For a long time, MICHAEL Michael Kors has a problem, especially when it comes to accessories. It is always a bit of a paradox to sell expensive handbags; a brand has to sell enough of them to maintain its bottom line and please investors while still making consumers feel like they are buying something that’s at least a little bit rare and aspirational, and once a brand reaches a certain point of critical mass, the only direction for it to go is down. Even when bags are objectively attractive, fashion’s classism rears its ugly head when people of more modest means start to acquire status markers that were once inaccessible to them.
Combining that with a product mix that’s allowed to get a bit stale, fashion shoppers get very skittish, which is, in my mind, a fair assessment of what’s happened with public perception of MICHAEL Michael Kors bags over the past couple years. The brand hung on to things like logo charms and chunky gold hardware a little too long, and that, combined with the brand’s aspirational-but-not-astronomical price point, made the bags seem like yesterday’s news.
Though MMK is a huge brand that wants to please its customers, so I figured it wouldn’t be long before the brand’s handbag line tightened up and debuted some styles that felt fresh and relevant. Thankfully, I was right, and the Pre-Fall 2016 bags from MICHAEL Michael Kors give me hope for what’s to come. Many of the new styles have ditched the familiar metallic charms and big hardware for a sleeker, cleaner, more modern aesthetic–they’re the kinds of bags that a lot of women would be proud to carry to work, and many of them are even free of the familiar gold-lettered Kors branding.
One thing the new MMK bags do retain, thankfully, is the brand’s accessible price point. Check out some of the best new arrivals below or shop the full lineup via Neiman Marcus. (If you’re an old school Kors fan and want the logos and charms, don’t worry–there’s still a good bit of that going on this season.)
MICHAEL Michael Kors Annalise Messenger Bag
$228 via Neiman Marcus
MICHAEL Michael Kors Bridgette Crossbody Tote
$258 via Neiman Marcus
MICHAEL Michael Kors Hyland Medium Tote
$328 via Neiman Marcus
MICHAEL Michael Kors Jessica Large Satchel
$368 via Neiman Marcus
MICHAEL Michael Kors Jet Set Laser-Cut Crossbody Bag
$198 via Neiman Marcus
MICHAEL Michael Kors Kirby Large Satchel
$348 via Neiman Marcus
MICHAEL Michael Kors Madelyn Convertible Shoulder Bag
$298 via Neiman Marcus
MICHAEL Michael Kors Vivian Woven Tote
$478 via Neiman Marcus
MICHAEL Michael Kors Vivian Woven Tote
$478 via Neiman Marcus
