The Top 5 Handbags for 2016

The beginning of the year is a time of reinvention. 2015 was a year with a lot of fashion shakeups. Designers left prestigious fashion houses, new talents came on board and some brands didn’t make it through the year. This leaves many mysteries to be revealed in 2016: Who will replace Alber Elbaz at Lanvin and Raf simons at Dior, what will we see from Demna Gvasalia at Balenciaga? But also, which handbag should you buy?

Last year we broke down the top five handbags for 2015 based on resale value. Those bags are still sound investments, but this year, we’re predicting which bags will be on the rise trend-wise. To take some of the guesswork out the equation, we turned to Senior Fashion Editor Lauren Bradshaw. These are the bags you’ll see everywhere, and that you’ll want to get your hands on asap. Buy them now to wear into 2016, and consign them while they’re still hot to get a return on your investment.

5. The Loewe Puzzle Bag

“We’ve seen a growing interest in Loewe over the past year, as designer Jonathan Anderson continues to win awards and accolades among his fashion peers. With its unusual design, the Puzzle bag perfectly encapsulates his mix of slightly offbeat quirk and beautiful construction. Because they’re rarer on our site, demand is incredibly high — they sell out almost immediately.”

4. The Dior Diorama

“This feels like the younger, trendier counterpart to the classic Lady Dior bag. It has a similar ladylike appeal, but with an updated, more modern spin on the fashion house’s signature cannage motif. Now that Raf Simons has left Dior, I know I’m already feeling nostalgic for his designs, and this bag is definitely one of his most memorable pieces.”

3. The Chloé Georgia

“This bag may feel fairly straight-forward compared to the rest of the looks on this list, but you should never underestimate the power of Chloé. Every year the fashion house delivers yet another It bag. In 2014, it was the Drew; in 2015, it was the Faye; and now in 2016, we have the Georgia. The evidence is there. Chloé has a great track record, so we expect this bag will be just as popular.”

2. The Louis Vuitton Twist

“Louis Vuitton will always be one of our most popular brands. The iconic LV logo is practically a wardrobe staple, but we’ve also been seeing designer Nicolas Ghesquière’s Twist bag make a huge impact; it’s on the arm of practically every fashion blogger and street style star already! I love that it takes the monogram and uses it in a fresh new way.”

1. The Gucci Dionysus

“Gucci has had a huge year since Alessandro Michele took over, so it only makes sense that the Gucci Dionysus bag — which was a part of his Fall 2015 collection — is also having a moment. I’m particularly a fan of the designs that mix the classic Gucci logo with colorful embroidery and appliqué. The combination really captures the more-is-more Milanese feel of Michele’s runway show.”