Earlier today in Paris, designer Pierpaolo Piccioli unveiled his first-ever fall 2026 couture collection for Balenciaga. And while Piccioli’s couture clothing delivered plenty of interesting offerings—take the floral cocoon gowns, or those dramatic veils—all eyes were set on the label’s couture-ified City bags that were carried down the catwalk.
First introduced in 2001 under the direction of then-creative director Nicolas Ghesquière, the Balenciaga City bag—which was first called Le Dix Motorcycle Lariat—was an innovative offering for the time period. In the early aughts, designer bags were unyielding and structured, and yet Ghesquière subverted that, imagining a bag that was a little more slouchy—finished with fringed details, and chunky silver studs and buckles. “Accessories [at the time] were rigid,” Ghesquière later said of the bag. “Luxury leather, especially, was about rigidity.”
The style went on to become a hit (despite almost not being produced!) during the height of Y2k fashion: Everyone from Kate Moss to Nicole Richie to the Olsen twins began carrying the City around town, cementing its status as one of the hottest It bags—and since then, the City has only continued to become even more coveted. (In fact, vintage City bags on resale sites can now even be worth double their original value.) But just when you think the City bag couldn’t get any hotter, it has.
There is now a couture version available, making it even more lavish and hard to get. Piccioli’s take on the classic City? Covering it in shimmering crystals. Seen in looks 5 and 21, the couture City bags are described in the show notes as “City bags in shiny silver metal and rose gold crystal mesh.” Instead of a full-leather fabrication, the leveled-up bag—as shown close-up by Balenciaga leather goods designer Minyoung Gil on Instagram—features a metal-like trim, with the dazzling crystals covering the full front and back. (There is no price tag as of yet, but one can imagine that a couture City bag will run for, well, a lot.)
Photo: Armando Grillo / Gorunway.com