This season, bags demanded attention on the spring 2025 runways. In the recent past, designers have pushed more subdued accessories, meant to fit into many looks, carry your belongings, and not make a fuss. Next year, however, they will be ruling each and every one of your looks, unwilling to be seen as a supporting act to your outfit. Don’t put your sequin-covered top-handle away after New Year’s Eve; they’re going to be everywhere come spring. And while you’re at it, you should probably fish your old-school backpack out of the closet as well. If you don’t already have pieces that fit these trends—don’t worry, many of them were inspired by the past, and your local thrift or consignment store...

Images courtesy of Getty and the designers. Collage by Ashley Peña. No, you don’t have tinnitus. There really is a jangling noise taking over city streets. It’s the sound of charms and tchotchkes dangling off bags, from luxury leather top handles to canvas carryalls. The trend, recently dubbed “Birkin-ifying,” is inspired by the eccentric way Jane Birkin accessorized her namesake Hermès bag. While some Birkin owners have turned their luxury purses into oversized, leather charm bracelets, it’s hardly the only design getting loaded up with accouterments. Partly thanks to TikTok, the trend has broken into the mainstream, with people of all ages—and spending levels—Birkin-ifying their bags. And so a project of individualism turns into another example of the fashion mob mentality. Birkin-ifying...

Days after arriving in Shanghai, I found a rare moment of calm amid a whirlwind of cutting-edge retail, fashion shows, luxury car rides, VPN-free anxiety, and more dumplings than I’d care to admit. Over tea at The House in Xintiandi, I sat down with Landon Du, director of Shanghai Fashion Week, for a lesson in the city’s forward-thinking approach to fashion. “Shanghai Fashion Week was founded in 2003 by Lv Xiaolei, better known as Madame Lv,” Du explained. “The mission was to support emerging designers. The real shift came in 2012, when designers who had studied abroad began returning, showing just how powerful Chinese fashion could be.” Throughout the week, I witnessed the depth and complexity of Shanghai’s scene firsthand, speaking with...