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We all remember that unfortunate moment in in season two of Sex and the City, when Mr. Big gave Carrie a bedazzled Judith Leiber swan bag instead of just saying, “I love you.” Not only was it a cowardly move — an expensive gift instead of true vulnerability — but the bag was also considered truly horrible at the time, both by viewers and by Carrie, who says in her voice-over, “It was just … wrong”.
But now, we’re not so sure.
In her latest NYC sightings, filming season two of And Just Like That, Sarah Jessica Parker is sporting a JW Anderson 3D-printed pigeon clutch. And it’s kind of iconic.
Dubbed the “rats of the sky”, pigeons are a signature part of New York life. Carrie Bradshaw’s entire personality is basically a love letter to New York, so for her to own the expensive fashion version of something that represents the grungy depths of NYC — makes perfect sense.
Jonathan Anderson debuted the pigeon purse as part of his men’s fall 2022 collection in the middle of Omicron’s takeover, out of the desperately relatable need for a laugh. “I wanted an element of something a bit silly in the collection, a contrast to the situation at the time,” he told BAZAAR in an interview. “Fashion has this great way of allowing us to escape reality. Also, pigeons are so inherently unglamorous, it’s funny to turn it into a functional object like a clutch bag that’s typically seen as quite glamorous.”
The response was so huge that the designer decided to produce the purses off the runway.
“Pigeons are such a funny symbol in the landscape of metropolitan life, something that’s so easily recognised and relatable for citizens in nearly every city in the world,” he adds. “They really are the most successful bird!”
Coming in at $890 and currently available for pre-order, the clutch is currently one of the most researched and viewed product pages on the brand’s website, tripling in traffic since SJP was spotted carrying it around the streets of NYC while filming the upcoming season of AJLT.
And now, Julia Fox has just stepped out donning a Thom Browne black fox bag. “Prior to wearing her last night I had her on display on a shelf in my bed room for 2 yrs! Finally found an outfit worthy of her,” she wrote on Instagram.
Currently sold out, the bag, made of pebbled calf skin, is worth just over $6k.
These two recent examples of animal-shaped bags worn by celebrities who have high fashion esteem, are not the only animal-shaped bags that are out there in the luxury market right now.
Loewe has been doing animal-shaped pouch bags for years, with its current Turtle Pouch ($1,115) being a huge hit. Then, we have the Fendi Teddy Bear Tote Bag ($2,053.16) and Oscar de la Renta’s Juice the Shealing Sheep bag ($2,774.54) just to name some classics.
This got me to thinking (yes, I’m embodying my inner Carrie Bradshaw), are animal-shaped bags actually super high-brow?
Below, I’ve scoured the internet for more affordable options, if you’re into the idea of carrying around a fluffy swan tote or a sparkly penguin clutch. Farshun, darling. Ahead are six animal-shaped bags to shop to level up your next look.
