Celine’s Latest Bag Is a Triple Threat
Michael Rider’s take on the Trio is exactly what the doctor ordered
Reported by Harper's Bazaar.
The bag world has a short memory, which makes a true revival feel like discovering something new. Celine's Trio — first conceived under Phoebe Philo in 2011 — is back, and the update is precise enough to feel modern without erasing what made the original worth revisiting. According to Harper's Bazaar, the redesigned Side-to-Side Trio made its runway debut at Celine's fall/winter 2026 show by the seventh look: a grape-purple satin version worn against a little black suit, understated and completely arresting.
Same Architecture, New Instincts
The Trio's signature construction — three clutches fused accordion-style inside a single shell — is intact, but creative director Michael Rider made targeted refinements throughout. The external metal zippers are gone, replaced by a discreet Triomphe snap. The crossbody strap evolved into two slender adjustable cords with sliding knot closures. Even the interior got an upgrade: jersey lining out, buttery suede in. The result is a bag that looks quieter than it is, which is exactly the point.
The Side-to-Side silhouette — oblong where the classic is square — is available in five colorways: black, white, purple, red, and the now-viral red-and-white. That last one, resembling a Tylenol capsule, is the version Bazaar's Miguel Enamorado flagged as a cure for wardrobe fatigue. It's a fair read. The two-tone pop hits differently against a neutral wardrobe than anything a single colorway can do. But each option earns its place: black is the dependable foundation piece, purple delivers a vibrant intellectual jolt to tonal dressing, red functions as a concentrated shot of contrast against denim or a khaki trench, and white sharpens anything with enamel-clean precision.
What makes the Trio's return compelling isn't nostalgia — it's that the bag solves an actual problem. Three compartments, one structured silhouette, infinite outfit applications. Rendered in petal-soft lambskin or lustrous satin, it moves from day into evening without requiring a swap. It's the rare archival piece that doesn't ask you to compromise on practicality for the sake of aesthetics, or vice versa.
If you've been waiting for a bag that justifies the investment on both style and function, the Trio makes a convincing case — and it does it without trying very hard, which is the whole point.
Read the original at Harper's Bazaar.
