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The Mini Bag Trend, Explained
Why would anyone carry a bag that doesn't actually hold anything? We have the answers.
Last week, Blake Lively attended the premiere of husband Ryan Reynolds's Pokémon Detective Pikachu film wearing a sparkly yellow Retrofete Rebecca slip dress that accentuated her baby bump, but the most notable element of the look wasn't the slinky lurex dress or the tiny human she's incubating: it was the mini bag. Lively's tiny Judith Leiber clutch in the shape of a beach ball — or perhaps, Poké Ball?– is just the latest in a long series of mini bags that have been making waves since Jacquemus first revived the trend back in Fall 2017.
As iPhones get bigger, sneakers get chunkier, and earrings get wider, handbags are getting smaller. When Simon Porte, the designer behind Jacquemus, first introduced the 'Le Chiquito' bag, they were an anomaly, only two models in his Fall 2017 Ready-to-Wear collection were holding tiny bags. And yet, the tiny bag made an outsize impression.
Almost immediately, Jacquemus mini bags were spotted on the likes of Kendall Jenner in New York, after the Met Gala last year, and Rihanna, while on a trip to Barbados. One season later, virtually every model who walked Jacquemus's F/W 2018 collection was carrying a mini bag in varying brightly coloured hues.
This season, Simon Porte introduced the mini 'Le Chiquito' bag; an even smaller 2" long creation with the capacity to hold a pair of small earrings or, more cynically, a bag of drugs. These miniscule bags have even gone as far as becoming the identifier for the Jacquemus brand, and and are now one of the most sought after designer bags.
While functionality clearly doesn't define this trend, the high price tag and air of exclusivity do. From Chanel and BOYY, to Staud and By Far, we've now seen countless high-end takes on this style. By Far's products tend to play with texture and colour, while BOYY and Staud produce pint size bags that explore geometric shapes. Chanel took the trend one step further by layering two mini bags, or 'side packs', on models in their Spring/Summer 2019 show. More recently, Chanel continued to play with size in their Resort 2020 show, where tiny bags were hanging from gold-chained belts on the waists of top models
Of course, Simon Porte hardly invented the mini bag. If you cast your mind back to Fendi's Spring/Summer 2015 collection, Karl Lagerfeld was the first to introduce us to the modern mini bag phenomenon. His take was structured and embellished, accompanied by fluffy oversized key chains. However, women have also been carrying around mini bags long before Fendi's 2015 collection. From the early to mid 1900s, women carried around small purses or 'reticules'. These small purses were especially popular in the early 1900s, and were often carried by wealthy women because they were small, elegant and held very little. During this time, these small purses were a status symbol, and to a certain degree, this still rings true today. Members of the royal family, such as Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle, often don't carry a purse with them at all.
Carrying a mini bag enables mobility and feels liberating; less to carry, less to worry about. It encourages one to live like a minimalist (and lie about it) by creating an edit of their everyday essentials down to only a select few. It's no wonder the largest demographic of people adopting the mini bag are celebrities; people who often have entire teams of people at their disposal and never have to worry about schlepping an extra pair of shoes in their bag for after work. In March, Dua Lipa brought her straw mini Jacquemus bag with her to the beach in L.A, and Bella Hadid sported the then brand-new By Far Allegra bag on the streets of Paris.
This year, the micro bag trend has taken a nostalgic turn with popular mini bags copying the aesthetics of decades past. Brands like Rejina Pyo are producing mini bags in vintage inspired shapes and materials. It's also no shock that the 90s have made a come back in the form of mini shoulder bags. Nylon Prada bags, as well as the Dior Saddle bag, seem to be favourites among Instagrammers like Devon Lee Carlson and Aimee Song. This spring, Fendi also brought back Carrie Bradshaw's favourite mini bag, the Baguette.
While most mini bags aren't big enough to fit an iPhone, and some a credit card, they definitely make a statement, and guarantee a shower of compliments. Is this fashion's way of telling us we should stop carrying so much stuff? Maybe, but look at it this way, if you run out of space you could always wear two.
