Kaia Gerber likes to keep it classic. So it’s no surprise that her version of channeling Y2K fashion is more subdued than obvious. Yesterday in Los Angeles, the model and actress opted for some of the mid-aughts’s most beloved cult accessories without going over the top with her retro influence. Call it “stealth nostalgia,” perhaps?
The model and actress tapped into the fall knits trend with a cropped cardigan that she left partially unbuttoned. She styled her fiery sweater with a matching low-rise skirt, black ballet flats, and round-frame sunglasses that looked like they could have been stocked in a 2007 strip mall. While Gerber’s red and black color blocking certainly made an impact here, it was her grungey Balenciaga bag that really stood out. Gerber carried her silver-studded bag in the crook of her arm and left its long shoulder strap to hang down below.
Gerber carried what appeared to be Balenciaga’s “Le City”—the brand’s recently released re-edition of the aughts silhouette—in a medium size. The bag, designed by the brand’s current creative director Demna, has all the hallmarks of the original tote—from its supple, textured leather to the grunge stud detailing.
The original City bag, designed by the brand’s then-creative director Nicolas Ghesquière, was released during the fall 2001 collection. The piece instantly shot to It status, thanks in large part to aughts style icons like Lindsay Lohan, Kate Moss, and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen who wore their Balenciaga bags to the ground à la Jane Birkin. In the January 2006 issue of W, Mary-Kate’s “originally mint green” City was described as “dingy, covered with stains, pen marks and even a chewed-up piece of gum, that it looks almost gray.”
The logo-less design was a stark departure from the era’s branded bags—take Dior’s Saddle and the Fendi baguette, for instance—and was influenced by a biker-chic flair. Demna’s re-edition has once again entered the City bag into the ether of It bags—everyone from Kim Kardashian and Nicole Kidman to Anok Yai and Bella Hadid have been seen carrying the piece. Now, with her cherry-red separates, Gerber has figured out just how to style the era-defining accessory with one of 2024’s trendiest colors.
