The Handbag Trends for Winter 2022-2023 Are Playful and Experimental

Not the minimal designer bags you're used to.

winter 2022 2023 bag trends at Givenchy, Chanel, Valentino
(Image credit: Givenchy, Chanel, Valentino)

According to the winter 2022-2023 trends, the future of fashion will honor the styles you know and love, only with a twist. A simultaneous reverence for familiarity and the unknown, expect to be gently, lovingly pushed out of your comfort zone in the coming season. Even with your handbags, too! Your minimal flap bag becomes more of a statement piece in a bold color-blocking print. The woven tote that's a hero player in your summer lineup becomes a laptop bag for in-office work days. In short, the bag trends for winter 2022-2023 encourage you to experiment, whether that be by test-driving a wholly new silhouette or opting for a vivid hue you've yet to wear.

Scroll onward for a breakdown of the five leading handbag styles that, like winter's jewelry trends, will inspire you to explore new aesthetics and embrace the unknown.


Winter Weaving

woven bags a winter 2022 2023 trend at Bottega Veneta, Christian Dior, Tod's

(Image credit: Bottega Veneta, Christian Dior, Tod's)

Designers extend the feel-good energy of summer (remember all those carefree beach days with the sun on your skin and the ocean breeze in your hair?) by integrating woven detailing and basket-like textures into their winter handbag offerings. At Bottega Veneta, the luxury fashion brand celebrated its intrecciato house code with shoulder bags adorned with chunky, over-under square weaving. In addition, Tod's unveiled a roomy tote made of densely-woven leather, while Christian Dior's revealed its take on a novelty basket bag.

Flap Happy

winter bag trend 2022 2023 flap bags at Tory Burch, Roberto Cavalli, Valentino

(Image credit: Tory Burch, Roberto Cavalli, Valentino)

These are not the straightforward flap bags you're used to. Vibrant color-blocking, ornate hardware and embellishments, geometric designs that subvert the traditional fold-over look—brands like Tory Burch, Roberto Cavalli, and Valentino toy with an assortment of flap designs to make the classic handbag silhouette feel contemporary and fresh.

Talking in Circles

round bag winter 2022 2023 trend at AZ Factory, Chanel, Ulla Johnson

(Image credit: AZ Factory, Chanel, Ulla Johnson)

The round bag trend from this past summer continues, with spherical silhouettes from the Resort 2023 season helping to fuel its momentum for winter. Chanel offered a checkerboard ball fit with a top clasp, while AZ Factory sent models down its runway holding top-handle bags in short and squat circle silhouettes. Ulla Johnson also joined in on the fun with a rounded pouch bag that was quintessential of the label's signature softly bohemian aesthetic. 

Pouches & Pockets Galore

cargo bag pouch pockets winter bag trend 2022 2023 at Balenciaga, Fendi, Versace

(Image credit: Balenciaga, Fendi, Versace)

A residual effect of fashion's unrelenting interest in cargo pants and all things gorpcore, you'll find the winter 2022-2023 bag options to boast an excess of zippers, pouches, and compartments. Fendi's Resort 2023 collection contained multi-pocket shoulder bags and belt bags that would be the grab bags to reach for in a very chic emergency. Meanwhile, Versace offered split handbags covered in metallic zippers, and Balenciaga honored the hard-working woman on the go with practical backpacks and briefcases.

Chain of Command

winter 2022-2023 trend of chain bags at Dion Lee, Stella McCartney, Givenchy

(Image credit: Dion Lee, Stella McCartney, Givenchy)

For winter, chain hardware adds a subtle edge that even the most staunch of minimalists can get behind. Both Dion Lee and Stella McCartney crafted monochromatic moments with color-coordinating chains. In comparison, Givenchy adopted a more overtly grunge attitude by linking metallic, bike chain-like straps to its satin clutches and swooping shoulder bags.

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Emma Childs
Fashion Features Editor

Emma is the fashion features editor at Marie Claire, where she writes deep-dive trend reports, zeitgeisty fashion featurettes on what style tastemakers are wearing, long-form profiles on emerging designers and the names to know, and human interest vignette-style round-ups. Previously, she was Marie Claire's style editor, where she wrote shopping e-commerce guides and seasonal trend reports, assisted with the market for fashion photo shoots, and assigned and edited fashion celebrity news.

Emma also wrote for The Zoe Report, Editorialist, Elite Daily, Bustle, and Mission Magazine. She studied Fashion Studies and New Media at Fordham University Lincoln Center and launched her own magazine, Childs Play Magazine, in 2015 as a creative pastime. When she's not waxing poetic about niche fashion topics, you'll find her stalking eBay for designer vintage, reading literary fiction on her Kindle, and baking banana bread in her tiny NYC kitchen.