The most wanted bags, shoes and accessories this season

You don’t need to know who @happybaggage is – all you need to know is how she can be your voice of reason for your next big splurge.

Here’s what we like about @happybaggage, also known as “Happy” to her 89.6K followers on Instagram. She’s more than just a lover and consumer of luxury goods, Happy comes with a wealth of experience in the luxury industry, having cut her teeth in the business for decades.

From private atelier visits to attending fashion week in Paris and Milan, she was also involved in buying (among other responsibilities) for the luxury brands she used to work for – reinforcing her credibility as @happybaggage.

Happy maintains her anonymity as she feels this account is not about her. Instead, she reinforces that “it is built on the appreciation of craft and the design of beautiful things”. And her followers are drawn to her for that expertise and her invested passion for the artisanal process involved in the creation, be it a bag, shoe, timepiece or jewellery.

Happy is at her happiest dispensing advice and sharing her anecdotes, whether you’re looking to buy your first luxury watch or purchasing your first Birkin. She’s the virtual shopping buddy you never knew you needed – until now.

Supersize Me

The options are plenty if you’re looking to size up from your collection of small and cute purses. Chanel took the lead in this trend by launching its new quilted tote called the Chanel 22.

Tapping on actress Zendaya’s popularity as a style icon, Valentino continued its love affair with the young star as the face of its Spring/Summer 2022 campaign, which features accessories spotlighting the Italian house’s key bag – the Valentino Stud.

Chanel 22 large leather bag with chain sling, $8,490, Chanel

@HAPPYBAGGAGE’S PICK: “This new bag by Chanel creative director Virginie Viard is available in navy blue, purple, two shades of pink, white and black.

There is also a backpack version. It not only bears the iconic qualities of a Chanel bag, from the quilting to the leather woven chain sling, the leather is also incredibly supple, and it is both lightweight and roomy.”

One Stud oversized top-handle tote, $5,380, Valentino Garavani

@HAPPYBAGGAGE’S PICK: “One look at the macro stud, and you’ll know that it is a Valentino piece. This detail is also presented in different versions this season, from oversized totes to top-handle carriers, as well as chain sling handbags.”

Les Grand Classique calfskin tote, Celine

Oversized leather shoulder bag, $3,300, Miu Miu

Sunshine leather medium shopper, $4,450, Fendi

Birkin Colormatic Swift calfskin bag, Hermes

@HAPPYBAGGAGE’S PICK: “I’m always up for a unique Birkin, and this is definitely a collectible as it’s the first time that a Birkin is designed with a contrasting pocket and zipper detail, with a colour-blocking pattern.”

Triple XL BB Monogram lambskin, handbag, $3,550, Balenciaga

Open Season

Chuck your socks and sneakers. The sun’s out, and life in Singapore is slowly but surely getting back to normal. So, get that pretty pedicure and slip on this season’s open-toe footwear.

Choose from super comfortable designs like Louis Vuitton’s boot-sandal iteration or Hermes’ platform sandals. For a dressier and more daring take, Loewe’s strappy sandals – with tongue-in-cheek heel designs ranging from nail polish bottles to egg yolks – are simply a work of art. What’s not to love about that?

Moonlight ankle boots, $2,440, Louis Vuitton

@HAPPYBAGGAGE’S PICK: “I have actually tried these in the store and they are super comfy! I like the masculinity of the boots, and the femininity of the satin material and open-toe design.”

Strappy sandals with signature heel detail, Loewe

@HAPPYBAGGAGE’S PICK: “The genius of creative director J.W. Anderson is translated into these sandals – they just make me smile.”

Calfskin strappy sandals, Tod’s

Mesh shoes, $1,990, Bottega Veneta

Mink-trimmed sandals, $2,650, Fendi

Printed block sandals, Chanel

@HAPPYBAGGAGE’S PICK: “It has a cute retro feel to it. The kind of heels that would sit in the ‘timeless’ section of my wardrobe.”

Suede embellished slip-ons, Manolo Blahnik x Birkenstock

The Everyday Bag

This is an important investment, and it’s perhaps one of the few styles that many of us would splurge on simply because of its practicality and functionality. There are two things to look out for when it comes to shoulder bags: the length of the straps, and the shape of the bag.

Crescent-shaped hobo bags are a popular design, and many brands from Celine to Prada and Balenciaga carry it, but if you prefer the classic square or rectangular silhouettes, just make sure you wear your shoulder bag with a shorter strap so it rests just around your waist.

Calfskin bag, Celine

Cleo brushed leather shoulder bag with flap, $3,650, Prada

@HAPPYBAGGAGE’S PICK: “Did you know that this sleek, modern bag is actually inspired by an archival bag style from the ‘90s? You can always count on Prada to give a fresh and current update to a retro masterpiece.”

