Why Is Every Bag Right Now Way Too Big Or Much Too Small?

It appears that the battle over who can make the most ridiculously sized handbag has found its winner: Jeremy Scott. On Monday, the designer debuted an extra-large red backpack that, despite heavy competition from Jacquemus, Bottega Veneta, Khaite, and more, feels bigger and more outrageous than the rest of the supersized bags that have been trending this season. The accessory was part of Moschino’s pre-fall collection, which included everything from oversized flat-brims to metro cards so big that they wouldn’t fit in a subway slot. But of all the outlandish accessories presented during the transit-inspired show, Scott’s recreation of his fashion-school backpack was by far the most extra. And we just have to ask: Why? 

Over the last year, we’ve stood by as designers fought tirelessly to create the most useless handbag on the market. Jacquemus hit the ground running with the Le Chiquiti (big enough for a quarter… maybe), just to match it with a straw tote for all of your beachside needs — including an umbrella, a cooler, and all of Simon Porte Jacquemus’s friends from the South of France. Later, Fendi sent models down the runway wearing miniature versions of baguette bags around their necks during Paris Fashion Week while Daniel Lee, at the helm of Bottega Veneta, designed colossal woven cross-bodies that quickly went viral. And don’t even get us started with Opening Ceremony.

Of course, it’s not a huge surprise that Moschino would be the victor in this particular game of thrones. The Italian label is known for going the extra mile, with Katy Perry’s chandelier look at the Met Gala and that TV dinner dress from fall 2019 immediately coming to mind. But for some reason, this backpack saga seems bigger (pun intended) and more extravagant than Scott’s prior moves. 

Two questions still remain, though: Why can’t anyone design a bag that’s neither too big nor too small? Not to go all Goldilocks on you, but what happened to just right? Well, maybe now that a front-runner has been crowned, we’ll finally get the chance to find out.