Celine Evening Bags and Minaudières

Although French fashion house Celine got its start in children’s shoes, the brand is now renowned all over the world for chic womenswear as well as luxury handbags and shoulder bags. The Trapeze, the Luggage tote, the 16 bag, the Triomphe, the Classic Celine bag and other vintage Celine bags are widely cherished for their subdued sensibility and the label's iconic gold-tone fastening and hardware. 

In 1945, Céline Vipiana and her husband, Richard, opened a made-to-measure shoe shop for children in Paris. In 1967, following an expansion into women’s shoes and leather accessories, the Vipianas decided to broaden their company’s reach into women’s ready-to-wear, focusing on high-end sportswear. 

In the 1970s, Celine expanded outside Paris with boutiques in Monte Carlo, Beverly Hills and Hong Kong. In 1973, Céline Vipiana, inspired by chain links around the Arc de Triomphe, debuted the Blazon Chaîne motif of interlocking C’s. She began using it on a printed canvas and branding as well as accents on accessories. Logos spark instant brand recognition, and lovers of handbags know well that this motif graces the label’s stylish Triomphe bag and other alluring Celine designs. 

Following the departure of Michael Kors in 2004, onetime Burberry designer Roberto Menichetti took the job of creative director and was followed by designer Phoebe Philo, the young British designer who is now credited with establishing Celine’s 21st-century style.

Philo created a distinct, minimal style that channeled the brand’s roots of practical simplicity with luxury materials. (“I just thought I’d clean it up,” she quipped of her debut collection in 2010.) Over the course of ten years, Philo turned the company into a beloved fixture of the fashion industry. Under her leadership, a dusty house became a must-have brand with a decidedly sophisticated, female point of view — and its handbags and purses, such as the Trapeze and the Luggage tote, became trophies for the fashion-obsessed. 

Introduced in 2009 and immediately snapped up by the fashion-forward, the Celine Luggage tote was seen all over the place during New York Fashion Week 2010. The original remains an icon and part of Celine’s assortment — a lasting testament to the beloved aesthetic of Philo and the timelessness of a great handbag. Available in four sizes besides the coveted Mini, the Luggage tote has wings that flare out at the top, giving it a distinctive profile. (At eight inches high by eight inches wide, the Nano Luggage tote is the smallest of the bunch.)

When the Trapeze debuted in 2014, its unusual winged silhouette captivated the world’s bag-lovers. Whether it's a roomy medium Trapeze in python or a small Trapeze in shimmering calfskin, the bag bears all the signatures of a Philo-era hit: geometric silhouette, monochromatic or blocked colorways, minimal hardware and logos. 

In 2018, after Philo’s departure, the house tapped Slimane, former creative director of Yves Saint Laurent, as its new leader; he caused a stir when he famously removed the accent from the brand name. The world’s legions of handbag hunters surely know him for having designed the Triomphe — with its extendable shoulder strap, this versatile accessory can be worn as a crossbody bag or a shoulder bag. 

Shop vintage Celine handbags, tote bags, clutches and other items on 1stDibs.