Five niche handbag labels for the Instagram generation: think structural, yet mostly affordable

From Paris Fashion Week favourite Danse Lente’s Johnny to Métier’s Perriand tote, these bags are aimed at a youthful market

Other hot brands to look for: LA label Staud, The Volon, and Mlouye by Turkish designer Meb Rure

Reading Time:2 minutes

Published: 8:15pm, 8 May 2019Updated: 8:15pm, 8 May 2019

Women may still dream of owning a luxury handbag like a Hermès Birkin or Chanel 2.55, but a host of new brands are giving these classics some serious competition. Aimed at the social-media-savvy Instagram generation, these emerging labels promise fashion-forward and daring styles that are still high-quality, yet affordable.

Here are five of our favourites.

Danse Lente

Minimalism is at the heart of London-based handbag label Danse Lente (the name means “slow dance” in French). Korean-born founder and designer Youngwon Kim studied footwear but ended up gravitating towards handbags, which allowed her to be more creative and experimental.

The brand is known for its clean shapes inspired by modern architecture, although Kim tends to spice things up when it comes to colour. Her bestselling style is the Johnny, a mini bucket bag in the shape of a hexagon, which was a mainstay with influencers at Paris Fashion Week.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x