Celine Is Peak Luxury – Here Are The 8 Best Bags Worth Buying
Celine bags are super popular at the moment and a must-have in your handbag collection, so here are the 8 best Celine bags that you need in your life and will elevate any outfit!
The French fashion house, Celine, is known for sophisticated designs and a minimalist aesthetic, which is displayed throughout their ready-to-wear collections, handbags, footwear, and accessories. This timeless aesthetic means Celine is a great brand to go for if you are looking for investment pieces that will never go out of style, especially handbags. To help you pick out the perfect Celine handbag, we have brought together the 8 best Celine bags!
There are a range of different styles within this list, each with the classic Celine sophisticated and polished style, luxurious materials, and stunning details, so there is a handbag to suit any personal style. Let’s get started on finding your perfect Celine bag!
The Best Celine Bags To Invest In
1. Triomphe Bag
The Triomphe bag is a best-seller for Celine, with its classic, refined aesthetic, practical design, and luxurious finish.
The Triomphe bag is available in shiny leather, in 14 different colors, Triomphe canvas, and raffia so there is an option to suit your personal style. There are also two different sizes available, the Classique and the Teen – the Classique is larger with three internal compartments and a zip pocket too, while the Teen is a little smaller but still has the three compartments.
Both Triomphe bag options are decorated with a gleaming gold Triomphe logo clasp and finished with a practical leather strap that can be worn on the shoulder or across the body.
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$4,150 at Celine
2. Claude Bag
The Claude has a similar look to the Triomphe, with a structured silhouette and Triomphe clasp decorating the exterior, but the Claude differs in its rectangular silhouette and chain, rather than leather, strap.
This elongated bag is super stylish and will really elevate any outfit, while the interior is spacious enough for all your every day, or evening out, essentials.
The Claude is available in lots of different finishes and colors, including leather, canvas, suede, lizard leather, shearling, and woven raffia, as pictured above – so there are loads of fun options to choose from.
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$3,850 at Celine
3. Ava Bag
Next, we have a newer addition to Celine’s collection of bags – it’s the Ava Bag, featured here in a leather finish. The 90s-inspired style of the shoulder bag is very trendy at the moment and the small size makes it perfect for casual evenings out.
If you don’t love the gold hardware on the bag, the bag is also available without it in a more understated leather finish, as well as various other finishes, like the brand’s popular monogram canvas.
Structurally, the bag features gold hardware, a zipper closure, and a few pockets on the inside.
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$2,600 at Celine
4. Classic Panier Bag
The Celine Classic Panier bag is the perfect beach bag that you really need in your wardrobe this summer. This tote style is handcrafted from palm leaves for a gorgeous, tactile finish, then decorated with a tan calfskin leather Triomphe, double C logo.
The leather straps are long enough to slip over your shoulder, while the bag is spacious enough to carry everything you need for a day at the beach! There is a light blue version too if you fancy adding a little pop of color to your summer look.
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$760 at Celine
5. Triomphe Bucket Bag
If you are looking for an everyday handbag with a chic and sophisticated aesthetic, then the Celine Bucket Bag is exactly what you need.
This stunning handbag is neutral and minimalist in its design, crafted from dark brown Triomphe canvas with leather trim and decorated with the Celine brand name in gold foil, ensuring a paired-back look that will suit any outfit.
The top of the bag secures with a snap button closure, while the interior is the right size for all your must-have everyday items. We love that the strap is adjustable and can be worn on the shoulder or across the body, plus there is a Medium version too if you need a little more room.
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$1,700 at Celine
6. 16 Bag
If you remember Hedi Slimane’s entrance to the brand, you’ll surely remember all the promo around the 16 Bag. This bag was strategically worn by some of the biggest celebrities out there, like Lady Gaga and members of Black Pink to create hype about Celine’s new era.
The bag is undoubtedly gorgeous, plus its minimalist design with its soft lines and grained leather will definitely stand the test of time. This style currently comes in more than 10 different colors and features gold hardware with a small padlock, which adds extra detail.
There is also a “Soft” version, which has longer straps instead of top handles, no padlock, and a lower price point.
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$4,350 at Celine
7. Cabas Bag
We love the striking, high-fashion look of this Celine Cabas Tote in the Triomphe print canvas with a leather logo on the front for that classic Celine look!
