The 2000s were a great time for handbag lovers. Designers were capitalizing on pop culture and the advent of the It-bag era by churning out handbag hit after hit bag hit. One of those hits remained an icon year after year, even when other bags of its caliber had come and gone. You guessed it, I’m talking about the Balenciaga City Bag.
The Motobag by Nicholas Ghesquiere
The Balenciaga City Bag has evolved quite a bit since its original inception two decades ago. The first was called the Balenciaga Le Dix Motorcycle Bag, and it was the inspiration behind countless shapes and silhouettes in an array of sizes. Donned by models and It-Girls galore in the early 2000s, the iconic B Bag has been spotted on everyone from prominent fashion editors and celebrities alike since its debut. Not to mention bag-obsessed Balenciaga fans clamoring to get their hands on special colors season after season (no one does color like Balenciaga!).
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While the Balenciaga City Bag never really left, there’s no doubt that B’s Moto bags are seeing a resurgence. This comes on the heels of new iterations from the brand’s now-creative director, Demna Gvasalia, which have helped to revive the iconic moto-style bags that Balenciaga is known for. The prevalence of these bags, both new and old, is impossible to ignore, with more and more of them spotted out in the wild both during fashion month and beyond. Not to mention, the brand has also seen financial success and incredible growth on the heels of the City’s 20th anniversary.
The New Classics
For fall 2020, Demna Gvasalia introduced the Balenciaga Neo Classic, which takes some of the brand’s most recognizable house codes and reimagines them in a way that is both modern and yet an ode to the past. This reimagination has made one of the handbag world’s most classic It-Bags feel like “It” all over again. The Balenciaga City has and continues to stand the test of time, and it’s one of those rare gems that, while its popularity does ebb and flow, can remain a staple in any handbag lover’s rotation.
So whether you snag a Bal Moto bag, new or old, the purchase is likely one that will remain part of your rotation for years to come.
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