How is your summer looking this year? Yeah? Ours too. While life still has a ways to go before it returns to normalcy, we have some of our favourite luxury fashion brands providing us with much needed retail therapy to help lighten the mood and reminisce the days when summer was a time for wild pursuits and exploration.

To reflect the (supposed) carefree and joyous spirit of summer days at the beach, brands like Loewe and Valentino have dropped bags that spark our inner wanderlust. The former’s designs are even inspired by some of our favourite tropical fruits (no durians, sorry). Meanwhile, brands like Gucci and Dior looked towards classic silhouettes and practicality – perfect for daily use while still maintaining a certain je ne sais quoi. Keep on reading to see what we’re coveting right now.

Bottega Veneta The Mount

For your new daily staple, Bottega Veneta’s new Mount bags are understated enough to achieve subtle elegant with a touch of bold detailing to make each a unique piece. Featuring a V-shaped flap and chunky chain strap, the Mount Envelope is offered in three luxurious textures – smooth Raffaello, grainy Saint Germain, and light Suede Cachemire – and four equally opulent colours to match your style. For something that’s more casual while still retaining the familiar codes, the Mount Bermuda comes with the same chunky chain, but with a Mogano wood top handle. This one comes in lush Rafaello leather to complements its sinuous silhouette.

Available now on the Bottega Veneta website.

Gucci Diana

First introduced in 1991, the Gucci Diana bamboo handle tote is reimagined by Alessandro Michele is now distinguished by removable, neon leather belts around the handle – a nod to the functional bands that once came with the original bag to maintain the shape of the handles. Seven colours of leather are available across three sizes of the bag: black, white, cuir, emerald green, red, poudre light blue, and light rose. The fluorescent belts for the bag come in either yellow, pink, or orange, each sporting a functional buckle and a Gucci script logo in gold metallic film. Owners may also purchase additional leather belts to customise their bags, or have the belts embossed in-store with letters and start symbols.

The Gucci Diana bag is now available in select Gucci stores as well as online.

Dior Lock Bag

Ahead of the Fall 2021 collection, Dior has introduced the Lock Bag as a new style statement for men. Functional, practical, and compact, it blends vintage inspirations with a contemporary spirit. The bag’s structured volumes echo the graphic form of the briefcase, with a unique metallic clasp engraved with the Dior logo front-and-centre as the new line’s signature. Available in a camera bag version and two mini clutch iterations, the Dior Lock Bag comes in a bi-material finish – which combines leather with the emblematic Dior Oblique Canvas – as well as in plain black, beige and azure blue crocodile.

The Dior Lock Bag is now available in-stores and online.

Moschino The Biker Bag

If you’re someone with a penchant for edginess and statement pieces, the new Biker Bag from Jeremy Scott’s Pre-Fall collection. Reimagined as a micro crossbody, belt accessory, clutch and its classic silhouette, we’re particularly fond of the Patchwork Biker Bag. One half emulating the look of a trench coat and the other as a streetwise leather biker jacket, this plush nappa leather and cotton gabardine patchwork trapeze bag features buttons on the front, with gold galvanic details to to give it a street luxury look.

Available online on the Moschino website.

Loewe Fruit Edit

The carefree spirit of leisurely beach days and an urban summer serve as the main inspirations for the Loewe Paula’s Ibiza 2021 collection. The playfulness of fruit motif prints and a breeze Balearic spirit is captured in the new iconic Puzzle bag, reimagined in tropical fruit flavours of Watermelon, Kiwi, and Passionfruit animations. Each bag is handcrafted using Loewe’s signature leather marquetry technique, translated into artisan-crafted basket bags hand-woven in natural fibres. The large Basket versions with Watermelon and Passionfruit motifs are woven in Iraca Palm; the more compact Pochette Kiwi comes in raffia; and the structural Shell Tote is dressed in casual washed denim.

Discover and shop Loewe’s fruit edit online.

Valentino Garavani

Inspired from the Maison’s archive of prints from the late ‘60s, the Valentino Escape 2021 collection is the definition of “hot girl summer”, bringing light textures and a vibrant colour palette to refresh our homebound lives. Bags take on a beachy feel like in the canvas Atelier tote that’s embroidered with beads in a tapestry motif that first made its debut in 1966. Ideal for stowing our seaside essentials, it’s definitely something to cop for a hopeful future. For something a bit more urban and stylish, the brown leather Supervee shoulder bag is adorned with a cabochon-encrusted version of the brand’s signature hardware, reflecting the spirit of the ‘60s.

The Valentino Escape 2021 collection is available now at selected boutiques, on the Valentino website, as well as on Mytheresa.

Berluti Whopping Tote

For Summer 2021, Berluti builds upon its ongoing collaboration with Brian Rochefort and his trademark texture play that’s found in his sculptures – and unveils the Braided Leather collection. Using the iconic Signature canvas as a base – with its grained texture and its motif merging Berluti’s logo – the Braided Leather bags feature a large white logo crest printed on the front side, outlined by a braided calf leather stripe. A particular design that makes it a must-have for future travels or even a quick trip to run your errands is the Whopping Canvas and Leather tote, which comes in a black and yellow check pattern.

The Berluti Braided Leather collection is available now at Berluti stores and online.

Visit our Spring Edit here.