Walnuts, Swans, and Baguettes: The Novelty Bag Is Still Fashion’s MVP

These days, in circles of fashion’s most obsessed, you’re more likely to catch a glimpse of a crystal-embellished lobster minaudière than a classic black bag. Chanel is putting flap bags sprouting giraffe heads and legs on the runway, and Dior is giving us delicate metal ducks and walnuts, hanging from glistening chains and ready to adorn your most adventurous looks. The trend kicked off strong a few years ago when Carrie Bradshaw traded her Fendi Baguette for a JW Anderson pigeon on an episode of And Just Like That.... Now, it’s officially here to stay.

Beyond the aforementioned Chanel Giraffe, creative director Matthieu Blazy has recently dreamt up bags resembling apples, clutches disguised as acorns, and classic flaps morphed into squirrels, replete with fuzzy tail chains and metal legs. Dior has also been getting more experimental with its novelty bags. It makes sense: if there were one man to single-handedly credit as the novelty bag magician, it would be Jonathan Anderson, who is now at the helm of Dior. At his own namesake brand JW Anderson, he’s created hyperrealistic clutches in the shapes of frogs, canaries, and hedgehogs, as well as that infamous pigeon. In addition to his ducks and walnuts of spring/summer 2027, Dior has recently presented some highly detailed, museum-worthy bags in the shapes of armadillos, ladybugs, and frogs.

In recent years, other brands have developed cult followings around their novelty bags, particularly in the realm of food. Simone Rocha’s pearl egg bags, rendered in glossy luminescence and bedecked with ribbons and crystals, have been a fashion insider favorite for a reason. They’re often collected and frequently spotted in the street style crowd.

Elsewhere, Dauphinette’s whimsical nature-fueled collections feature bread-shaped bags. Made in collaboration with Pampshade, with real surplus bread, founder Olivia Cheng calls them “very true to the ethos of Dauphinette, which is all about innovative reuse and making fashion that feels lively and thoughtful.”

Cheng adds: “I love a novel expression but don’t necessarily love gimmicks or kitsch, and what motivates me to continue iterating upon the bags is that we are able to keep the concept feeling truly novel; it isn’t over-distributed or plasticky. They’re made in literal small batches in Kobe, Japan: breads are sourced from local bakeries and then preserved by the same small team of artisans. We can’t mass produce them and I’m not trying to force it since that’s what keeps a novelty novel: the fact that it isn’t absolutely everywhere.” In 2026, a little absurdity is the most luxurious accessory of all.

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