Mention straw bags and the eternal figure of Jane Birkin invariably comes to mind. Birkin first started toting them around the late ’60s – the straw baskets lending a spirited touch to her pared back outfits and in turn, they’ve long been associated with her since.
That said, bags fashioned out of natural fibres such as straw, rattan, hemp and the like have been in use since ancient times. This season, designers have utilised the materials across bags of every design and shape – from Louis Vuitton’s neat, summery tote to the playful ruffled numbers in Loewe’s latest Paula’s Ibiza collection.
As the French designer Vanessa Seward tells The Wall Street Journal, straw bags “put a nice twist on a look… It’s a bit anti-It bag. It shows taste versus money.”
Below, our picks from the season.