Bag charms are BACK - and they're getting the designer treatment

• The days of neutral, plain bags are gone and instead, colorful bag charms are in 
• Many designers are getting in on the fun like Chanel, Hermès, and Balenciaga
• Celebs such as Dua Lipa and Lily Allen have been sporting them on their Birkins

When it comes to handbag trends this summer, it’s not the neutral, quiet luxury aesthetic that’s making a splash.

Instead, designer bags are getting the ultimate Jane Birkin treatment, with people personalizing their purses with big, colorful and sometimes very expensive charms, along with patterned scarves and even funky hair clips.

The legendary icon who inspired the famed Hermès Birkin in the 1980s was famous for decorating her bags with charms, stickers, beads and ribbons – and many, including designers, are now following suit decades later.

Chanel featured small star-shaped bag charms as a part of their $6,000 new metallic flap bags for the Cruise 2023/24 collection, and Balenciaga recently released a version of their popular Le Cagole bag covered in colorful charms and locks for nearly $5,690.

Jane Birkin, the inspiration behind the famous Hermès bags, was known for decorating her own purses with accessories like charms and stickers

Singer Dua Lipa has been spotted wearing the trend, as she attached tons of charms to her black Birkin bag

Lily Allen also took some liberties with her huge brown Birkin, wrapping it in a Twilly scarf and different sized charms

Loewe and Bottega Veneta have also hopped on the trend, releasing leather charms and key rings in the shape of palm trees and shrimp that cost upwards of $500.

Not to mention Simone Rocha’s Spring/Summer 2024 collections, which featured top-handle bags covered in strings of pearls and bows.

Celebrities like Lily Allen and Dua Lipa have been adorning their Hermès Birkin bags with the dangling accessories in all different colors of the rainbow, and so have a slew of influencers on both TikTok and Instagram.

WNBA star Angel Reese even purchased a pink Chanel bag studded with tiny charms like stars and rollerblades from this year’s cruise collection.

So, what’s this new – and rather charming – obsession all about?

‘Bag charms add a personal touch to designer bags allowing individuals to customize their accessories and make a statement with their style,’ London-based personal shopper and stylist Tara Mouzannar told DailyMail.com.

She said that many of her clients have been inspired by the celebrities and influencers who have been sporting the trend in recent months.

‘There is something out there for everyone and at any price point when it comes to bag charms, hence the versatility,’ Mouzannar explained.

‘Bag charms add a personal touch to designer bags allowing individuals to customize their accessories and make a statement with their style,’ stylist Tara Mouzannar told DailyMail.com

Chanel featured small star-shaped bag charms as a part of their $6,000 new metallic flap bags for the Cruise 2023/24 collection

Content creator and Chanel bag collector Maddie, who goes by @maddieshops on social media, has taken to the trend by pairing her designer bags with all kinds of charms, like a rainbow-stiped one in the shape of a coffee cup.

She told DailyMail.com that they allow people to add some personality to their bags, and a few of the ones she owns even hold some sentimental value.

‘One of the keychains I added to my Kelly bag is from my friend’s company collaboration and having it with me reminds me of the fun we had at her launch day,’ Maddie said.

The designer bag expert likes to switch out her charms depending on what she’s wearing, or even her mood for the day.

‘I think the fun part of this trend is getting to express more of your personality so adding non-designer items on a designer bag can show different aspects to your personality,’ Maddie told DailyMail.com.

‘It’s more of a maximalist vibe so I have to be feeling a bit more extra to want two or three charms,’ Maddie told DailyMail.com.

Stylish sisters and front row fixtures Snehal and Jyoti Babani admitted to DailyMail.com that they believe bags can actually feel ‘incomplete’ and ‘naked’ without the addition of charms.

The two are often spotted wearing the accessories, which include Hermès Kelly and Birkin bag charms that retail for up to $4,000 each.

Content creator and Chanel bag collector Maddie, who goes by @maddieshops on social media, has taken to the trend by pairing her designer bags with all kinds of charms

Snehal and Jyoti Babani have amassed more than 30,000 followers on their shared snejyo Instagram page

Snehal and Jyoti Babani have amassed more than 30,000 followers on their shared snejyo Instagram page, and are big fans of the bag charm trend

‘It’s always the accessories and details that complete a look and it’s same for bags,’ the Mumbai-based sisters told DailyMail.com, seen above wearing Kelly bag hair charms

While the bag charm trend may be having its moment right now, it’s certainly nothing new

They’ve even gotten creative in other ways, putting the charms in their hair and wearing them as hair bows, showing them to their nearly 30,000 followers on Instagram.

