Call the paps. The City’s back.
The Balenciaga City bag has made more than a comeback—it’s made fashion history. But has it ever really left? What began as a rejected prototype has transformed into one of the most iconic ultra-luxury accessories of the 21st century. Here’s how the City became the bag of the moment—again.
The Motorcycle Bag: An Icon Discovers an Icon
It was the turn of the century. The place: Balenciaga. Then-creative director Nicolas Ghesquière had just created the Motorcycle Lariat bag. Named for its whipstitch detail and moto-grunge look, it was ill-received by the brand’s executives. The bag was deemed undone and frowned upon for its slouchy silhouette, chunky hardware, and distressed lightweight leather.
With no visible branding and visible signs of “wear,” the Motorcycle bag was viewed as more derelict than designer, and only twenty-five models were made. Luckily for Ghesquière (and us, too), one of the models was spotted by a model of a different kind.
In an era of high-gloss logomania where handbags served as sartorial status symbols, the Motorcycle bag stood out, catching the right pair of eyes. Luxury lore has it that Kate Moss discovered the bag during a studio visit and insisted she have one. When Kate was seen carrying the prototype, it generated buzz and demand for the Motorcycle bag. In response, Balenciaga greenlit production, and The City bag was born (a star).
The City Bag: An It Bag Is Born
The City bag was one of three in the newly launched collection, the others being The First and The Work. The First was small, The City was medium, and The Work was large. As the best-selling size, The City became the de facto name for the line.
The City was seen in every major city around the arms of every It Girl—from Nicole Richie to Paris Hilton and the Olsen twins. It was in almost every paparazzi photo, with its soft, slouchy silhouette becoming a sign of the times. It was also versatile, accompanying It Girls everywhere—from the gym to the red carpet.
Mary-Kate Olsen famously flaunted her mint-green, pen-marked, wine-stained City bag with pride, enhancing its distressed look and sharing that it “explains [her] life.” The messy bag movement had begun, and The City was its leader. It turned grunge glam and glam grunge, redefining fashion in the early aughts.
The Resale Revival
Since its 2001 release, The City bag has seen many iterations. Some of the most notable include The Twiggy, the Neo Classic line, The Part Time, The Mini Pom Pom, The Town, The Velo, The Envelope, and Le Cagole. None, however, were quite like The City (and this bag was more than quite liked).
By 2017, Tumblr nostalgia had taken over, and Y2K was making a discreet comeback. The City bag began popping up on mood boards and in search bars across the internet. Come 2021, noughties nostalgia had fully returned—along with The City bag, of course. The resale market was booming with buyers searching for the original classic, so much so that Demna saw an opportunity.
Haute Tip: Have you thrifted your City bag (or perhaps discovered one in your sister’s closet)? Learn how to authenticate it here.
Le City Bag: The Reissue
Re-released as Le City bag in 2024, the reissue was more polished and less punk, more structured and less slouchy. With its signature hand-braided handles still intact, the Le City paid homage to the original while debuting a more refined silhouette and slightly smaller hardware.
In a nod to its storied past, the 2025 Le City campaign repurposed archival paparazzi imagery from the early 2000s, featuring Paris Hilton, Tyra Banks, Claudia Schiffer, and more. In keeping with Balenciaga’s self-aware, provocative style, the photos were digitally altered to include the Le City bag and a faux watermark reading “Balenciaga Le City Bag,” styled after photo agencies like Getty Images. The campaign reinforced the bag’s cultural legacy and the brand’s timeless appeal.
Own the City
The Y2K resurgence embraced worn-in handbags brimming with chaos and nostalgia. It was an homage to Jane Birkin, the Olsen twins, and every City bag-toting It Girl. Whether or not you thrifted it, the goal was for it to look, well, thrifted. Lived-in bags embraced imperfection, and younger luxury lovers embraced the Le City revival.
Having withstood the test of time, every iteration of this disheveled, barely branded investment piece holds high resale value. The Balenciaga City bag is in such high demand that searches have surged 141.6% year over year on FASHIONPHILE. There has never been a better time to buy it, nor a better place to discover it.
