MILAN — A handbag, at last.
The hip, Berlin-based footwear brand Aeyde is making its first foray into handbags with the launch of the Opera Bag, part of its Festive 2026 collection, which drops on Oct. 29.
The category expansion comes on the tail of the brand’s 10th anniversary last year and marks a new step in founder Luisa Dames‘ plans to slowly, but steadily grow the label from shoes to accessories such as leather belts and gloves, silk scarves and jewelry.
Dames told WWD in an interview that she’s been thinking about introducing a bag style for years.
“In fact, I’ve had a Post-it on my computer with a sketch of a bag that I kept coming back to whenever I imagined what Aeyde’s first bag might look like,” she said. “This season, several things naturally came together. Our seasonal concept ‘Kontinuum’ explores tradition and craftsmanship, with opera as one of its central themes. Inspired by this, we developed a satin collection, and introducing a bag felt like a natural extension.
“Typically, you might think of a leather bag as the first bag for Aeyde, but as I was developing our festive footwear collection in satin, the idea naturally came to create our first bag as a very fine, chic evening product,” she said.
She envisioned a silhouette that could accompany the Aeyde woman on a night out. To execute the concept, she zeroed in on a small specialist atelier nestled in Milan’s heart, near the landmark La Scala opera theater.
“We did a lot of research to find the right atelier,” Dames said. “It’s in the historic center of Milan, very close to La Scala, and specializes in satin, considered fabrications and small production-runs. They don’t operate as a large manufacturing base; they focus on high-end clients and smaller quantities, which feels very aligned with how we work at Aeyde.”
On the design front, Dames’ goal was “to create a distinctive silhouette that felt like a natural extension of the Aeyde design language.”
The Opera bag centers around an A-shaped, triangular trapeze form that combines satin with straps in napa leather, which extend across the body of the bag and from the base to reinforce the silhouette. The label’s signature A-shaped buckles are added to adjust the straps’ length.
“We worked closely with the atelier and specialist suppliers throughout the prototyping and development process. We wanted to make sure the satin and napa leather met our standards, and that every detail was right. It took time, but finding the right partner was important to us,” Dames said.
Available in black, red and dusty purple, the bag will launch on the brand’s e-commerce on Oct. 29, retailing at 495 euros.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday Aeyde will host an event in London to celebrate the Festive 2026 collection. Taking place at the city’s Sessions Arts Club, the intimate dinner will include a German opera performance and a guest list spearheaded by writer, photographer and curator Gemma Janes, who joined Aeyde as its guest editor for fall 2026.
The event will be followed by the launch of the Festive 2026 campaign, titled “The Stage” and set at Staatsoper Unter den Linden, Berlin’s oldest opera house. The campaign is fronted by Berlin-based actress Lilith Stangenberg, known for her work across theater, film and performance at institutions including Schauspielhaus Zürich, Volksbühne Berlin and Deutsches Schauspielhaus Hamburg. Photographed by Pavel Golik and styled by Monika Tatalovic, she appears not only holding the Opera bag but also wearing other pieces from the collection.
The line’s satin assortment extends across Mahlia, a new pump with a wide square toe and slim sculpted heel; Matti, its flat counterpart and house signature, and the Alvy belt. The collection also includes patent leather pumps and ruched loafers; pared-back footwear styles in suede, pony hair and soft shearling, and jewelry with drop designs crafted from palladium-coated brass and finished with either pearl or onyx round out the collection.
As for the Opera bag, Dames ensured it won’t be a one-off drop as the design “will stay in the collection, and we’re planning some beautiful color extensions for spring.”
When asked about introducing new shapes in the category, she returned to the grounded approach she has always leaned on in leading her company. “I always try to let things develop organically when building our collections, and any new category needs to feel like a natural extension of our existing portfolio. I’m building the brand step by step, and I want to approach bags in the same way,” she said.
Dames’ razor-sharp vision contributed to the success and popularity of the digital-native label she launched in 2015, as the clarity she imprinted on the business proved to have a ripple effect across all of its aspects — from her leadership style and how she navigates entrepreneurship down to her designs, which stand apart for their signature understated and clean aesthetic combined with a sweet-spot price positioning.
Dames’ goal has always been to empower women with styles that could walk them throughout the day, balancing an aesthetic rooted in sleek designs and drenched in an ever-present Bauhaus inspiration with comfort and versatility. Sticking to this mission, focusing on building consistency through the years without ceding to fleeting trends contributed to Aeyde’s international traction and enabled it to grow into a team of 40 people, mainly housed at the Aeyde Haus headquarters in Berlin that opened last year.
Aeyde’s distribution now includes more than 130 high-end luxury boutiques, department stores and online retailers worldwide, including Net-a-porter, Mytheresa, Le Bon Marché, Selfridges and Harrods.