2023 was the year that the clutch – and clutching – made a comeback. Clutching was a popular posture on the autumn/winter 2023 runways, where models held onto everything from powder compacts (Giorgio Armani) to coat edges (The Row) and even their breasts (Ann Demeulemeester). And when they weren’t grasping cosmetics or body parts, their arms were wrapped around clutches of all shapes and sizes.
The word “clutch” may evoke images of highly impractical perspex boxes, stashed with essentials ready for a night on the town, but this year brought with it new kinds of clutches that are a practical companion for everyday activities. Miu Miu’s stellar autumn/winter cast – comprising Zaya Wade, Emma Corrin and Mia Goth, to name but a few – hugged supple pouches to their chests, adorned with dangling sets of keys. These were made with on-the-go lifestyles in mind: they’re easy to pick up in a hurry, and roomy enough to house all your personals.
The same nonchalant tuck defined Maximilian Davis’s showcase for Ferragamo, where sizeable leather sacs hovered in the crook of models’ arms in the absence of straps, realised in glossy black, sunshine yellow, optic white, navy and Davis’s signature siren red colourway. Shown alongside the designer’s elevated ready-to-wear, the accessories made a strong case for capacious daytime clutches – but there’s a market out there for slimline styles, too.
Read more: The Key Autumn/Winter 2023 Trends To Know Now
At Bottega Veneta, two bags were better than one, as a folded empty croc-embossed bag (assuming this was for artistic effect, rather than functionality) was carried in the same arm as a mustard-hued envelope clutch bag no thicker than a keyboard. Further proof came in the form of the intrecciato laptop-sized clutches that followed.
Everyday clutches were big news for autumn/winter, and they reappeared on the spring/summer runways – proving that this bag isn’t going anywhere in 2024. Unlike the more capacious styles seen earlier in the year, recent collections posited slighter versions: models at Alaïa gripped leather gloves and clutches no bigger than a notebook; skinny envelopes complemented multiple looks at Altuzarra, while Tory Burch and Victoria Beckham showcased shapely clutches with curvaceous silhouettes. Tuck and go forth!
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