The Balenciaga City bag began as an unlikely icon. Designed by Nicolas Ghesquière around 2000 to 2001, the soft and slouchy Motorcycle prototype was initially rejected for being too light and unstructured, a sharp contrast to the stiff and logo heavy luxury bags dominating the era. After a small production run, models and editors fell for its broken in lambskin, braided handles, aged studs and lived in attitude. When Kate Moss and the early 2000s celebrity circuit embraced it, the City quickly evolved into a global “it” bag.
As the bag’s popularity grew, it became a cornerstone of Balenciaga’s identity and revenue. The City introduced a new kind of logoless luxury built on wearability rather than polish, and it shaped the house’s accessory design language for more than a decade. Its appeal cut across fashion tribes and the bag’s cultural resonance outlasted trends and gave Balenciaga something rare in luxury fashion, an instantly recognisable silhouette. This silhouette had numerous renditions and variations, yet it retained its easily recognisable status.
When Alexander Wang took over in 2012, he inherited the City at peak icon status. His approach was respectful rather than radical, refining the silhouette with slightly firmer leathers, streamlined studs, sportier palettes and new size options without disturbing the essential moto DNA. Wang’s tenure acted as a stabilising bridge for the bag and for the brand, commercially reliable, globally appealing and modernised just enough to stay relevant during the rise of minimalism and the shift toward smaller and more functional bags in the mid 2010s.
Demna Gvasalia’s arrival in 2015 reopened the City’s universe through both archival celebration and bold reinterpretation. He introduced structured updates like the Neo Classic, pushed hyper Y2K variants like Le Cagole into viral territory, and eventually relaunched Le City in 2024 as part of a broader strategy to reconnect Balenciaga with craftsmanship and heritage. Across two decades and three different creative directors, the City bag has remained Balenciaga’s most enduring cultural anchor, a bag born as a rejected prototype that grew into a multi era symbol of shifting fashion attitudes and the house’s evolving identity.
This Motocross Classic Clip Clutch was redesigned by Alexander Wang during his first season at Balenciaga, a moment when the fashion world was watching closely to see how he would reinterpret the house’s codes. Created for Barneys New York in celebration of its 90th anniversary, this monochromatic colorway distilled the City’s signature moto elements into a cleaner and more modern finish. It was released in a highly limited run of 100 (Ours numbered 39/100).
Measurements:
Length 37.5cm
Height 25.5cm
Width 1cm