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The amount of time I've spent online shopping in lockdown might indicate that I am someone with money to spare, which I can absolutely assure you I am not. Yet I have somehow managed to amass a melange of items — a paltry substitute for all of the people I did not see and all of the places I did not go over the course of the past year. Fortunately, I have an emergency budget for exactly these type of purchases — you know, the ones made during a global pandemic — and have considered them to be a part of my 2020 healing process. With the hours I've logged on retail sites, in addition to the targeted Instagram posts I've traversed, I've come to find many new brands to help nurse my quarantine habit and inspire my "When We Are Back Outside" aesthetic. One of the main sources of inspiration for said looks? Handbags.
Major fashion brands such as Loewe, Jacquemus, Simone Rocha, Fendi, and Givenchy all put bags in various shapes, sizes, and colours on their runways for spring/summer 2021, and after a year-plus sans carryall, I'm all about it. While there are some definitive trends like natural fibres, chunky straps, beading, netting, and chainmail, one way to sum 'em all up is that they are playful and, most importantly, fun. This homage to fun has permeated smaller labels and mass market brands alike. Unexpected shapes, bright colours, unique hardware, and non-traditional materials signal that fashion knows there is a light at the end of the tunnel somewhere, and opportunities to see and be seen will hopefully come soon.
After all, when we're inevitably faced with the challenge of having to interact with people IRL as opposed to Zoom, what better way to reintroduce yourself into society than with a conversation-starting bag that says, "Please talk to my bag, we're both here to have fun." That said, keep scrolling to shop our favourite fun bags of the moment.