Eva ThomasWe’re unlocking a new trend from the 2000s and according to Google, and Bing, searches for bag charms are currently at their highest level in a decade, and we have to admit that this is reflected on our Instagram and TikTok accounts. As we scroll through social media and look through street style photos, one thing has become clear – decorating bags is cool.
Aside from spotting them on the runways of fashion shows like Miu Miu and Coach, there seem to be three main reasons.
After the pandemic, many of us have thoroughly reviewed our fashion choices and pared things down. It made sense at the time, but as we began to return to full work and office routines, it became clear that what we needed then is no longer the case today.
Some approaches and ways of life have remained from those days, one of the most important being our penchant for the do-it-yourself approach. With so many people turning to new hobbies and exploring their playful side, we realized that we are much more creative than we originally thought. As a result, the era of personalization began to flourish, and our fashion choices began to change. We embraced the idea of uniqueness and after a short period of quiet luxury, we began to strive for maximalism.
Aside from bags, we’ve seen a similar trend with phone charms and even sunglasses. The Gentle Monster brand’s recent collaboration with BLACKPINK’s Jennie has resulted in a series of customizable models, each with holes on either side of the frame so any combination of Jennie pendants can be added.
Also, Lyst reports that searches for charms have increased by 150% in the last six months, so we can safely say that bags are not the only accessory that will be decorated with charms.
Finally, the most obvious reason: we love nostalgic things and anything that positively reminds us of our youth.
Whether “charmification” will continue to evolve and permeate more aspects of our daily lives remains to be seen, but for now, we (and our bags) are totally into it.
Calin Van Paris
Alexis Parker
Marie Courtois
Amandine Lhoste