There are no obvious logos, no conspicuous hardware, no garish monograms. But for those who recognise its supple accordion compartments, the Gig bag is a potent sign of fashion capital. It first debuted as part of Phoebe Philo’s inaugural drop in 2023 – a line with “a tang of oddness, eroticism, and humour”, as Vogue’s Sarah Mower put it – and has quietly been accruing cult status ever since. To wit: Tilda Swinton, Chloë Sevigny and Angelina Kendall are all fans.
And then there’s Jennifer Lawrence, who’s worn the design on at least four occasions over the last month. It was there when she met up with Dakota Johnson, there at an LA baseball game, and there, slung over her Olsen-made trench, as she spent time with her husband in New York yesterday. Look more closely, and true Philophiles will note that the Gig is actually a subtle evolution of the Trio silhouette Phoebe designed for Céline’s spring/summer 2011 collection.
The Gig bag was, in fact, the first thing that fashion soothsayer Lauren Sherman purchased from Philo’s debut offering. “I’ve wanted to buy a new bag for a couple of years,” the reporter said at the time. “And this was exactly what I needed: not too small, not too big, and no dumb gold-embossed logo on the front.” The same could be said about Philo’s Kit Cabas and Drive bags – beloved by everyone from Charli XCX to Chioma Nnadi – which have become just as much a fixture of British Vogue’s headquarters as discarded PR boxes, fading bouquets of flowers and horrible reusable water bottles. I imagine Philo’s offices are a little more manicured.
