Jonathan Simkhai Just Launched Handbags & Every NYC Girl Will Want One

For a fashion girl, there's arguably nothing more exciting than when a favorite designer expands its offerings into a completely new category. This is exactly the case for highly-coveted designer Jonathan Simkhai, who just launched his first bag collection. The new bags debuted as part of the label's Spring/Summer 2020 runway show during New York Fashion Week. "Jonathan has waited for the right setting to launch handbags, and thought that a Spring-inspired runway show with the blue skies of NYC as the backdrop would be the perfect moment to introduce a new category, a new beginning," Chloe Kang, PR Manager at Jonathan Simkhai tells TZR.

When you think of the Los Angeles-based designer, a mix of sleek, innovative silhouettes and romantic details likely first come to mind. And the arrival of the brand's first four bag silhouettes aligns with the larger vision of the brand. "The bags were designed as an extension of the brand's aesthetic and ethos, blending the line between strength and sensuality," Kang explains. The bags are pared-back and timeless, and the name for each bag — Isha, Donna, Mara and Femme — translates to "woman" in four different languages. "Jonathan wanted a bag to complement the strong women who wear our clothes."

Throughout the Spring/Summer 2020 collection, Simkhai focused on a clean and minimal aesthetic. Models walked down the runway in structured, utilitarian suits, flowy slip dresses, and sleek jumpsuits. "This season I found myself moved by Georgia O’Keeffe’s painting, Grey Lines with Black, Blue and Yellow," Simkhai explains in the show notes. "Admiring the curves and flow within the folds of the flower, and showcasing its unexpected femininity really struck a creative chord."

The four bag styles launched with the collection include a trapezoid belt bag, an oversized hobo, a miniature hobo crossbody, and an oversized envelope clutch. Instead of launching with a loud logo design, the brand decided to go minimal with branding. Inside the suede-lined pieces you'll spot a subtle debossed logo on the pocket, but nothing more. Ranging from $393-$595, the bags are constructed from nappa and pebbled leather, and colors include both neutrals and pastels like black, camel, stone, white, nude, seafoam, and rose.

Each bag is also designed to be versatile enough to transition through a full day of work and whatever may come afterwards. "The bags have sharp angles and soft curves ... the belt bag can be transformed into a clutch, the envelope bag can be used for day or night, and the crossbody has a removable strap," Kang explains.

For the first three weeks, Jonathan Simkhai is making orders of the bags available only to Apple Pay users as part of a digital trunk show on the brand's site. After the trunk show ends, anyone can snag the bags online or at the brand's Los Angeles flagship store.

Conveniently shop (if you're an Apple Pay user) or pre-order all four of the new bags below, and good luck picking which to purchase.