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Pursepective: Luxe bags now come in crazy shapes and we love it
You thought the Is It Cake trend was mad? Luxury bags now come shaped like paint cans, pies, popcorn buckets and pigeons. We’re here for it!
A pigeon, a popcorn bucket, and a camera walk into a party. No joke. It’s just another day for fashion’s growing obsession with bags that don’t look like bags. Chic hands everywhere are clutching purses that cosplay as concertinas, baguettes, glittering roses and paint cans, martinis and more. Watched Fabulous Lives vs Bollywood Wives or Dubai Bling? The bags almost steal the show in some scenes. Following Shalini Passi’s style? See how often she accessorises with crystal-studded novelty purses and pop-art-inspired clutches. Caught all the Reels from Fashion Week? Even minor influencers were toting some kind of oddly shaped bag to fit in.
Statement accessories have been showing up for as long as glossy magazines have been using the term “statement accessories”. In 1967, Judith Leiber released a metal clutch shaped like a chatelaine (the OG purse for Victorian women to carry keys, scissors and secrets), covering tarnished bits with rhinestones. It got fashion to realise that bags can be a little whimsical. But it’s only in this century that they went deliberately crazy. Moschino put out a McDonald’s-inspired Happy Meal bag in 2014. Thom Browne turned heads with his dachshund-shaped Hector bag in 2016. Coperni’s glass-blown Swipe bag went viral in 2022. What statement are they all making now? That craftsmanship, creativity and absurdity still matter in a world where fashion has been playing it safe and dull.
Snap it open
Farhana Bodi, 38, star of Netflix’s hit reality show Dubai Bling, uses her collection of eye-catching bags as a beacon, mixing statement pieces with vintage finds and items of sentimental value. “I want every look to reflect who I am — fearless, glamorous, and a little bit unpredictable,” she says. This is easy to do in Dubai. “We’re not afraid to be extra here, and that confidence is contagious.” Her current favourite: The JW Anderson pigeon clutch, a resin bag, shaped and embellished to look like the ubiquitous bird. “It’s Farhana with a wink,” she says.
Of course they’re impractical. That’s the point. Fashion content creator Dimpi Sanghvi (@DimpiSanghvi_ws) is 35, and mixes high-fashion items with wearable trends. A crystal-encrusted minaudière or a bag made of glass are “like little pieces of art,” she says. “They bring so much personality to an outfit. People want fashion to feel less like a rule book and more like a game. Bags like these break the monotony and give you permission to be a little silly.”
It’s easier to be silly with a bag than, say a fitted jumpsuit. Unlike clothing, bags are one-size-fits-all (even though some bags can fit no more than a lipgloss). There are fewer gender or age restrictions for carrying them. They’re simply for whoever dares to carry them.
Shweta Kapur, designer behind the Delhi-based label 431-88, says all design must serve a function. “A handbag that looks like a sneaker or a fish might not be practical in the traditional sense, but it makes you look twice. That’s its own kind of luxury,” she says. This is a step above the cachet that logos and monograms have. Statement bags rarely carry any labels — the outrageous design serves as its own calling card. 431-88’s Sequa clutch looks like a sparkling jellyfish. It has shimmery tassels trailing from a hand-embroidered sequinned purse. And she has her eye on a clutch by Maison Margiela which looks essentially like an oversized metallic candy wrapper.
Strung along
The reason that ridiculous bags are trending is largely because they stand out — on a runway, a red carpet, a Reel and in real life. Fashion and beauty influencer Aashna Hegde, 30, creates content aimed at Gen Z and says that young people are not afraid to take risks. “A statement bag could be the missing piece for a maximalist or an easy way to elevate a minimalist outfit,” she says. Her top pick: Loewe’s Bracelet Pouch, which is a bag and a wrist accessory in one. “You can turn heads while literally wearing it on your sleeve.”
Brace for stares and questions when you carry a ridiculous bag. When Chaitanya Kenchammanahoskote, 50, who runs the Maya Medi Spas, carries her JW Anderson Puffin clutch or Louis Vuitton bag shaped like a paint can, people immediately notice. “I love it when people stop me and ask, ‘What is that?’” she says. “I once used my Judith Leiber pigeon bag to carry actual painkillers. My son thought that was the most unhinged yet on-brand thing I could do.” The bags are almost a sign of rebellion, she says. “There are so many rules about what women should or shouldn’t wear after 40, but bags? Bags don’t care about age limits.”
Most trendy bags (especially jewel-encrusted ones) are heavy. The odd shapes mean they topple over when set on a surface. They aren’t likely to fit more than a few small items. Let that stop no one, says Bodi. “If it makes you happy, wear it everywhere. Life’s too short to save a great bag just for Instagram.”
Open and shut case: Viral designs we’ve been eyeing
The Slice of Pie Bag, Judith Leiber. Lattice crust, berry crystals, and bejewelled scoop of vanilla ice cream to make it À La Mode. $6,695
The Frog Bag, JW Anderson. For those who want to move on from pigeons. The amphibian accessory is a little too realistically wet-looking. ₹87,000
The Bag of Chips Bag, Balenciaga. Famous on the runway. Infamous on Insta. It’s been recreated by DIYers since it came out in 2023. The OG comes in leather. $1,800
From HT Brunch, April 12, 2025
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