It’s the vintage bag on the shoulders and lips of cool city girls. Now, it’s making a comeback. Balenciaga released a new line of their iconic City Bags, entitled Le City.
Sound the it-bag alarm—the Balenciaga City Bag is back. Earlier this April, Balenciaga revived one of its most iconic lines with Le City.
The Balenciaga City Bag, formerly known as the Motorcycle City Bag, debuted in 2001 under the creative direction of Nicolas Ghesquière. Its distinctive pre-distressed leather, hardware, and relaxed shape gave it an unprecedented edge. In an era where feminine, low-profile bags like the Dior Saddle Bag reigned supreme, the Balenciaga City Bag was rebellious. It was so risky that its first launch only included 25 pieces.
Through the elegance of Kate Moss and the Olsen twins, the bag became a street-style holy grail. Perhaps the Balenciaga City Bag’s charisma came from its adaptability. Paparazzi captured the handbag slung across it-girls’ shoulders as they traveled to the gym and club alike. It was the star of the night and the day. Soon, the it-bag was synonymous with the early 2000s indie sleaze and grunge zeitgeist.
The 2024 resurgence didn’t emerge from the ether. Over the past few years, indie sleaze nostalgia has permeated the air, and cool girls have dusted off their vintage Balenciaga City Bags in its honor. Inspired by their City Bag, Balenciaga recently fed into the ’00s spirit with the La Cagole bag. The shoulder-bag became an instant trend, spotted on today’s it-girls like Bella Hadid and Kim Kardashian,
The Le City campaign commemorates the official resurgence of the unapologetic Y2k era. A series of black and white portraits shot by renowned fashion photographer Mario Sorrenti celebrate the campaign. Danish model Mona Tougaard, Chinese actress/singer Yang Chaoyue, Korean singer Juyeon, and Moss (of course) are all featured in the still photos and videos.
Demna didn’t just recreate the original design, he reimagined it, maintaining the vintage version’s elegant yet tough attitude. The bag’s exterior and interior layers mirror those of the 2001 version, but with a modern twist. It’s primarily improved upon in terms of sustainable production.
Small metal buckles reinforce the bag’s corners, and studs form a distinguishing design across its body. Leather-strung zipper pulls, rivets and extra hardware bolster the bag’s alternative persona.
The Le City bag comes in medium and small sizes. Numerous interior and exterior pockets and adjustable shoulder and crossbody straps contribute to its practicality. It’s available in black, yellow, green, light purple, metallic steel gray, metallic silver, white, blue, and beige colorways.
The Balenciaga City Bag is once again a hot topic. According to Data But Make It Fashion, the bag has increased +55% in popularity with its highly anticipated re-release, based on sentiment analysis on X. Cool girls and vintage lovers commence–the slouchy, distressed leather bag has properly returned to the streets and received a refreshing twist, thanks to Balenciaga.
All imagery courtesy of Balenciaga.
