Not even a smartphone or credit card, yet both fashion houses and enthusiasts have adored them over the years
This week, the smallest bag ever sold sold at auction for over $60,000. This is a reproduction of a Louis Vuitton bag made with a miniature 3D printer: its width is 700 micrometers, or 0.7 mm, which means that at first glance it looks like a tiny grain of green salt. It was created by the New York group of designers and artists MSCHF, already famous in fashion for other provocative creations. MSCHF said it wanted to take the recent luxury fashion trend of small bags to the zenith.
The micro bag trend, ie bags so small that they can’t hold almost everything you’d normally leave the house with, usually comes from a gimmick by the French brand Jacquemus. The first bags from the Jacquemus Le Chiquito model introduced in 2017 were small but still large enough to hold a credit card, a pair of earphones and a lip balm. In 2019 Jacquemus created an even smaller version of Chiquito (Le Petit Chiquito), which can hold at most one pair of small earrings or one candy. They were initially thought to be a sort of gadget that came with invitations to fashion shows, but they were so successful that they became an accessory in their own right.
Also that year, a photograph of American singer Lizzo, known among other things for her positive attitude towards her large size, went viral, appearing on the red carpet with a smaller version of the Valentino bag.
Since then many luxury brands have started making smaller versions of their most famous bags: the Mini Baguette by Fendi, the Mini Pouch by Bottega Veneta, the Mini Lady Dior just to name a few. And in the years that followed, many other luxury brands made their mark, including Chanel, Ferragamo, Louis Vuitton, Missoni, and Loewe, and introduced entirely new models as well. From mini bags – small but still roomy enough to be used for their purpose – we then moved on to smaller bags, the so-called micro, or nano. bag,
The latest was probably Maison Margiela, which in June presented its Micro Straw Beach Bag, about ten centimeters wide. Among various uses, micro bags often appear as bracelets, belts, necklaces, or shoulder bags, becoming more and more similar to accessories or jewelry used for the sole purpose of decorating the wearer’s appearance. .
There are many reasons for the success of this trend which are clearly beyond understanding from a logical point of view. One is that with the proliferation of smartphones and other technologies, the number of things a person takes with them when they leave the house has been sharply reduced: cell phones have replaced wallets, for example ( Which is often kept in the house) in hand or in pocket), and keys from codes or apps. But as it is easy to imagine, this is just not a practical matter.
Since the beginning of the epidemic, the prices of many luxury handbags have risen significantly, while people’s purchasing power has decreased on average. Mini bags have therefore become a stopgap solution for both fashion houses, reaching a wider clientele, and enthusiasts looking for a cheaper alternative. The fact that they are useless is not so important, because they are designed for people who buy them more for collecting than for use in everyday life. And the fact that the details of the original copies have been kept in abridged versions somehow makes them even more valuable.
Another element that has supported this phenomenon is the spread among the younger generations of the so-called Y2K style, i.e. one that covers the trends of the late 1990s and early 2000s (the acronym is precisely what it stands for). is taken) year 2000), when super-compact bags with handles so short that they reached the armpits were very fashionable. For example these types of bags are seen in the second season of the successful TV series Excitement, which is set in a small-town American high school in the present day and is known for its care and attention to the latest innovations in terms of costumes and make-up. And they have seen themselves worn by celebrities such as Kendall Jenner, Dua Lipa and Bella Hadid, who have been the main interpreters of Y2K style in recent years and with their choices they often set new trends, especially among young people. Contribute to guidance.
In addition, as is often the case, the fashion for small bags was also probably born as a reaction to the prevailing trend until a few years ago, namely the large and inconspicuous clothing in the streetwear style, and the tote bags that are found everywhere today.
But there is also another aspect that has been pointed out: the pleasure of wearing a bag that holds almost nothing is derived from the fact that the only people who are really capable of doing so are the truly famous and are so rich that there is always a group of helpers who bring them everything they may need. In short, micro bags communicate a sense of exclusivity, luxury and elitism which is obviously much appreciated. As written by Leah Harper Guardian, “There’s nothing glamorous about carrying your belongings in a big sack. Carrying almost nothing with you means that someone else is carrying the burden for you.
– Read also: A new way to dress like a rich man
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