The return of the Balenciaga City bag
With Y2K fashion still reigning supreme, it'll hardly surprising that one of the most iconic designer bags of the Noughties is booming once again. Of course, we’re talking about the era-defining Balenciaga City bag, which has been enjoying a major revival this year (so much so, it has even been picked back up by original fan, Kate Moss).
Originally released in 2001 during then-creative director Nicolas Ghesquière’s tenure, the City was previously known as the Motorcycle City Bag and became one of the fashion house’s most coveted designs – although its success wasn't exactly written in the stars.
When Ghesquière sent the design down the runway back in 2001, it was met with mixed reception: the house's stakeholders were reluctant to put it into production, fearing the supple, slouchy shape and tough hardware wouldn't appeal to the masses in an age where the neat Louis Vuitton Speedy and ladylike Fendi Baguette reigned supreme.
To begin with, just 25 bags were made, but one made it into the arms of Kate Moss – and nothing turns a fashion risk into a roaring commercial success quite like the supermodel's seal of approval.
Ironically, the handbag’s appeal lay exactly in its logo-less, relaxed and unstructured silhouette, and there was hardly a Noughties It girl that wasn't carrying one everywhere. Moss wore hers religiously, as did the Olsen twins and Nicole Richie. The City was papped on the red carpet, in classic Starbucks-run shots (a pop culture symbol of the time period) and at festivals from Glastonbury to Coachella.
More recently, searches for the original Balenciaga City bag have soared, with the vintage studded models now in high demand. At designer resale site Vestiaire Collective, the style is in the top 10 most-wanted bags of the year, while eBay's authenticated section is full of well-preserved Cities in a rainbow of hues. In fact, eBay was where I found my own City, in classic slouchy black leather and finished with yellow-gold hardware. Supple, practical and just large enough to hold a laptop, it's the only bag I've used all year.
Responding to the resurgence, Balenciaga launched a refreshed version of the City in 2021. The Le Cagole features hardware that nods to the Noughties original, but with a more streamlined silhouette. Seen on the arms of everyone from Dua Lipa to Bella Hadid, it has proved every bit as popular as its predecessor.
And, in April 2024, reacting to the continuing demand for Cities on resale sites, Balenciaga re-released that Noughties original. According to the house, numerous archival City styles have been studied and remodelled to create the new bag which perfectly mimics the original City, but with more modernised design and production.
"The bag's defining characteristics (including the leather-strung zipper pulls and rivets) have subsequently inspired the aesthetic of other Balenciaga lines, including Le Cagole and Neo Classic, but Le City is created to echo the circa-2001 reference almost exactly, improved upon in terms of sustainable productionm" the brand told us.
Inspired? Below, see the very best pre-loved Balenciaga City bags available to buy now. A style that arguably looks better with age thanks to its soft silhouette and crackled leather, each has been verified and will fulfil every Noughties dream – especially when teamed with a Venti skinny latte.
With Y2K fashion currently reigning supreme, it likely comes as no surprise that one of the most iconic bags of the Noughties is back for 2022. Of course, we’re talking about the era-defining Balenciaga City Bag.
Released in 2001 during then-Creative Director Nicolas Ghesquière’s tenure, it was previously known as the Motorcycle City Bag and became one of the fashion house’s most coveted designs. However, this wasn’t entirely predicted. The fashion house was originally reluctant to embrace Ghesquière’s design, arguing it was too structureless compared to other handbags on the market at the time. To begin with, just 25 bags were put into production but proved to be a roaring commercial success.
Ironically, the handbag’s appeal lay exactly in its logo-less, relaxed and unstructured silhouette, and there was hardly a Noughties it-girl it didn’t appear on the arm of. Kate Moss had a huge hand in its success and as did the Olsen Twins and Nicole Richie, a then-client of celebrity-stylist Rachel Zoe, who is credited with curating the ‘boho chic’ style of the time. It was a style papped on the red carpet, in the classic Starbucks-run shots which are now a classic of the time and at festivals, from Glastonbury to Coachella.
This year, searches for the Balenciaga City Bag, which is no longer in production, have increased with pre-loved models now in high demand. At designer re-sale site, Vestiaire Collective, sales of the Balenciaga City Bag saw an increase of 12% over the first five months of 2022, compared to the same period last year and in April 2022, there was a 36% increase in sales compared to April last year.
With Millenials following celebrity endorsements of the Balenciaga City bag and searching out pre-loved Noughties items to invest in, this makes sense. A certified collector's item proved by its multiple comebacks over the years, it’s an item that is increasing in value over time according to Vestaire Collective’s findings - in particular the dark colourway models.
Below, we’ve curated some of the best pre-loved Balenciaga City Bags available to buy now. Each has been verified and each will fulfil every Noughties dream - just order yours with a Tall skinny latte too.
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