Item of the week: the colour pop bag

What it is:

As we begin to look forward to the sunnier seasons ahead, we naturally start turning our attention to brighter hues that provide an instant mood booster to any outfit. The colour pop bag is an item that exists as both a statement and a staple, with styles that can be worn cross-body, as a clutch or with a top handle. Primarily consisting of one striking colourway, vivid bags inject a bit of fun into their practicality, providing shoppers with an eye-catching piece that stores all their daily necessities.

Why you’ll want it:

You can’t go wrong with a pop of colour, something that is welcome all year round and can be translated for any consumer group. The colour pop bag is something that has existed for a while and has resurfaced again and again in modernised designs that relate to the constantly evolving, fashion-forward shopper. A significant advantage of this vibrant bag trend is that it continues to break through each year as it transforms. Part of its appeal is that it can mould to each season, either mirroring warm summer days or brightening the greyer winter months. Its transformative powers grant it the status of a timeless piece, that we will continue to see hitting the shelves year after year.

Where we’ve seen it:

The style was, arguably, made popular by none other than Bottega Veneta, which utilised its trademark green colourway for the bags included in its SS22 collection, resulting in styles that became highly sought after. The colour pop bag spread its reach throughout multiple design houses for the coming season, establishing itself as a staple accessory for this year. In fact, colour blocking, in general, emerged as a consistent trend on runways, with the likes of Richard Malone and Dior RTW offering bold solids within their lines. Alongside Dior’s clean-cut apparel, the house revealed a selection of miniature handbags that, despite their size, grabbed attention through the use of vivid colourings. Similarly, Richard Malone opted for electric bag choices, each paired with garments in complementary shades. For Nina Ricci’s 2022 Resort line, on the other hand, bags were styled in contrast to its clothing, with oversized shopper bags and totes in luminous blues, yellows and oranges made to stand out among a holiday backdrop.

How to style it:

Drawing inspiration from the array of design houses that adopted this season’s accessory, an obvious styling route would be to implement the colour blocking trend into outfits. Colour blocking is a simple method that can be applied in a number of ways. One can be to take the colour of the bag and use it throughout the entire look, for a head-to-toe hue that sends a bold statement. Another form is to bring opposing colours together, using at least two shades that are either originate from the same colour family or contrast one another. A further styling example that could be explored is to match the bag’s colour to one found in a garment’s print. The subtle use of matching hues will bring an outfit together in a complementary way, and allows for the use of bold prints when forming an outfit.

The colour pop bag is a strong staple to add to the wardrobe, with bold colours that can bring life to any outfit, whether it is a daily look or over-the-top. Its increase in popularity, driven by the influx of designer offerings, affirms its place in the consumer eye line for the coming season. It appears in a vast range of styles and colours, making the item adaptable to personal tastes, which can also ensure its versatility when moving from summer to winter.