By fashionmagazine.com - Ellis Mathews Date May 14, 2019
Gucci will go fur-free in 2018
Italian luxury brand Gucci is officially going fur-free, president and CEO Marco Bizzarri announced on Wednesday.
"Being socially responsible is one of Gucci's core values, and we will continue to strive to do better for the environment and animals," Bizzari said at a London College of Fashion event.
"With the help of HSUS (Humane Society of the United States) and LAV (an Italian animal rights organization), Gucci is excited to take this next step and hopes it will help inspire innovation and raise awareness, changing the luxury fashion industry for the better."
Under the new policy, Gucci will not use mink, coyote, raccoon dog, fox or any other animal bred or caught for their fur. The brand's Spring-Summer 2018 collection, which was shown at Milan Fashion Week in September and will go on sale next year, will be its first without fur. Remaining fur items will be sold in a charity auction.
"Gucci going fur-free is a huge game-changer. For this Italian powerhouse to end the use of fur because of the cruelty involved will have a huge ripple effect throughout the world of fashion," Humane Society International president Kitty Block said in a statement.
"We commend Gucci's compassionate decision, and for helping to ensure that the future of fashion is fur-free."
Gucci is not the only brand to forgo the use of fur. In 2016, Italian designer Giorgio Armani announced his brands would end their use of fur, "reflecting our attention to the critical issues of protecting and caring for the environment and animals." Vivienne Westwood, Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren are also fur-free.
In recent seasons, many brands have embraced fake fur, with the real deal increasingly seen as unfashionable.
"Real fur is extraordinarily old-fashioned," Stella McCartney, whose own brand is fully vegetarian, told CNN in 2015. "Even if you're 20 and you've got a real fur coat, you just look like an old, unaware, unconscious being on the planet.
"It's not relevant, it's not sexy, it's not fashionable, and it's not cool."
By CNN
What are the pros and cons of polyester fabric?
Polyester is one of the widely used fabrics by apparel manufacturers across the globe. Like all the other textile fabrics, polyester too has its good and ugly sides.
Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of this fabric is helpful when buying a products made of this fabric to help you decide if it's worth investing in or not.
The pros of polyester fabric:
• Durability:
One of the top benefits of polyester fabric that it has a high strength, which translates to the ultimate durability. It can withstand regular wear and washes and shows excellent resistance to wear and abrasion.
• Polyester fabrics dry faster:
Given the fabric's lower absorbency properties, it dries faster than other popular fabrics like cotton.
• Less prone to stains:
The fact that this fabric is less absorbent also means it doesn't stain easily, unlike other fabrics out there.
• Incredibly lightweight:
The lightweight nature of the polyester fabric makes it yet another reason why it's used for making activewear.
• Wrinkle and shrinking resistant:
Polyester has a relatively small shrink threshold and will always hold its shape and form no matter how many times you wash it. It also resists wrinkles and fades no matter how many times you wash it.
• Recyclable fabric:
Above all, polyester is 100% recyclable at the end of its life. This helps save the environment since this material will not decompose when you throw it away and will only contribute to a landfill.
The cons of polyester fabric:
• Less breathable:
The fact polyester is a plastic-based fabric means it has limited breathability. This means it's not suitable for making things like beddings
• Moderately flammable material:
Polyester isn't highly flammable and doesn't always ignite. If it does, however, it tends to stick to your skin and leaves you with more severe burns than natural fibers.
• Lacks a soft texture:
Unlike cotton, which feels soft against your skin, polyester has a slightly rough texture and might not feel comfortable against your skin. This is especially true for people with sensitive skin.
Final Thoughts with Polyester fabric.
It boasts of unmatched durability, less prone to stains, resistance to wrinkles and good water resistance. It's also easy to take care of and dries pretty fast.
However, it comes with a few downsides like being less breathable, a slightly rough texture that can feel uncomfortable on people with sensitive skin. But don't worry, we only use it to make backpacks and bags, not clothes
