Photo Credit: Courtesy of Balenciaga
In case you haven’t noticed, we’re living in what feels like a 2000s ‘it’ bag revolution (and we’re not complaining). Legendary early aughts bags are revitalizing the fashion industry like never before. The latest to make a comeback is Balenciaga’s iconic Le City bag. Over twenty years after its initial debut, the fashion House is reintroducing the bag with all of its beloved features with a few new updates. To celebrate its reinstitution, Balenciaga has unveiled a campaign featuring portraits shot by famed photographer, Mario Sorrenti, starring Kate Moss, Danish model Mona Tougaard, Chinese actress and singer Yang Chaoyue, and Korean singer Juyeon.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Balenciaga
After its initial release in 2001 under the creative direction of Nicolas Ghesquière, the bag quickly caught the attention of every major ‘it’ girl; Kate Moss, Paris Hilton, Mary-Kate Olsen, Lindsay Lohan, and more were rarely seen without the bag. Le City became synonymous with an era and a lifestyle, known for its enigmatic maximalist yet practical approach. Whether she was running errands around Los Angeles or at a premiere, the bag’s duality played a crucial role in its popularity. It’s only right that fashion icon, Kate Moss who played a crucial role in bringing the Le City bag to icon status, has teamed up with the House to share its reimagined version. The campaign images showcase solo shots of Moss, Tougaard, Chaoyue, and Juyeon foregrounded against a gray background in striking still images and videos.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Balenciaga
When re-inventing the bag, Creative Director Demna and his team studied and remodeled numerous archival City styles, effecting an amalgamation of the original’s accumulated attitudes. The bag’s hand assembled, 25-panel construction replicates vintage versions, using the same dimensions of exterior and interior layers. Its defining features include reinforced corners with small metal buckles, thimble-like studs that form a distinctive design across the body of the bag, numerous interior and exterior layers. Its defining features include reinforced corners with small metal buckles, thimble-like studs that form a distinctive design across the body of the bag, numerous interior and exterior pockets, and an overall aspect that gains a unique patina over time, giving it its legendary timeless quality.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Balenciaga
These features, including the bag’s leather-strung zipper pulls and rivets, have also influenced the design of another Balenciaga line, Le Cagole. However, Le City aims to closely replicate the aesthetic of its circa-2001 model, now enhanced with sustainable manufacturing practices. The Balenciaga Le City is now available in medium and small sizes, featuring adjustable shoulder and crossbody straps. It is offered in a variety of colors including black, yellow, green, light purple, metallic steel gray, metallic silver, white, blue, and beige.
