Shine on - metallic accents and decorative stones
The spring-summer 2017 season marked the return of metallic and shiny fabrics. Silver, gold, and even metallic turquoise - the more eye-catching, the better. A classic genre on the spring catwalks is the famous "LOULOU" from Saint Laurent Paris, in a metallic steel hue.
The French brand, drawing on the tradition of its designs, has also proposed a series of bags in the SUNSET MONOGRAM model, finished with an elegant, delicate chain. This small, rectangular bag shape with a characteristic pocket hidden under the flap, has been presented in shades of white gold and light platinum silver. Metallic proposals in the category of small bags were also shown by Fendi, Versus Versace, and Marc Jacobs.
Designers increasingly treat women's bags as additional jewellery. Therefore, they are keen to adorn them with colourful noble stones and sparkling crystals. Rich proposals from Gucci (GG MARMONT) or more subdued models DOUBLE BAGUETTE from Fendi can serve as examples. As Donatella Versace once said - more means better.
Small bags - on a chain or a fabric strap?
Jewellery elements of bags are often also the strap itself. Bags hung on chains can occur in one of two versions. Delicate and timeless long decorative chains in gold or silver shades, most often used in flagship bag models such as MONOGRAM from Saint Laurent Paris.
On the other hand, Marc Jacobs, Alexander Wang, and John Galliano have often used strong, thickly woven, industrial chains to emphasize the street-rock character of their projects in their collections. When it comes to the use of chains on bags, the FALABELLA model created by Stella McCartney is a timeless perfection. No matter which chain you decide on this season, you will certainly not stray from the fashion path.
An alternative to the "jewellery" chain are fabric or woven straps. One of the most recognizable is the green and red Gucci strap, originating from 1951, still used in contemporary collections.
Animal prints - the iconic gucci small bag collections
When Alessandro Michele took over as creative director of Gucci in 2015, the brand's style completely transformed, taking on an old-fashioned and eclectic character. Michele, before taking up this prestigious position, was responsible for Gucci's accessory collections.
In the fall of 2015, for the first time, the world could see designs from the innovative Gucci Dionysus line, defined by a horseshoe-like clasp finished with the heads of mythical tigers. Michele takes Gucci's clients into the world of nature, presenting bags adorned with prints of Bengal tigers and Japanese gardens in the BENGAL TIAN accessory line.
Continuously based on the traditional, brown Gucci pattern, the designer decorates bags with floral patterns, embroidered tigers, and sequin applications in the shape of insects. Despite the passage of time, Michele's eccentricity remains on top, and his enriched seasonal accessory collections increasingly strongly inscribe themselves in the history of fashion and global trends.
