If you only invest in one bag in 2026, it should be the City Bag by Balenciaga, which Claudia Schiffer has already chosen as a key accessory for the new season.
Claudia Schiffer with a City Bag by Balenciaga
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The City Bag from Balenciaga is firmly established among the most relevant models of this year. Pierpaolo Piccioli presented this model during his debut show for Balenciaga for the spring-summer 2026 season, after which interest in the City Bag has noticeably increased. Fashion editors, stylists and influencers have once again turned to this iconic model. The iconic accessory of the 2000s has naturally returned to the wardrobes of models and celebrities: a few months earlier, the bag was already worn by Bella Hadid and Kate Moss. Its appearance in the looks immediately made it clear that the City Bag is once again included in the list of key trends of 2026.
Kate Moss with a Balenciaga City Bag
The history of the City Bag from Balenciaga is closely connected with Kate Moss. In the early 2000s, it was the British model who actively appeared in public with the City Bag and actually saved this model from extinction. At that time, the creative director of Balenciaga was Nicolas Ghesquière. Initially, the City Bag was considered too soft, too punk and not elegant enough. The bag was planned to be used only as an accessory during the spring-summer 2001 collection show.
However, Kate Moss insisted that the City Bag by Balenciaga be put into production. Then the City Bag was released in a limited edition. This decision was a turning point for Balenciaga. The City Bag quickly became an iconic bag of the 2000s. Kate Moss appeared with the City Bag on the streets of London, and the demand for the bag grew rapidly. Over time, the City Bag began to be worn by the Olsen sisters, Sienna Miller and Gisele Bündchen. Thus, the City Bag by Balenciaga consolidated the status of a cult model and a symbol of the era.
Claudia Schiffer with a City Bag by Balenciaga
Two decades later, the City Bag from Balenciaga is back in the spotlight. Previously, this model was also called the Motorcycle Bag. In the spring-summer 2026 season, it received a new interpretation in the Pierpaolo Piccioli for Balenciaga collection. The designer preserved the recognizable shape of the City Bag while emphasizing its relevance in a modern context. Claudia Schiffer was recently spotted with the new City Bag. Schiffer chose the City Bag in brown suede and blue leather and combined these bags with simple basic wardrobe items.
Based on material from vogue.fr