Time may erode a leather’s glossy surface, or the star power of today’s prominent who’s who. But for the Balenciaga Le City line and its A-list proponents, time unearths character and respect — revealing why and how the studded house hero will always remain a favourite.

Respect is earned with time. And time grits to unearth character essentially — it is a process very much similar to the act of patination, where whatever is new gets sanded down and worn to reveal a disposition of authenticity backed by routine. It is why figures like Kate Moss and Nicole Kidman are sanctified — their images have been decades in the making, and each year is marked by a revelation that testifies to their character.

Balenciaga’s Le City line has a slightly different claim to fame, finding success overnight and even more so with time. As the house has spent the better part of today’s ‘20s celebrating its revival, it is important to review the bag for what it was then and recontextualised for today. The Le City has never once been a bag of pretence or farce. From the get-go, it was exactly as it promised — a minimal maximalist dream, with realistic storage capabilities built in alongside being a tough and hardy everyday go-to.

Pop culture has seen the line take on many forms of patination — Mary-Kate Olsen’s mint green iteration was worn in with bright purple ink splotches, while Kate Moss’ baby blue version simply swelled to maximum capacity. This explains why the latest Mario Sorrenti-lensed campaign — like Moss’ baby blue Balenciaga Le City — carries that much weight. Starring Nicole Kidman, Amelia Gray, Kit Butler, and — of course — Missus “Motorcycle” Moss herself, the campaign sees the house’s Le City releases get its spotlight in its most raw and vulnerable states. As per decades prior, 2024’s iterations are similarly equipped with some of its most defining features. Palladium thimble-esque studs, braided handles, and leatherlace zipper pulls make headway for a pre-cracked Arena leather bodice — that stares its user down and only guarantees more to come in time. Character comes pre-built into each Le City, which is probably why the bag has been and always will be a stalwart in the It community.

Once you are done with this story, click here to catch up with our August 2024 issue.