It’s the summer of the fabulous sculptural bag
When we think of summer bags, we tend to think of big totes we can carry to the beach or a farmers market. But this year, bag designers are reimagining the summer staple as a piece of art you can carry around with you. They’re taking the seasonal materials we’re used to seeing—raffia, straw, wicker—and transforming them into beautiful, interesting shapes. They’re meant to do more than hold your phone; they’re designed to give you pleasure and start conversations. Here are our favorite sculptural bags of the season. Camilla Clutch Cult Gaia, $298 Cult Gaia first made a name for itself with a half-moon-shaped bamboo Ark bag, which went viral. Since then, even as the label has expanded to include ready-to-wear and fragrances, it is best known for its whimsical statement bags. This summer, it launches many creative designs, including a bag that doubles as a backgammon board, and a clutch in the form of a golden apple. The Camilla clutch is perhaps the one that feels most like summer. Made from abaca, a kind of hemp, it’s inspired by a horse conch shell and has a long tassel. It’s sure to be a conversation piece when you’re at a cocktail or pool party, or even at a beachside wedding. The Cesi Shopper Poolside, $315 As the brand’s name suggests, Poolside specializes in summer bags, tailor-made to pair with resortwear. And while it’s most famous for its totes—which can be personalized with monograms or witty phrases—it also has many sculptural pieces that look like shells and fish. The Cesi bag stands out for combining beauty and functionality. Made of raffia, with an acrylic tortoise shell chain strap, it’s spacious enough to stash your phone and even a small book. It can be dressed up for parties, but it can also carry you through your day. The Leila Basket Sézane, $275 The French label Sézane is famous for its large raffia basket bag, inspired by totes that people carry to the farmers market. But this year, it’s added more interesting silhouettes to its collection. If you feel like shell-based bags are a little too on the nose, consider the Leila Basket, which is made of raffia and comes in two shades, natural and red. The delicate flower design gives it a feminine touch, but the bag is also practical, with durable woven handles that can bear some weight. Clamshell Clutch Vineyard Vines, $148 Vineyard Vines’s clamshell bag is perhaps the most versatile of the lot. While it’s compact, with just enough space for your phone and wallet, you can carry it in several different ways: as a clutch, with a chunky wicker handle, and with the crossbody strap. This flexibility means you can utilize it for many different occasions, from elegant dinner parties to busy days out. Color-Blocked Shopper Eileen Fisher, $168 This design is unlike the others. But in case you’re not the kind of person who wants to carry an enormous shell or flower-shaped bag around with you, you might go for this tote, which is designed with clean lines and an interesting silhouette. It’s one of Eileen Fisher’s new offerings, made in collaboration with Mar y Sol, which makes raffia bags in Madagascar, supporting the work of local artisans. The bags in this collaboration are chic and simple, in keeping with Eileen Fisher’s minimalist aesthetic, but they are anything but boring. This one’s color-blocked design makes it a standout as it hangs elegantly from your shoulder.
When we think of summer bags, we tend to think of big totes we can carry to the beach or a farmers market. But this year, bag designers are reimagining the summer staple as a piece of art you can carry around with you. They’re taking the seasonal materials we’re used to seeing—raffia, straw, wicker—and transforming them into beautiful, interesting shapes. They’re meant to do more than hold your phone; they’re designed to give you pleasure and start conversations.
Here are our favorite sculptural bags of the season.
Camilla Clutch
Cult Gaia first made a name for itself with a half-moon-shaped bamboo Ark bag, which went viral. Since then, even as the label has expanded to include ready-to-wear and fragrances, it is best known for its whimsical statement bags. This summer, it launches many creative designs, including a bag that doubles as a backgammon board, and a clutch in the form of a golden apple.
The Camilla clutch is perhaps the one that feels most like summer. Made from abaca, a kind of hemp, it’s inspired by a horse conch shell and has a long tassel. It’s sure to be a conversation piece when you’re at a cocktail or pool party, or even at a beachside wedding.
The Cesi Shopper
As the brand’s name suggests, Poolside specializes in summer bags, tailor-made to pair with resortwear. And while it’s most famous for its totes—which can be personalized with monograms or witty phrases—it also has many sculptural pieces that look like shells and fish.
The Cesi bag stands out for combining beauty and functionality. Made of raffia, with an acrylic tortoise shell chain strap, it’s spacious enough to stash your phone and even a small book. It can be dressed up for parties, but it can also carry you through your day.
The Leila Basket
The French label Sézane is famous for its large raffia basket bag, inspired by totes that people carry to the farmers market. But this year, it’s added more interesting silhouettes to its collection.
If you feel like shell-based bags are a little too on the nose, consider the Leila Basket, which is made of raffia and comes in two shades, natural and red. The delicate flower design gives it a feminine touch, but the bag is also practical, with durable woven handles that can bear some weight.
Clamshell Clutch
Vineyard Vines’s clamshell bag is perhaps the most versatile of the lot. While it’s compact, with just enough space for your phone and wallet, you can carry it in several different ways: as a clutch, with a chunky wicker handle, and with the crossbody strap. This flexibility means you can utilize it for many different occasions, from elegant dinner parties to busy days out.
Color-Blocked Shopper
This design is unlike the others. But in case you’re not the kind of person who wants to carry an enormous shell or flower-shaped bag around with you, you might go for this tote, which is designed with clean lines and an interesting silhouette. It’s one of Eileen Fisher’s new offerings, made in collaboration with Mar y Sol, which makes raffia bags in Madagascar, supporting the work of local artisans. The bags in this collaboration are chic and simple, in keeping with Eileen Fisher’s minimalist aesthetic, but they are anything but boring. This one’s color-blocked design makes it a standout as it hangs elegantly from your shoulder.
