forgive me for my lack of eloquence here, but i feel like there is also something to be said about how in japan bag charms have always kind of been a thing? and just now westerners have decided its really cute and have co-opted it for themselves heralded by a white woman. i dont necessarily have the words or the sources to back this up, so please take this with many grains of salt!!!
i completely agree with your point though.i love a bag charm in the way i love to trudge through all my cute little things I already own and figure out how I can adorn my bag with them. I feel like were seeing the maximalist version at the moment, and it will likely calm down to the normal few charms here or there.
like Madi pointed out, there are places where bag charms have always been a feature and will probably continue to be so after the trend passes since Lotta Volkova isn't actually the arbiter of whether they'll continue to do it or not (also school-age kids and teenagers attaching little plushies to their rucksacks has been a thing since forever)
yeah the 'I have the contents of an entire toybox attached to my bag' look can be a bit ridiculous but as a trend it beats the deadly dullness of 'quiet luxury' and is more creative than logomania so I'm all for seeing the youths festoon their bags with baubles of their choice.
I echo the other comments, this microtrend is co-opting & blandifying (not a word but whatever) the japanese style. I also find the luxury bag charms (lv/loewe/etc) prominently displayed to be a wealth signifier that reminds me of the what’s in my bag posts that are also seeing a resurgence. idk I have thoughts but haven’t cohered them the way you do so eloquently!
I lived in Japan, am well acquainted with the culture, language, history, etc. Japanese people in general are charmed (ha ha) when other cultures pick up on their trends. And in the other countries I lived in ....THE SAME. For some reason, in the USA especially, people get their knickers in a twist over the smallest of things (another pun, oh dear!), like someone copying a trend. Is it OK to follow a trend ONLY if the trendsetting country/culture matches your own??? The Japanese borrow trends from other countries all the time. It's cool. No shame. No blame. It's called having fun.
Loved this!! I wrote a Substack questioning if I actually had found personal style or if trends and the commodification of things we're just getting sneakily more fun right now. Brands are making it so you can buy a personality!! I feel like bag charms sort of tie into that.
would also love to add the bevvy of plush toys that were on display during copenhagen fashion week - from full outfits at division to little bag charms!!
Know what we call the obnoxious logos plastered on the ALL utilitarian things we wear - you know, kicks, 't' shirts, that three pointed Mercedes symbol and the ever popular designer bags/
We call them SWASH STICKERS, that's a terrible price to be trendy!
Oh, well, guess it's better than having your pants down below your butt!
forgive me for my lack of eloquence here, but i feel like there is also something to be said about how in japan bag charms have always kind of been a thing? and just now westerners have decided its really cute and have co-opted it for themselves heralded by a white woman. i dont necessarily have the words or the sources to back this up, so please take this with many grains of salt!!!
i completely agree with your point though.i love a bag charm in the way i love to trudge through all my cute little things I already own and figure out how I can adorn my bag with them. I feel like were seeing the maximalist version at the moment, and it will likely calm down to the normal few charms here or there.
like Madi pointed out, there are places where bag charms have always been a feature and will probably continue to be so after the trend passes since Lotta Volkova isn't actually the arbiter of whether they'll continue to do it or not (also school-age kids and teenagers attaching little plushies to their rucksacks has been a thing since forever)
yeah the 'I have the contents of an entire toybox attached to my bag' look can be a bit ridiculous but as a trend it beats the deadly dullness of 'quiet luxury' and is more creative than logomania so I'm all for seeing the youths festoon their bags with baubles of their choice.
I echo the other comments, this microtrend is co-opting & blandifying (not a word but whatever) the japanese style. I also find the luxury bag charms (lv/loewe/etc) prominently displayed to be a wealth signifier that reminds me of the what’s in my bag posts that are also seeing a resurgence. idk I have thoughts but haven’t cohered them the way you do so eloquently!
I lived in Japan, am well acquainted with the culture, language, history, etc. Japanese people in general are charmed (ha ha) when other cultures pick up on their trends. And in the other countries I lived in ....THE SAME. For some reason, in the USA especially, people get their knickers in a twist over the smallest of things (another pun, oh dear!), like someone copying a trend. Is it OK to follow a trend ONLY if the trendsetting country/culture matches your own??? The Japanese borrow trends from other countries all the time. It's cool. No shame. No blame. It's called having fun.
Loved this!! I wrote a Substack questioning if I actually had found personal style or if trends and the commodification of things we're just getting sneakily more fun right now. Brands are making it so you can buy a personality!! I feel like bag charms sort of tie into that.
would also love to add the bevvy of plush toys that were on display during copenhagen fashion week - from full outfits at division to little bag charms!!
I agree completely. And on the other hand, I love buying keychains & hanging bits and only have one wee set of keys…
Bag Charms?
Know what we call the obnoxious logos plastered on the ALL utilitarian things we wear - you know, kicks, 't' shirts, that three pointed Mercedes symbol and the ever popular designer bags/
We call them SWASH STICKERS, that's a terrible price to be trendy!
Oh, well, guess it's better than having your pants down below your butt!