Bella Hadid’s appearance at New York Fashion Week with Coach’s Edgy Slouch was more than a fashion statement. She was also sending a message about her life attitude. What exactly do our wardrobes crave in this era of’minimalism hijacked’? Why will handbags be more than just accessories in 2025?
The 2025 handbag trends are redefining “function and aesthetics” in a variety of ways. From Prada’s oversized bag to Miu Miu bowling bags, this trend is changing the way we think about bags. In the first quarter 2025, data shows that searches for oversized handbags increased 210% year-onyear. Sales of snakeskin printed handbags also increased 170% month-onmonth. This is a subtle counterattack to “deprived practicality” as well as a change of material and shape.
We see the deconstruction of “authoritative beauty” when the doctor’s bag transforms from a medical device to a fashion accessory of Polene. Generation Z is using the structured design and top handle on the doctor’s bags to fight “meaningless minimalistism”. The loose-feeling tote bags mock “perfectionism” with their lazy silhouette. They tell us that beauty doesn’t need to be bound.
In an age of identity anxiety and a resurgence in consumerism, coffee-brown has become a “whispering force”. This neutral tone can be incorporated into any combination to convey a calm, confident feeling. The resale value of coffee brown bags on Depop is 34 percent higher than the original cost because it fulfills our desire to be seen – not through showing off but simply by existing.
In 2025, when snake print replaces leopard as the dominant print, it will not convey wildness but rather a rejection of ‘defined sexiness’. The elegance and calmness of snake print is becoming a new symbol of queer and feminist culture. Bella Hadid’s Edgy Slouch bag paired with overalls was not a rebellion, but a statement of sovereignty about “how I choose be seen”.
When the Raffia bag is a symbol for “spring escape” in TikTok, and the doctor bag is a symbol for “pragmatic rebelliousness”, our wardrobe becomes a cultural battleground.
