Every season, ever since “Y2K” started being overused as a fashion buzzword, something from the era has emerged in a collection – be it an archive re-edition or a contemporary interpretation of a bygone style code. For autumn/winter 2025, the renewed Noughties relic is the bowling bag.
The curvaceous accessory is set to make a stealth return come autumn, largely thanks to Prada’s men’s show in Milan, where colour-blocked top-handles claimed almost as much attention as the scuffed-toe cowboy boots that took to the runway. As the designers who so cleverly reworked beloved archive footwear for their women’s spring/summer offering, Miuccia and Raf made these bowlers in the same spirit as those that debuted in the Noughties – and then reissued in 2012 and again, for its 20th anniversary, in 2020 – which still do the rounds on resale sites today.
As a purveyor of scene-stealing handbags, The Row has naturally offered its take on the bowling bag, in the form of the India, a top-handle style available in various finishes and two sizes (12.00 and 15.75), and its slouchier cousin, the Agnes. Both echo the simplicity of their stratospherically-successful counterpart, the Margaux, which has dominated the handbag conversation for over a year, but the India and Agnes are, in many ways, even more practical. In place of the Margaux’s easy toggle closure and side buckles, these companions feature full zips and padlocks. You can’t carry the top handles over your shoulders, but that’s in keeping with the design of a traditional bowling bag.
Miu Miu’s Aventure and Beau bags also take inspiration from the hallmarks of the bowling bag silhouette. The former is a curved top-handle, complete with antiqued horsebit hardware, while the latter is a boxy shape with a zip that wraps around the sides of the bag, with a logo stamped on the front.
There are a wealth of options available – in suede, leather and nylon – to be found on vintage sites and at retailers that stock new season. Take your pick.
