The evening bag is giving jewellery sets a run for their money this festive season. From hand-set polki and kundan designs to carved brass and beaded tassels, homegrown brands are borrowing liberally from the language of Indian jewellery and giving their range of festive bags a serious upgrade, blurring the line between accessory and adornment.
When your bag is doubling as jewellery, minimalism is hardly the point. Meera Mahadevia’s Chandani bag, for instance, is a strong contender for your heirloom collection, with fine filigree and pearls laid into silver leather. Anu Merton’s kiss-lock batua from her collaboration with Needledust features a zari base with imitation polki, kundan tukdis, and pearls, while Amama’s tiny brass City Palace bag with charms and faux pearl clusters won’t hold your phone, but it’s cute enough to make it feel like only a minor inconvenience.
The idea of bags as jewellery is hardly new. The Victoria & Albert museum has a silver-embroidered potli from India that dates back to the 19th century. More recently, Judith Leiber’s playful Swarovski clutches are known for their sparkle as much as their delightful impracticality. The current crop of homegrown brands take from this legacy but they are also happy to ́experiment with technique and material. Mortantra uses kundan, setting stones into floral motifs finished with gold plating. The new Qbik x The Leather Garden capsule adds beading and crystals to structured leather bags. Bejeweled Jewels, meanwhile, takes a different approach, incorporating antique coins, vintage Indian textiles, and handicrafts into bags while preserving their original character. Jade meanwhile has a red enamel clutch with hand-etched motifs depicting a celestial landscape, a slightly more minimal take on the trend.
With pandal-hopping, Navaratri, Diwali parties, and wedding season all on the horizon, there’s no shortage of occasions where one might come handy. Below, our selection of bejewelled bags to accessorise your looks this festive season:
