Weird, wacky, and wonderful, the JW Anderson “pigeon clutch bag” is the newest head-turning, Instagram-pleasing accessory.
Anderson, who is also creative director for the Spanish brand Loewe, is never one to shy away from the sublime. His recent collections have seen everything from glossed lip dresses to broken egg sandals.
The bag first appeared in the JW Anderson Fall 2022 menswear collection, which the designer described as “glaring, sparkling, saturated and fun”. At both fashion houses there seems to be an affinity to blurring the lines between reality and fiction — just be careful not to enter a park.
Created using 3D printing and utilising a wing as an opening, the life-size pigeon clutch has received divided opinions. In an interview with Vogue, the designer commented on the bag, “it’s related to bringing up the neuroses that we have about being British”, and “pigeons are a part of our landscape. In a weird way, by turning one into a clutch, you take something which is not glamorous and make it glamorous.” And nothing is more glamorous than getting onto the arm of one Carrie Bradshaw.
In photos released from the filming of And Just Like That season two, Sarah Jessica Parker, who plays the fashion-obsessed writer, was seen sporting the bag to accessorize an upcycled vintage flight suit from Converted Closet. For both New York and London, the pigeon is a true mascot of metropolitan life and the transfusion of it into high fashion is an ode to the cities.
Other celebs are also fans. Sam Smith, who named their’s ‘Martin’ was seen clutching the life-like bag on the front row of the Harris Reed show at London Fashion Week. For all the haters, there is an equal number of lovers and it is sold out online. The irony of the bag plays into a universal love of the meme. It’s an offering for generation Instagram, a consumer whose taste is explicitly curated for engagement and likes.
YouTube sensation Emma Chamberlain is also a supporter of the bird and recorded herself buying two pairs of pigeon-inspired socks in her recent Amsterdam vlog. From the catwalk to the sidewalk, it is time to take note, pigeon is the inspiration for fall/winter 22 dressing.
