Best affordable designer handbags

As we enter the new season, Spring/Summer 2023, we start itching to buy pieces from the new collections to update our wardrobe and style up. A typical case is designer handbags. Of course, we need the new model of the Louis Vuitton bag we saw in the street style of the fashion weeks. But we don’t always want to spend a few thousand Euros on a handbag, right? Therefore, we made a selection of the best affordable designer handbags that are available in the market. 

Since there are so many options, we searched for bags that follow this season’s trends. For example, we selected vintage-style shoulder bags, crescent-moon-shaped designs or tote bags. We also thought about the materials that might interest you, like leather bags, nylon or even vegan and sustainable leather bags. Our list of the best affordable designer handbags narrows down the vast range of handbags on the market, so you can find your ideal handbag without stress.

1- Isabel Marant

Isabel Marant is one of the coolest French luxury brands on the market. The Isabel Marant woman’s style is French, bohemian, carefree and always classy. She brings together rock-n-roll, masculine details and bohemian elements, creating the famous je-ne-sais-quoi of the French girl. And from Isabel Marant’s handbag collection, we chose a Botsy shoulder bag, which takes inspiration from classic satchels. Also, we picked the Nessah New Wardy Tapestry Bag, which fits perfectly with the Elevated Basics Spring/Summer 2023 trend. And finally, we’ve selected the beautiful Oskan Moon shoulder bag. 

2- Ralph Lauren

Ralph Lauren is one of the biggest American luxury brands. Ralph Lauren’s style can be defined as a preppy American with the charm of the European aristocracy’s style. In other words, feminine, sport-chic, and traditional. Here we chose three models of bags that are classic but not boring: an orange shoulder bag, a large shoulder bag in chic brown Croco leather and a timeless black saddle shape bag. The advantage of affordable luxury items is that you have a design and quality that will last many seasons with you.

3- JW Anderson

JW Anderson is a British luxury fashion brand founded by Jonathan Anderson. The brand belongs to the LVMH group, which owns the Louis Vuitton brand, among others. Since 2013, Anderson is also the creative director of the Spanish luxury house Loewe. JW Anderson is one of the favourite brands among celebrities. Do you remember Harry Style’s crochet cardigan that went viral on social media? Well, it was a JW Anderson item. And the bold chain detail in the bags and shoes is the designer’s signature. 

4- Staud

Founded in 2015 by designer duo Sarah Staudinger and George Augusto, the California brand Staud is the darling among the fashion tribe. A high-end aesthetic at an accessible price point is what the brand promises for its clothing and accessories line. However, the bags are the brand’s strong feature, whose design is recognisable from afar. Who wears Staud bags? Alexa Chung and Dakota Fanning are just a few names on the A-list of celebrities.

5- Ganni

Founded in 2000 by Copenhagen-based gallerist Frans Truelsen, Ganni has built a cult following on social media with its quirky and exuberant aesthetic. Ganni is one of the most successful Scandinavian brands and an international phenomenon. Ganni’s style is a mix of androgynous, bohemian and experimental vibrant design. So it is their accessory line with bags made with recycled leather, recycled nylon and cotton crochet.

6- Mansur Gavriel

Founded in 2013 by Rachel Mansur and Floriana Gavriel, accessories brand Mansur Gavriel is distinguished by its timeless approach to colour and form. Both handbags and shoes are produced with high-quality, Italian-made materials such as supple lambskin, calfskin, saffron and vegetable-tanned leather. Mansur Gavriel’s bags, with their buttery colours, are adored by everyone from Karlie Kloss to Reese Witherspoon.

7- Tory Burch

Tory Burch is an American fashion brand founded by designer Tory Burch in 2004. Tory Burch combines the materials and quality of a European luxury brand while employing American-style cost efficiencies. And in fact, TB’s handbags are a third of the price of a luxury brand like Gucci, with similar quality. We’ve selected these three beautiful handbags that follow the season’s trends: the striped patchwork with different textures of leather with the T-logo, a woven stripe bucket bag and the iconic bag in homage to Lee Radziwill, the stylish sister of Jacqueline Onassis.

8- Nanushka

Nanushka is a fashion brand based in Budapest, known for its effortless femininity. The brand’s heart is Sandra Sandor, who graduated from the London College of Fashion and founded the brand in 2006. The design of the clothes and accessories is timeless and cool minimalist. Who wears the brand? Fashionistas such as Camile Charriere, Caroline Issa and Lisa Aiken. And the list gets even better with Gigi Hadid and Charlize Theron.

9- Neous

NEOUS is a London-based, sustainably sourced luxury footwear and accessories brand. Founded by Australian-born designer Vanissa Antonious in 2017, the story of the brand Neous can be told through three cities: designed in London, launched in Paris, and made in Italy. You can expect high quality and an architectural-inspired design.

10- Stand Studio

The Scandi brand Stand Studio was founded by Nellie Kamras in 2014 with the idea to meet a demand for expertly designed, high-fashioned leather pieces at an accessible price. Stand Studio pay tribute to the simplicity of pure leather, making every piece highly wearable and the perfect companion to a capsule wardrobe. You can check the brand in the most stylish Scandinavian girls on the streets of Copenhagen Fashion Week.

11- COS

And we have come to the end of our selection of the Best affordable designer handbags with the minimalist brand COS. The chic and conscious sister of H&M debuted this year at New York Fashion Week with a collection that is contemporary and timeless. COS offers reinvented classics and wardrobe essentials at a budget-friendly price.

Title photo – courtesy of @COS, featuring @emitaz, shot by Moeez Ali