This timeless tote has a boxy silhouette, which guarantees a spacious interior for all your weekend or workday essentials. There are two exterior pockets and one interior flat pocket so you can easily keep everything well organized, while the flat straps are the perfect length to slip over your shoulder.
There are plenty of different Cabas bags to choose from, including animal print and striped canvas, plus leather versions too, so there is something for everyone.
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$1,950 at Celine
8. Chain Shoulder Bag
The Celine Chain Shoulder Bag is a little different from many of the previous Celine bags – instead of featuring the double C logo, also known as the Triomphe logo, this bag is decorated with the Celine brand name for a striking and glamorous look.
The bag may aesthetically look very different, but it still has the same classic, versatile look that will suit a wide range of day and night looks.
This Chain Shoulder bag is crafted from quilted black goatskin leather, and decorated with sparkling silver hardware, including a chain link strap. The interior is spacious and is fitted with a slip pocket to help keep everything organized.
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$3,600 at Celine
The history of Celine
Celine was founded by Céline Vipiana and her spouse Richard in 1945, which was originally a made-to-measure children’s shoe retail boutique. After rising to success as a children’s shoe retailer, the couple opened up three more stores by 1948, with sights set on eventually expanding into women’s fashion.
Approximately one decade later, Celine launched a collection of ready-to-wear clothing for women that was more functional than frivolous.
Her original sportswear line consisted of fitted shirts, leather vests, knit suits, and denim in pastel colors. Shortly after, the duo added leather accessories like belts and bags to their brand’s list of offerings. By the 1970s, Celine was an internationally recognized designer.
In 1987, Bernard Arnault, i.e., the CEO and chairman of luxury conglomerate LVMH, purchased Celine and acquired its 89 existing stores. Celine remained the brand’s designer until her death in 1997.
Almost immediately, Michael Kors was appointed Celine’s new designer but with his own namesake label taking much of his time, Celine suffered and slowed in growth. After adding a few sportswear collections to Celine, Michael Kors left as he wanted to focus on his own label. This put Celine in great jeopardy.
Who is Phoebe Philo?
Thankfully, after Celine was passed around to several high-profile designers, British designer Phoebe Philo joined the company.
We can totally credit Philo for saving the brand. She was able to bring Celine back to the forefront of the fashion world by designing minimalist bags and accessories based on the founder’s original designs.
She really cleaned up some of the styles that were being produced, launching a collection in 2010, which knocked the socks off of fashion lovers.
The collection showcased precise lines and sharply tailored suits with loose-fitting aspects of design, all of which were created from a neutral color palette. During her time at Celine, she launched several classic bags that are still highly sought after today, even after her departure as designer in 2018.
Old Celine vs. New Celine
Before diving into our selection of the best Celine bags, it’s important to touch on the controversy of the brand: mainly, how big of a shock Phoebe Philo’s exit from the brand was.
To this day, some of the most iconic Celine bags were from the era when Phoebe Philo was in charge—this time period is referred to as “Old Celine.” The designs were sophisticated and classic, and remain a huge hit with handbag and luxury fashion enthusiasts.
But after she left in 2018, Hedi Slimane took over as the creative director, bringing his fashion experience and expertise in menswear to Celine. To put it simply, Celine lovers were not happy about this decision.
Prior to joining Celine, Hedi Slimane worked for Christian Dior and Saint Laurent, designing European-inspired ready-to-wear clothing and accessories that had more of an edgy rocker vibe to them, rather than the chic, feminine and almost office-type fashion Celine was more known for. Once he was hired by Celine, people were unsure of the brand’s future success as it was dependent on Hedi Slimane’s designs.
Almost immediately after joining Celine, Hedi Slimane made a few executive decisions that were met with scrutiny by the public. He removed the accented “é” in the brand’s name, and changed the logo’s font and its visuals on social media.
It became clear that Hedi Slimane adored using the colors black and white, and tried heavily incorporating this into the brand. He received tons of critique and backlash as people believed he was trying to continue his vision for Yves Saint Laurent at Celine, disregarding the much-loved style and design that Phoebe Philo created.
Critics were also unhappy with the marketing campaigns that Hedi Slimane created as they starred extremely thin, caucasian models, which really lacked diversity.
With this said, four years in, Hedi Slimane has managed to double Celine’s sales, and the brand now surpasses $2 billion in annual revenue. It’s clear that the brand is stronger than ever, with many of the most coveted bags now coming from Hedi Slimane’s collections, not Phoebe Philo’s.
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