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Dua Lipa has a new It bag soldered to her arm. Last week, Lipa stepped out in New York City wearing a tangerine puffer coat, a New York Yankees beanie hat, a pair of light wash jeans, and chunky boots. On her arm was a black leather bag—the Balenciaga Le Cagole bag. Over the past few weeks, the pop star has worn the sturdy, smooth-cornered bag while out in New York City. And it’s not just Lipa. Starring in Balenciaga’s fall 2022 campaign, Kim Kardashian poses with the bag in its classic black hue and another iteration in highlighter green. Last month, in Paris, Julia Fox attended the Kenzo show in a cone bra denim jacket by Schiaparelli and a petit Le Cagole bag swinging from her be-gloved hands. Other lovers of the bag include Bella Hadid, who trotted around New York with it this past summer, and Euphoria’s Alexa Demie, who has it in silver.
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The bag’s rise to fame is not unfounded. Last year, the Balenciaga Motorcycle Bag (aka the Balenciaga City Bag) had a booming comeback. The original, roomy iteration from the ’00s was spotted on the arms of fashion week attendees, while the newer, Demna-ified version became a celebrity favorite. By contrast, Le Cagole, which debuted in pre-fall 2021, is more refined. It’s a rounded version of the Balenciaga Motorcycle Bag that reminds us of a perky croissant studded with buckles, tassels, and a sassy little mirror in the shape of a heart. While black seems to be the go-to color, it comes in a rainbow of pastel hues and metallic shades, and three sizes.
Quickly, it’s become more than an It girl’s bag of the moment. Last October, the piece was ranked sixth on Lyst’s Q3 “Hottest Product” list, sandwiched between JW Anderson chain loafer mules and the Jacquemus La maille Pralù cardigan.
So why now? The Le Cagole is the perfect bag that dips its toe into nostalgia but isn’t totally plucked out of the past. We can’t stay in the noughties forever. The Le Cagole bag has all the makings of a noughties hit item, but with a manicured, 2022 facelift. Its crescent silhouette, along with its cushy leather, allows it to be worn like a shoulder bag. (It isn’t an anvil-hauling-cumbersome carryall, like many Y2K-era bags.) Plus, the name “Le Cagole” has that signature ’Ciaga cheek—it means a cool girl who is a “little over the top”. And who doesn’t want to be that girl in 2022?
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