An impulse towards dressing up has run through recent fashion seasons, with items previously deemed stuffy or old-fashioned – among them ties, cufflinks, brooches and formal slippers – reimagined by a new generation of designers.
The evening bag is another. Once the reserve of black-tie galas and society weddings, it has been newly embraced on the runway for its ability to bring an easy flourish of glamour to an outfit – whether one is in cocktail attire or simply a T-shirt and jeans.
A Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello evening bag, as featured in the October 2026 issue of Wallpaper*
Offerings have ranged from hard-cased clutches and drawstring satin pouches to minaudières adorned with crystals and beading, as well as more esoteric takes on the accessory – a miniature bee-shaped metal bag, part of Jonathan Anderson’s whimsical vision for Dior, for example, or Simone Rocha’s giant pearl ‘eggs’, which open across their middle to store your belongings inside.
There was also Anthony Vaccarello’s proposition for the evening bag at Saint Laurent: chiming with the Parisian house’s synonymy with after-dark glamour, it comprises a miniature bucket bag constructed from a web of jewellery-like crystal mesh, featuring in the opening pages of the October 2026 issue of Wallpaper* – a celebration of our 20th anniversary.
Here, we’ve selected eight of the best evening bag, from the playful (a Dior ‘frog’; a satin Prada ‘dustbag’; a Simone Rocha ‘egg’) to those which conjure a mood of hedonism, whether 2000s-inspired Gucci chainmail or a glossy Celine vanity case, complete with its own mirror for late-night touch ups.
At Dior, Jonathan Anderson has embraced a feeling of whimsy – motifs have spanned polka dots and florals, four-leafed clovers and buzzing honey bees, while garments are enlivened with flourishes of crystal and feather. Case in point: this playful frog-shaped Minaudière Bag, which recalls Anderson’s new Rococo-inspired Médaillon emblem, as well as a pin cushion – a perennial tool of the haute couture atelier.
Simone Rocha’s now-signature egg bag first appeared in the Irish designer’s S/S 2021 collection, and has appeared in various iterations since. Encapsulating her embrace of both the sweet and the surreal, its hard shell recalls a gleaming pearl, while this miniature version comes with a hanging faux-pearl strap – an accessory and jewellery at once.
This unconventional riff on the evening bag first appeared as part of Prada’s S/S 2026 runway show, which saw co-creative directors Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons meld elements of formal dress (opera gloves; protusions of satin) with the everyday working uniform. This pouch features a similar juxtaposition: taking the humble dust bag for inspiration, it is transformed in lustrous pink duchesse silk.
At Gucci, Demna’s first runway show had a hedonistic glamour which recalled the house’s glory days in the 1990s and early 2000s under Tom Ford (the Georgian designer has cited the American designer’s work as a reference). This ‘Jackie Slim’ evening bag recalls the heady decade, constructed from sinuous metal chainmail and adorned with the house’s double-G motif.
As Dries Van Noten, Julian Klausner has embraced the eclectic combinations of fabric, texture and colour which defined the namesake founder’s oeuvre (he stepped away from the brand in 2024). This satin shoulder bag epitomises this approach, adorned with an intricate assemblage of silver and gold-toned sequins, as well as trailing constellations of beads.
Though an evening bag needn’t be heavily embellished to denote a mood of glamour. This cube-shaped bag, by Michael Rider at Celine, instead recalls the shape of make-up and vanity bags, crafted in glossy lambskin with a golden Triomphe clasp and interior mirror for post-midnight touch ups.
Parisian house Saint Laurent is synonymous with an after-dark glamour, a mood which current creative director Anthony Vaccarello has mined during his decade-long tenure as creative director. A new offering of evening bags comes in glimmering crystal mesh, like this miniature chainmail clutch adorned with the house’s signature ‘YSL’ motif.
The Wander bag, recognisable for its mattelassé quilted construction, is such a house icon that acclaimed director Joanna Hogg even made a film about it. This version is its nighttime upgrade: crafted from black satin, it features crystal and sequin fringing for a glamorous flourish.
A version of this story appears in the October 2026 issue of Wallpaper* available now in print on newsstands, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today.