Why Everyone Is Carrying a Novelty Bag
ELLE US|March 2023
From JW Anderson’s viral pigeon clutch to Gucci’s playful take on Gremlins, oddball trinkets are trending.
Kristen Bateman
Why Everyone Is Carrying a Novelty Bag

Broccoli dangling from a chain. Sickly-sweet pearlescent flowers. A miniature house hanging from a handle. These random assortments of art objects are the latest lineup of conversation pieces in fashion. Just look at Gucci’s mesmerizing Gizmo and crystal-covered bear charms—not meant to be adored from afar or sit on a shelf, but to be worn with expressive impact. Novelty is thriving.

Lately, fashion is being filtered through an absurdist lens, and in a world that seems to have hit peak luxury, nothing feels more joyful than wearing a bag that doesn’t take itself so seriously. Who would have thought the most in-demand clutch of the season would resemble a literal pigeon? Designer Jonathan Anderson’s 3D-printed version of the city-dwelling bird has been seen on street-style stars and donned by one of the most iconic bag collectors in TV-character history: Carrie Bradshaw, in the upcoming season of And Just Like That…. Trading her Fendi Baguette for a pigeon feels apropos for our surrealist times. (Thousands of Carrie fans agree: The bag has been sold out for months, and is currently on preorder.)

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