Milan Fashion Week handbag trends from the runway

Milan Fashion Week sent the last set of models down the runway today and left the fashion world with many new trends, designs and handbags to think about. The handbags that were shown mirrored trends from last season as well as trends from decades ago. There were classic styles, vintage styles and a few styles that handbag fans were unsure of; i.e. the Dolce & Gabanna fanny packs. The big trends that Milan Fashion Week did produce, and are likely to hit store shelves for the fall 2011 season include; the long shoulder strap, the Lady Bag, the daytime clutch, the hobo and color. The Shoulder Strap on shoulder bags has been the biggest mover over the past year. As the straps grew long during the runway shows for spring 2011, shoulder bags joined the vintage trend with apparel as the 1970’s became an important decade of influence for designers. The long shoulder strap was spotted once again on the fall 2011 runways throughout Milan runways such as Gucci and Etro. The Lady Bag was huge for fall 2010 and slid into the background on the spring 2011 runways. Stores ignored the fact that the Lady Bag was hiding in the background and buyers have filled up their spring shelves with top handle satchels. The Lady Bag knows her place and came back on the fall runways with a vengeance. Gianfranco Ferre and Fendi showed standout Lady Bag’s for fall. The Daytime Clutch was a huge trend on the spring 2011 runways. This style has returned on the Milan Fashion Week runways in a slightly larger and more structured form. D&G and Prada showed creative, standout daytime clutches in their collections. The Hobo Handbag was a big spring 2011 runway trend in slouchy soft leather. For fall, hobos are being shown in a variety of fabrications and in both structured and slouchy styles. Giorgio Armani and Gucci showed fresh takes on the hobo for fall 2011 during Milan Fashion Week. Color is not going anywhere. Designers in Milan continued to show bold colors on handbags well as combining two or more colors together; either in blocking patterns or as a pattern on fabrications such as brocade. Trends from the runway to watch; the north/south tote which was big on the spring 2011 runways was once again spotted during Milan Fashion Week. A few designers showed short shoulder straps on their shoulder bags which allowed the handbag to tuck into the armpits of models. This length of strap was huge at the end of the 1990’s and shortly after Y2K. This length could pop up again for the spring 2012 with more fervor than for fall 2011. New York Fashion Week and Milan Fashion Week have given handbag fans a glimpse into what will appear on store shelves this fall. Stay tuned as I cover Paris Fashion Week which starts today.