These are the biggest bag trends for AW17

Time to upgrade your handbag game

We know summer hasn’t even started yet, and the Cruise shows are in full swing, but there’s nothing like looking ahead to next season for a bit of fashion inspiration.

Back in February, New York, London, Paris and Milan set the tone for autumn/winter, and we loved every bit of it.

There were some nostalgic vibes in the air, with disco boots at Saint Laurent, 80s tailoring at Gucci and vintage capes at Burberry and Balmain.

And if you like colour, you’ll be happy to hear it’s ALL about all shades of pink and red, with Lanvin, H&M, Valentino and Fendi all working with the striking hues.

But while it’s all well and good knowing what clothes to add to your winter wardrobe, you can’t ignore what will essentially make or break your outfit: the accessories.

The bag game at fashion month was especially strong, and here are the seven trends you can’t ignore for AW17, so pack away your totes and scroll down…

Round bags

Move over box bags, there’s a new shape in town, and it’s about to take over everything. We're referring of course, to the round handbag, seen at Mulberry, Chloe and John Galliano to name a few. It’s elegant and a classic in the making if you make sure you pick a paired back style.

Novelty bags

Next season is definitely about having a bit of good old fashioned fun. Chanel had rocket and planet clutch bags, while Dolce & Gabbana had soft toys and Moschino re-invented every day objects like tissue boxes and loo rolls. Meanwhile, Coach looked to space for inspiration, and Calvin Klein had the cutest pencil case-inspired clutches.

Oversized bags

Ladies, rejoice! Gone are the days you had to squeeze your life into a tiny handbag. AW17 is all about the bigger the better, and we loved the oversized totes at Loewe, Balenciaga, Celine and Stella McCartney.

Hand held bags

Undoubtedly the biggest handbag trend to come out of fashion week is hand held handbags. It’s official, holding straps is SO last year. We loved Dior’s classic evening bags, Roksanda’s foldaway clutches, McQueen’s tassel bags and Sacai’s innovative box bags.

Embellished bags

Whether it’s tassels, pearls, studs, feathers, sequins or gems, you’ll be hard-pressed to find an evening bag next season that’s not embellished.

Boxy handbags

We know we said next season was all about round bags, but that’s not to say box bags are going away anytime soon. Vuitton still had its iconic malle bag of course, but Victoria Beckham, D&G and Ferragamo also featured the style on the catwalk.

Backpacks

There’s no denying the backpack has been a main fixture in the handbag world for a few seasons now, but for AW17, it’s all about mixing it up with textures and carrying it at the end of your arm. Which kind of defies the point of the backpack, but we’re embracing it.

Which handbag trend will you be going for next season?