The term quiet luxury has been bubbling up more and more in fashion circles and it describes a shift that we’re seeing toward styles that combine minimalist and logo-free silhouettes with the high-quality craftsmanship you’d expect from a designer label. There’s no doubt that this shift has wielded its greatest influence on recent bag trends, with the rise of terms like “anti-It” bag and conspicuous consumption floating around the digital ether. In an era where we’re only a tap away from seeing the price of something, flashy logos are no longer the ultimate symbols of wealth. For the A-list crowd, designer handbags no longer shout, they whisper.
These are the bags that are timeless, elevated, and easy to wear enough to be long-term investments that last in your closet for years and years. Don’t just take our word for it, though. The proof is all here in a subset of stylish celebrities who reach for these carryalls day in and day out. Whether its Kendall Jenner’s commitment to The Row’s Half Moon Bag or Kaia Gerber’s fixation on her Celine Ava Bag, these women know that less is really more.
Here, discover the low-key designer handbags that celebrities are carrying with them everywhere.
I don’t think the term quiet luxury would even be in our lexicon if it weren’t for the serenely understated energy of The Row. Each of their designs, but especially the bags, are sans logo or any kind of identifiable symbols, making them recognizable only to those already “in the know”. Nothing epitomizes this idea quite like the Half Moon Bag, a curved shoulder bag modeled after the mini silhouettes from the ’90s. It’s small-but-functional size and unique shape have drawn a massive fanbase including Kendall Jenner, a longtime Row devotee and arbiter of modern ’90s style.
Ever since Saint Laurent’s Le 5 À 7 Shoulder Bag debuted in mid-2021, celebs have hardly wavered in their obsession with the style. While its fanbase includes A-list names from Zoë Kravitz to Elsa Hosk, its none other than Hailey Bieber we most often associate the bag with. You see, Bieber carries hers so often that we’ve begun to clock the collection she’s amassed including versions in black, beige, and patent finishes which she wears with everything from cargo pants to mini dresses.
A quick survey of Dua Lipa’s Instagram feed is all you need to see that the popstar rarely repeats an outfit, let alone a single accessory. And yet Gucci’s iconic Jackie 1961 bag is the rare through line that links Lipa’s bold and glamorous ensembles. Named after Jackie Kennedy, the Jackie 2.0 gives a Gucci style that’s been popular for years a sleek new makeover. Then-creative director Alessandro Michele first introduced the bag in his F/W ’20 collection in which almost every look featured the iconic Jackie bag, and three years later, the Jackie isn’t going anywhere. It’s remained a fixture on the arms of the celeb set, but particularly in Lipa’s closet where both its glossy and logo finishes are staples.
If you ask us, Kaia Gerber has some of the most approachable street style in all of Hollywood. Her outfits are simple and relatable but always elevated, and for over a year, the supermodel has carried one specific handbag with nearly every single outfit she’s left the house in. Talk about commitment. Gerber is wholeheartedly backing Celine’s crescent-shaped Ava Bag, an easy under-the-arm style that seems to both fit all the essentials and—evidently—go with everything.
Without plastering on logos, carving out experimental shapes or administering traffic-stopping colors, Daniel Lee managed to produce a number of It bags during his time at Bottega Veneta that continue to leave a lasting impact. While the Jodie or Pouch bags come to mind first, the way that Lee married practicality with luxury in some of the more utilitarian designs isn’t lost on fashion insiders, or celebs for that matter. The Arco Tote has found a devoted fan in Lea Michele, who we’ve spotted carrying it with every single outfit while based in NYC as Broadway’s Funny Girl star.
Only a bag this sleek and polished would be fit for a princess. The Nano Montreal Bag is a petite top-handle shape from London-based label Demellier and a fixture in the Princess of Wales’ closet. The brand is known for their under-the-radar designs that always have us doing a double-take—their three-digit prices look like they would easily ring up in the four-digit range.
Talk about low-key luxury. The Prada Cleo Bag has such a slim 2D shape that when it’s tucked under the arm, it’s almost disappears completely. That’s part of its appeal. Now that we’ve studied all the “quiet” and logo-free designers bags that celebrities love, it’s easy to see why the Cleo became one of the most in-demand bags at the time of its launch two years ago, and has rarely slowed down ever since. The shape references the ’90s as so many Prada styles tend to do and is imbued with a timeless quality that makes it a smart investment. Just take a look at the many ways Gigi Hadid has worn hers recently to realize just how easy to wear the style really is.
Next: Quiet Luxury Is in the Lead—10 Low-Key Brands That Are the Epitome of Chic