‘It’s always the accessories and details that complete a look and it’s the same for bags,’ the Mumbai-based sisters told DailyMail.com.

But while the bag charm trend may be having its moment right now, it’s certainly nothing new.

Mouzannar explained that the charms were a very popular accessory in the early 2000s, and actually have a very long history.

‘In the early 20th century bag charms were primarily utilitarian serving purposes like identifying luggage or adding a touch of personalization to handbags,’ she said.

‘During the 1990s and early 2000s bag charms experienced a resurgence in popularity with luxury brands like Louis Vuitton and Fendi introducing signature charms and key chains,’ Mouzannar continued.

Not to mention, in the early 2010s, charms like the nearly $1,000 furry Fendi bag bugs and pom-pom keychains graced the bags of The Kardashians, Cara Delevingne and Olivia Palermo.

Around the same time, Hermès began to make their iconic leather horse-shaped Rodeo Bag Charms, which are now the hallmark of any bag purchase from the brand, per Purse Blog.

Hermès began to make their iconic leather horse-shaped Rodeo Bag Charms in the early 2010s, which sometimes retail for over $1,000, seen above on Anne Hathaway

In the early 2010s, charms like the furry Fendi bag bugs and pom-pom keychains graced the bags of The Kardashians, seen here on Kendall Jenner in 2014

‘These designers bag charms became coveted accessories adding an extra element of luxury to handbags,’ Mouzannar said

Totally charmed! Tara’s favorite accessory picks 

• String Ting, known for their charms in all different sizes and lengths
• Benim London, also makes phone straps and personalized charms  

These charms typically start around $540 – and you can even snag one of their mini Oran sandal charms for $750.

‘These designers bag charms became coveted accessories adding an extra element of luxury to handbags,’ Mouzannar said.

Of course, the stylist also credited Jane Birkin for the trend.

Maddie pointed out that the trend began for her in the 90s, when she and her friends would adorn their JanSport backpack with funky and collectible keychains, like the Kipling monkey.

She also took part in the Fendi monster trend in 2014, along with some popular charms designed by Louis Vuitton.

Now, a decade later, she’s back to putting the charms on her bags, as are many other trendsetters.

Maddie said that she likes to get her charms not only from designer brands like Chanel, but also from more affordable places, such as accessory brand Stoney Clover Lane.

But what’s even more fun when buying a charm is the hunt for the perfect one to tie to your purse, according to content creator and jewelry designer Victoria Rawlings.

Content creator Victoria Rawlings got her start on the fad by putting Hello Kitty plush toys on her bags about a year ago

Mouzannar largely credited Jane Birkin for the fun bag charm trend and explained its resurgence to DailyMail.com

‘I think this trend is more sustainable in the long run, instead of spending your money on buying more bags you can accessories the ones you already have in your closet and give them a new life,’ Mouzannar explained

On her TikTok page, she has multiple tutorials and videos showing how she decorates a bag starting from scratch.

‘It’s all about the search,’ Rawlings explained to DailyMail.com.

‘There’s lots of brands online that are hopping on the bag charm bandwagon such as Balenciaga, Louis Vuitton, and Prada,’ she said, citing Etsy as another more affordable option for charm shopping.

The Babani sisters agreed, explaining that you don’t even need a designer charm to join in on the trend – or even a proper bag charm at all.

‘Bag charms aren’t always something you need to find,’ they explained.

‘It could also be little accessories and trinkets you already own that you could turn into bag charms and use to accessorize your bag,’ the two continued, using a vintage necklace or a little pocket mirror as an example.

Rawlings is a prime example of this, as she got started on the fad by putting Hello Kitty plush toys on her bags about a year ago.

She said that the amount of compliments that she now receives on her bags is ‘insane.’

It looks like the trend isn’t going anywhere, either.

‘I think this trend is more sustainable in the long run, instead of spending your money on buying more bags you can accessories the ones you already have in your closet and give them a new life,’ Mouzannar explained.

‘In my opinion, adding charms to your bag is just cooler and gives it a personality.’

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