Keys on chains and charms: The talk of bag overload

Maximalism has finally reached designer bags. This summer, the It Bag isn’t the bag itself, but how you choose to adorn it. Here’s your guide to the little charm.

By TALI ARBEL
(photo credit: INGIMAGE)
(photo credit: INGIMAGE)

Has your feed recently filled with 50 shades of bag charms? If not, you might want to check who you’re following online. From Danish influencer Pernille Teisbaek to Parisian muse Leia Sfez, and American blogger-author Leandra Medine Cohen, who grew up in an Orthodox Jewish home, all are experimenting with the latest micro-trend: #BagCharms. However, not everyone is onboard yet, primarily the early adopters - those super-fashionable, daring trendsetters who embrace new trends or micro-trends right after their debut on fashion week runways, just before the trend seeps into the streets.

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Accessories and bag charms, or as we like to call them: pet charms, are not a new fashion phenomenon. Categories like 'Bag Charms,' 'Keychains,' or 'Small Leather Goods' have always existed in haute couture houses like Hermès and Chanel. In the past, the consumers of these items were a small, exclusive clientele of brand addicts, enthusiastic accessory collectors, or those with unlimited budgets who already had everything and would happily invest a lot of money in a tiny, impractical design element. But all that changed in the last six months after fashion houses Balenciaga and Miu Miu each showcased their Spring-Summer 2024 collections, ending the debate on whether maximalism, decorative elements, and personal expression have a place in fashion right now. Spoiler: the answer is a resounding yes.

"Fashion should be fun!" said Demna Gvasalia, Balenciaga's artistic director, in an interview with Vogue in early October after presenting his spring collection. That’s precisely the point your faithful writer is trying to convey. Demna also added that he wants his fashion to be taken seriously, which is why the collection emphasized all the Demna elements he aims to infuse into the Spanish-French fashion house he leads. Elegant tailoring alongside hoodies or bomber jackets paired with baggy jeans, evening dresses with flowers and sequins replaced by a series of trench coats with enormous shoulders, all while the looks were spiced up with his amusing accessories - be it the even bulkier sneakers, printed supermarket bags, and oh, the bags.

Large, soft leather bags accessorized (deliberately overdone) with keys upon keys, locks, chains, and other jingling elements. A few days later, Miuccia Prada, the legendary designer of Miu Miu, presented her interpretation of "organized chaos" aesthetics, characterized by unconventional combinations and mainly bags overflowing with goodies that the models "carried," with shoes, shirts, and whatnot spilling out. "Happy styling accidents were aimed at," Prada announced in a press release, "embracing unique features and the joy of life." But what also caught the eye were the seemingly simple elements that adorned the bags from the outside, hanging on them (singly or in pairs). These ranged from functional practicality (keychains) to purely decorative symbolism, proving essential for completing the look.

If you ask us, this micro-trend has arrived just in time. When we were already tired of quiet luxury, monochromatic minimalism, or other such trends, we started missing self-expression, personalization, and personal interpretations. And there’s no better place to start experimenting with a new trend than in accessories. Moreover, once leading fashion figures and then the streets (i.e., us ordinary people) started adopting this delightful trend, we also realized it doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. Or any money at all. Just like jewelry, bag charms are another way to express the different sides of your personality and interests. Obsessed with pearls or shells? Add one to your bag. Love a sweet Disney character? Here’s your chance to show it off. And as for what to wear with a heavily adorned bag? Anything, really. Whether you choose to go all out and load up your entire look or keep the outfit clean and quiet, then go wild (express yourself) only on the bag.

Still unsure how and where to start? Don’t worry; we won’t leave you alone in this battle. After an in-depth obsessive research, and understanding that anyone can try the trend based on their style and budget, we’ve tried (and succeeded) to outline the sub-categories that make it up, so you might find yourself somewhere in there or in between.

The Focused and Branded

She will hang only one unique and expensive charm from a top brand on her bag. This has become a status symbol, branding her as 'someone who knows' and more so, someone who isn’t afraid to have fun with fashion now and then. While the strict ones won’t dare mix milk and meat, meaning a Chanel charm on a Hermès bag, for example, we’re all for playful and cool fashionistas like these! But be warned, in this category, prices start high and skyrocket: from Prada offering cute metal and leather robots (NIS 1,800) to Chanel's elaborate and beautiful keychains and charms - a gem-studded logo, a cute tennis ball, or a golden rollerblade (NIS 3,500-6,000), to Hermès where you’ll find a miniature replica ready to hang of the coveted "Oran" sandal with the iconic "H" symbol (NIS 2,500) or the Pegasus Rodeo, a winged horse charm made of leather in various colors and combinations (around NIS 3,000 for a second-hand item and up).

The Mini-Me Devotees

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This is a sub-category of the previous one, characterizing those who will never mix brands (neither in clothing nor in accessories) and will also choose a charm that is an exact miniature replica of their luxury bag. For instance, at Prada, you’ll find the mini Re-Nylon pouch (NIS 2,100) or Hermès’ fully functional miniature Kelly bag, one of the most coveted bags in the world, sized 5.5 cm by 6.5 cm by 2 cm (priced online at NIS 15,000 and up).

The Janitor Look Has Never Looked Edgier

While Balenciaga adopted the custodian vibe with a hundred keys, Miu Miu presented a more refined and wearable suggestion for Spring 2024, already available in the brand’s boutiques worldwide and online - be it a branded single key hanging on a leather strap or a carefully wrapped colorful "climbing" rope, or colorful laces featuring a metal logo element casually tied on the bag’s handles or straps (for these, you’ll have to part with around NIS 900 to 2,000).

Just before you get disheartened by the prices and abandon us, let’s quickly move on to the next categories, which are also more accessible.

Do-It-Yourself Girl

Those who have DIY in their soul and blood will greatly enjoy this trend since personal expression, creativity, and personalization are the essence of the whole story. Everything you love, save (yes, including keychains or memorabilia from the past), collect, or create yourself can work. Overall, those who don't take themselves too seriously - and those who can afford any brand or item they want - are our favorite type of fashionistas. Just look at the Scandinavian network stars Pernille Teisbaek and Janne Polianni. And for anyone who isn't Pernille or Janne, it might be worth investing a bit more thought and especially moderation. In other words: 'What do you want your bag to say about you today?' And with that, go forth.

The One Who Didn't Know When to Stop aka Mixing and Matching Queen aka Serial Overloader

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Here, every person can take it to their style and according to their budget or willingness to invest. Some load mainly branded charms, some hang anything they can find on their bag - including children's toys or even valuable necklaces (hello to our Leandra who always does things a bit differently - clumsy, humorous, refreshing), and some do both - which is the system's preference: combining high with low, expensive with cheap, meticulously designed or the result of freehand work.

By the way, for those who crave a branded charm but don't want to break the bank, we found some lovely options from mid-range brands ranging from NIS 120 to 450 per charm: at Coach, we found pairs of sparkling blueberries/bananas/cherries, while at Swarovski we found a silver, chubby mouse face adorned with Swarovski crystals, of course, also wearing a hoop earring. There’s the pink Kris Bear or a charm with an encrusted letter in English.

In Conclusion: Maximalism has finally reached designer bags and essentially "returned to fashion." Thus, in the summer of 2024, the It Bag won't be the bag itself, but how and with what you choose to adorn it. So, will you embrace the trend? Or demonstratively ignore it?



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