Le Cagole denim bag, Balenciaga

Baguette leather handbag, $4,450, Fendi

Jackie 1961 handbag, $4,060, Gucci

@HAPPYBAGGAGE’S PICK: “The iconic Jackie 1961 in this metallic interpretation of Gucci’s best- selling Beloved line screams Hollywood glamour – beloved, without question, for its curved half-moon shape and emblematic piston closure.”

Crochet leather-trimmed handbag, Tod’s

Mini Dauphine Monogram handbag, $6,350, Louis Vuitton

@HAPPYBAGGAGE’S PICK: “The structured shape is an all-time classic for this category. If you’re looking to get something more special, this runway edition is a worthy purchase.”

Old School Fits

With the resurgence of Y2K – from low-slung bottoms to crescent-shaped hobo bags – it’s only natural that designers are working millennium trends into their accessories as well.

There is also a significant emphasis on archival designs, such as the iconic Hermes Kelly clasp that’s been reinterpreted into jewellery, or Chanel’s iterations of the Maltese cross made famous by the late Karl Lagerfeld in the ’90s. Clearly, there seems to be an obsession with nostalgia this season.

Large Kelly Gourmette silver bracelet, Hermes

@HAPPYBAGGAGE’S PICK: “The iconic Kelly clasp has been reinvented into a timeless piece of jewellery by the maestro himself, French fashion designer Pierre Hardy. This is always a winner!”

Embellished resin necklace, $2,000, and embellished glass pearl necklace $3,200, Chanel

@HAPPYBAGGAGE’S PICK: “A strand of pearls or a Maltese cross from Chanel is just as quintessential as the brand’s iconic tweed jacket or quilted bag.”

Mismatched button earrings, Miu Miu

Assorted butterfly claw mini clips (set of three), $620, Celine

Embellished resin necklace, $2,000, Chanel

Disco tinted oversized shades, $680, Fendi

Sunglasses and acrylic earrings, Moschino

Drop gemstone earrings, oversized glasses, and beaded choker, Saint Laurent

@HAPPYBAGGAGE’S PICK: “Creative director Anthony Vaccarello’s homage to fashion designer Paloma Picasso was beautifully orchestrated not just in his ready-to-wear collection, but also in the pops of playful and glitzy accessories as well.”

Top gear

It’s not a new trend, but top-handle bags are now considered one of the more perennial trends hitting the runways.

Each season, we see designers coming up with different versions, and our hearts are aflutter every time a striking piece pops up. Some highlights this season include Loewe’s Hammock Nugget bag in a cheery yellow, and the Sac Maximors purse from Hermes.

Hammock Nugget nappa calfskin bag, $3,650, Loewe

Sac Maximors calfskin top-handle purse, Hermes

Flori PM top-handle calfskin bag, $5,300, Moynat Paris

@HAPPYBAGGAGE’S PICK: “This top-handle saddle bag has a regal disposition, and those in the know will understand the beauty of the bag’s exquisite oversized metallic clasp, which is an homage to its century-old heritage of trunk-making.”

Hourglass Small crocodile embossed calfskin handbag, $3,690, Balenciaga

Capucines BB calfskin bag, $9,700, Louis Vuitton

@HAPPYBAGGAGE’S PICK: “The Capucines is, in my eyes, in a class of its own, and it sits alongside other great iconic bags like the Birkin, Lady Dior and Chanel 2.55.”

Panthere de Cartier calfskin top-handle mini bag with gold detail buckle, $3,800,

 

@HAPPYBAGGAGE’S PICK: “A simple yet sophisticated top-handle bag with the house’s iconic Panthere jewelled clasp closure. I love the understated beauty of this bag.”

Small Dior calfskin bowling bag, $5,800, Dior

Tie Me Up

Gladiator-inspired sandals may have taken a back seat for a while, but they are now back in full force on the runways of Valentino, Alberta Ferretti, Ulla Johnson and many more. If you’re not into the drama of these designs, then consider Hermes’ platform strappy sandals, which may appeal to the more practical shopper.

Strappy sandals, Tory Burch

Patent leather ankle-strap pumps with plexiglass block heel, $2,250, Dior

@HAPPYBAGGAGE’S PICK: “Possibly the most interesting proposition for the gladiator trend this season is Dior’s version with neon laces.”

No Limit embellished gladiator sandals, $2,880, Valentino Garavani

Suede gladiator sandals, Alberta Ferretti

Goatskin platform sandals, $1,500, Hermes

Viv metallic gladiator sandals, Roger Vivier

@HAPPYBAGGAGE’S PICK: “Want to add gladiator sandals to your shoe collection? Consider this emblematic buckle version adorned in silver or gold from Roger Vivier. I like how all the straps can be adjusted to wrap around the shins and calves to fit.”

Embellished strappy sandals, Altuzarra

This article was first published in Her World Online.