As a result, designers always present at least a few handbags and purses with timeless designs, which is why vintage-inspired coin purse bags, croc-embossed bags, and saddlebags made an appearance for the fall/ winter 2020 bag trends.

At the same time, it’s still important to innovate since sometimes it’s the outrageous designs that really stick in our minds. This is how wild geometric bags and tightly strapped bags likely came to be.

Finally, cohesion in a collection is also important, which is how fashion trends also ended up showing up as fall 2020 purse trends, including extra fuzzy shearling and dramatic fringe.

#1. Thick Chains

Chains were major for the fall 2020 bag trends, much as they were for shoes and other accessories. They add a rough and industrial touch to high-fashion bags.

Decorative chains were a big part of the No. 21 show this season, including for bags. Thick, silvery chains were used instead of hardware over bag clasps, which elevated them beyond the position of straps.

Not that there’s anything wrong with chain straps. The Hugo Boss proved that with striking, thick chain straps that contrasted against slim, streamlined purses.

Many more labels made chains part of their bag designs, including MSGM, J.W. Anderson, Ulla Johnson, Stella McCartney, and Dolce & Gabbana.

#2. Fringe

The sway and sound of a fringe embellishment can interject joy into your everyday life, and when it’s on your bag, it’s a little more subdued than if it was part of your clothes. Fitting with the fringe theme on the runways, we saw lots of fringe fall 2020 bags.

Fringe was not subtle at Rochas, with all-fringe dresses and coats complemented by a clutch utterly covered in shiny black fringe. We spotted all-encompassing fringe at Dries Van Noten as well, with a small bag covered in multi-colored fringe made even noisier and more noticeable with a few beads.

Fringe was comparatively more restrained at Hugo Boss, where leather bags were lined with a fringe along the bottom.

#3. Reusable Bottle Bags

With designers shifting their focus more and more to sustainable designs, another question that has come up is how fashion can help people lead more eco-friendly lifestyles. One way is by making it easier to always have a reusable water bottle on hand with a special bag!

We think joggers, in particular, would like the reusable bottle bags at Marine Serre, which came in black or pink with a tight hand strap for easy access or metal loops that can be attached to a bigger bag the rest of the time.

For day-to-day, the colorful bottle bag at Chloé was decorated with a sketch, and for casual occasions, it will surely be convenient, with a long crossbody strap for hands-free carrying.

#4. Shearling Bags

Just as shearling showed up on coats and jackets, it also covered all kinds of fall 2020 handbags, giving its cozy touch to our accessories.

Dries Van Noten proved that this material doesn’t have to be brown or beige, with colorful, fuzzy bags made out of jewel-toned shearling. There was just a touch of shearling at Christian Dior, with the material used to line an already autumnal-looking suede flap bag.

Stella McCartney, Michael Kors, and Balmain also presented shearling bags on their runways.

#5. Soft and Plush Quilted Bags

Normally, it wouldn’t be fair to talk about quilted bags like they’re a trend since quilted leather is such a staple in luxury purses. The difference with the fall/ winter 2020-2021 bag trends is that this time around, the quilting was extra plush and soft, much like the blanket-inspired coats we had seen on the runways.

The Moncler Genius project included a few different and extra-plush bag designs, from the rounded pillow-like bags from Richard Quinn to the oversized bucket bags Simone Rocha made for the project.

Valentino gave us a twist on the quilted leather bags, with quilting that bunched together a bit looser leather than normal, giving them a much softer appearance, even though they were still made of leather.

There were a few other plush quilted handbags at Burberry, Chanel, and Alexander McQueen.

#6. Micro Bags

The fashion world isn’t done with overly small purses yet, which is why there were so many micro-sized fall 2020 handbags.

At Versace, super small bags were thankfully not carried alone (although we’re not mad that most stylists have finally abandoned the concept of multi-bagging). Instead, they were attached to large and medium-sized bags, often in contrasting colors, like fashionable little coin wallets.

There were a few miniature bags at Fendi, most of them cheekily worn like necklaces or attached to belts, blurring the line between jewelry and bag, but one was more of a wallet designed to look like a traditional Fendi flap bag, even fitting with a little handle!

There were more miniature bags at Dries Van Noten, Jacquemus, and Chloé.

#7. Vintage Coin Purses

There were a few vintage touches on the runways this season, and the standout vintage fall 2020 purse trend we spotted was the vintage coin purse design, which was especially popular clutches. These bags are essentially small totes with the kiss-clasp or magnet clasp at the top.

At Lanvin, models carried chubby-looking coin purse bags made of leather (with a wide range of color options), either by hand like an oversized clutch or with double handles.

We spotted both large and small coin purse designs at Miu Miu, as well. They were made of leather, with ruched leather at the top clasp. There was even an autumnal patchwork variation on the coin purse that we found particularly appropriate for the season.

There were more vintage coin purse bags at Erdem, Celine, and Paco Rabanne.  

#8. Patchwork Bags

This season, many designers looked to reduce the eco-footprint of their collections by repurposing fabric scraps from older collections. The result? Fabulous patchwork bags with a lot of colorful, handmade charm.

This was definitely the case at Marni, where scraps cut into triangles were stitched together in patterns to construct gorgeous, colorful totes. Patchwork bags at Alexander McQueen were made to match patchwork garments, with oversized bags made with multi-colored leather patches overlayed with animal patches.

Collina Strada, Moschino, and Cynthia Rowley also used patchwork in their fall 2020 bags.

#9. Professional Totes

We usually think of tote bags as casual shoppers, but for the fall/ winter 2020 handbag trends, professional totes crafted out of thicker materials made quite a showing.

To start, of course, there were all the new takes on Prada’s iconic totes in prim and proper neutral tones, as well as a few brighter options in yellow and blue. Marc Jacobs combined trends by presenting a few small-sized croc-embossed totes with solid construction and built-in handles.

Lastly, Dior presented slim, pocket-book-style tote bags in smooth leather with streamlined kiss-clasp tops that looked totally timeless.

#10. Geometric Purses

While a classic bag is a safer investment, there is something about geometric bags that gives off irresistible avant-garde fashion vibes. For the fall/ winter 2020-2021 bag trends, designers found all kinds of exciting ways of playing with shape to create remarkable (if not comfortable) purses.

On the playful side of things, there was a little hexagonal bag made out of something solid at Zimmermann that was even decorated with a tassel. Round is a shape, and Marine Serre presented perfectly spherical little black evening bags that hung on delicate gold chains.

We also saw some unique bag shapes at Adeam, Coach 1941, and Stella McCartney.

#11. Boxes

A box is such a simple and convenient shape, and yet box-shaped bags always look a little quirky, perhaps with a hint of vintage charm.

At Oscar de la Renta, a box clutch made for an interesting evening bag, especially since it was covered in a houndstooth pattern.

The second half of the Lanvin show featured a wide range of box bags, from ones literally designed to look like takeout boxes with a built-in handle to delicate metal cigarette box bags on a dainty chain. There were also a few box bags at Louis Vuitton and Fendi.