Where to buy the Balenciaga City bag

With Y2K fashion currently reigning supreme, it likely comes as no surprise that one of the most iconic bags of the Noughties is back for 2022. Of course, we’re talking about the era-defining Balenciaga City bag.

Released in 2001 during then-creative director Nicolas Ghesquière’s tenure, it was previously known as the Motorcycle City Bag and became one of the fashion house’s most coveted designs, although this wasn’t exactly predicted.

Balenciaga was originally reluctant to embrace Ghesquière’s design, arguing it was too structureless compared to other handbags on the market at the time. To begin with, just 25 bags were put into production but went on to prove a roaring commercial success.

Jean-Paul Aussenard

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Ironically, the handbag’s appeal lay exactly in its logo-less, relaxed and unstructured silhouette, and there was hardly a Noughties It girl it didn’t appear on the arm of. Kate Moss had a huge hand in its success and as did the Olsen twins and Nicole Richie, a then-client of celebrity-stylist Rachel Zoe, who is credited with curating the ‘boho chic’ style of the decade. It was a style papped on the red carpet, in classic Starbucks-run shots which are symbolic of the time period and at festivals, from Glastonbury to Coachella.

Gregory Pace

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This year, searches for the ‘Balenciaga City bag’, which is no longer in production, have increased with pre-loved models now in high demand. At designer re-sale site, , sales of the Balenciaga City Bag saw an increase of 12 per cent over the first five months of 2022, compared to the same period last year and in April 2022, there was a 36 per cent increase in sales compared to April last year.

With millennials following celebrity endorsements of the Balenciaga City bag and searching out pre-loved Noughties items to invest in, this makes sense. A certified collector’s item proved by its multiple comebacks over the years, it’s an item that is maintaining its value, if not increasing in value over time, according to Vestiaire Collective and it’s the dark colourways that are proving the most successful.

Gareth Cattermole

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Below, we’ve curated some of the best pre-loved Balenciaga City bags available to buy now. A style that arguably looks better with age thanks to its vintage-appeal, each has been verified and will fulfil every Noughties dream. Just order yours with a Venti skinny latte too.