Half-moon bags: what makes them popular and where to buy them 

If my memory serves me well (all sentences now start like this, thanks to a blurry, topsy-turvy 2020), last year, this time, luxury brands were pursuing their archives to bring us their greatest hits. Prada and the Nylon bag, Dior and the Saddle, Fendi and the Baguette, and other Instagram-famous brands like By Far bringing back the '90s purse made popular by Paris Hilton, Carrie Bradshaw and Nicole Richie. 

Seeing the new half-moon shape bags (that some have coined ‘banana bags’ for their crescent shape) begs the question, what makes an It-bag? What makes some accessories rise up the echelons to cult status? Historically, shapes have been inspired by their wearers—like the Lady Dior (legend has it that the bag was gifted to Princess Diana by the First lady of France in 1995 thereby baptising it the Lady Dior). Similarly, the Baguette got its name by a journalist who saw it tucked under the arm of a Parisienne, much like the essential bread loaf of the French. 

The half-moon bag comes at a time when minimalism is our greatest need. A small size seems apt—large enough to fit the essential trio of sanitiser, mask, keys and phone. Gone are the days when we had to fit our entire life inside a bag, lest we have to juggle a packed on-the-go schedule of gym, work, followed by date night or cocktail hour. If we have been living in sink-in tracksuits with a bit of tie-dye for cheer, the half-moon bag offers exactly that. Function, but with a bit of quirk in its spherical shape that mimics the ridiculousness of the year we’ve had. 

Bag brands that are born from the depths of Instagram, like Coperni, By Far and homegrown name Mistry rely on abstract shapes to stand out on feeds. Without significant logos and branding, it’s their shapes that set them apart. We take a look at the It-bags of 2020, through the shape that defined them.

Also read:

The legends, stories and myths about the world’s most iconic jewels

14 phone covers to elevate your mirror selfie

The 10 new handbags and totes that are worth adding to your 2021 wishlist