni, and Diesel boasted texture, as well as those from Khaite, LaQuan Smith, Luar, and No. 21. In fact, head-to-toe fuzz is bound to be popular this fall and winter. At least this toasty trend is practical for the colder months...just don’t spill anything on yourself.

Strap Spotlight

Gone are the days when straps were merely a technical aspect of a bag. Handles are the new playground for fall, and high fashion is getting creative with it. Some labels like MM6, Helmut Lang, and Patou kept it simple with dangling statement straps. Others, like Fendi and Roksanda offered imaginatively designed handle attachments. Meanwhile, Gabriela Hearst went for chain, bracelet-like wristlets and Prada used wrist-sized belts.

Double-Stuffed

Finally, a trend that commuters can appreciate! One unexpected look that cropped up all over the fall/winter 2024 runways was overfilled bags or multiple bags carried at once. This one is for those of us who regularly schlep around a gym bag, laptop bag, and lunch box, all at once. Moschino, Coach, Bottega Veneta, and Fendi are just a few examples of brands that tried the style.

Portfolio Bags

Wouldn’t it be fun to pretend your purse carried highly confidential documents, or something else glamorous and exciting, rather than the mundane usual suspects? Or, maybe you’re an accomplished career woman who carries around contracts, files, and reports. Either way, a portfolio-style bag could make sense for you. These flat totes were seen at Khaite, MaxMara, and Proenza Schouler. Fendi, Tory Burch, Luar, and Bevza also showed off their own takes on the briefcase-adjacent style.