25 Years of Balenciaga Le City: 25 Things To Know

It has survived Y2K, celebrity paparazzi culture, a few creative-directors and now celebrates its silver anniversary with a new collaboration by Damien Hirst.

If handbags had personality types, Balenciaga’s Le City would be the effortlessly cool one who arrives late, looks slightly dishevelled and somehow still becomes the most interesting person in the room.

First introduced in 2001, the motorcycle-inspired bag became an unlikely fashion phenomenon, winning over supermodels, celebrities and editors with its slouchy silhouette, distressed-looking leather and decidedly unpolished attitude. Now, 25 years later, the cult accessory is celebrating its milestone birthday with a collaboration that is anything but shy.

Enter British artist Damien Hirst, whose signature kaleidoscopic motifs have been given a new canvas in the form of the Le City. Dubbed DAMIENCIAGA, the limited-edition collection sees Hirst reinterpret the bag through a series of colourful designs, including multicoloured spots arranged into butterfly shapes, mandala-like compositions made from butterfly wings and his recognisable Spin Paintings. Some of the most exclusive hand-painted creations turn the familiar Arena leather into wearable works of art.

B­efore we get carried away by the butterflies, here are 25 things to know about Balenciaga’s Le City and the 25 years that made it an icon.

The Origins: How It All Began It was born in 2001 

The Le City made its debut under Nicolas Ghesquière, who was then creative director of Balenciaga. At a time when fashion was embracing structured handbags and conspicuous logos, his creation goes in the opposite direction

It was inspired by a motorcycle jacket

Think buckles, zips, studs and a slightly rebellious attitude. Ghesquière borrowed the visual language of biker gear and translated it into a soft leather handbag that looked as though it had already lived a rather interesting life.

Kate Moss helped make it happen

Fashion lore has it that an early prototype caught Kate Moss’s eye. Ghesquière reportedly gave the supermodel one of the first versions, and her enthusiasm helped persuade the house to put it into production.

It wasn’t originally called the City

The design went through a few names during its early development, including Le Lariat and Le Motorcycle. Le First and Le City were subsequently used to distinguish different sizes before the latter became the name associated with the entire family.

It was the anti-It bag

At a time when luxury handbags were often defined by prominent logos and recognisable status symbols, the Le City offered something different. With its distinctive shape and hardware rather than an obvious brand stamp, fashion insiders nicknamed it the “Anti-It Bag”.

Its leather was meant to look lived-in

The bag’s signature Arena lambskin has a naturally supple, distressed-looking finish. Rather than aiming for pristine perfection, it embraces a softer, slightly worn appearance that becomes more personal with use.

Its details are part of its DNA

The braided leather handles, whipstitched detailing, dangling zip pulls, buckles and metallic studs give the Le City its unmistakable identity.

The It-Bag Years: A Celebrity Favourite It became a paparazzi-era superstar

The early 2000s were the golden age of celebrity street style, when what stars carried to the airport or on their coffee runs could be just as influential as what they wore on the red carpet. The Le City was perfectly suited to the moment.

The Olsen twins were among its devotees

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen helped cement its bohemian, undone appeal. Their personal styling made the bag feel less like a luxury purchase and more like an essential part of a fashion insider’s everyday uniform.

Nicole Richie was part of its early fan club

Richie became closely associated with the bag during its Y2K heyday and has remained connected to its story. Her return as one of the faces of its 25th-anniversary campaign makes this a particularly lovely full-circle moment.

Kate Moss remains part of its origin story

From being among the first to appreciate the prototype to starring in Balenciaga’s 2024 relaunch campaign, Moss has been a recurring figure in the bag’s journey.

Sarah Jessica Parker was also a fan

The actress was among the celebrities frequently associated with the Le City during its early popularity, further cementing its place in the wardrobes of the era’s most photographed women.

It was a favourite among fashion editors, too

Carine Roitfeld and Emmanuelle Alt were among the fashion insiders who received early versions. Their endorsement helped give the bag credibility beyond the celebrity circuit, making it a coveted accessory within the industry.

One very famous bag had a wine stain

Mary-Kate Olsen’s beloved mint-green Le City was famously spotted with a conspicuous red wine stain. Rather than diminishing its appeal, the mark became part of the bag’s charm.

The Evolution: 25 Years and Still Going The archive has 879 Le City examples 

Balenciaga’s archive holds an extraordinary 879 workshop-made examples of the bag, illustrating just how many variations the design has inspired over the years. For collectors, that is a treasure trove.

It has more versions than you might expect

From different sizes and colours to unusual surface treatments, tweed panels and brogue-inspired trims, the Le City has been reinterpreted in countless ways. There are even more unusual variations, including a multicoloured version inspired by Piet Mondrian’s geometric compositions.

It has had a few creative-director reinventions

While Ghesquière created the original, subsequent creative directors have explored its design language in their own ways. Demna introduced the Neo City in 2020, followed by the more exaggerated Le Cagole in 2022.

It made its comeback in 2024

Balenciaga officially brought back the original Le City in 2024, revisiting its archival design and construction. The campaign starred Kate Moss alongside models and personalities including Mona Tougaard, Juyeon and Yang Chaoyue.

Its revival involved a little bit of historical detective work

The 2024 version was developed by studying different vintage examples, bringing together elements from the original designs into a faithful reinterpretation. Its construction involves 25 individually assembled leather panels.

It eventually made its runway debut

The Le City received a more elevated runway treatment in 2025, when Pierpaolo Piccioli presented a luxurious interpretation during his debut collection for Balenciaga. Not bad for a bag that started out looking like it had just come back from a road trip.

The 25th Anniversary: The Damien Hirst Chapter Damien Hirst is the anniversary collaborator 

The British contemporary artist brings his distinctive visual language to the Le City through the DAMIENCIAGA collection. Known for his provocative explorations of life, death and beauty, Hirst makes for an unexpected but rather intriguing creative partner.

His famous spots get a butterfly makeover

Hirst’s colourful spot paintings are among his most recognisable works. For the collaboration, multicoloured dots are arranged into butterfly shapes, giving the familiar Le City silhouette a playful new identity.

Butterflies take centre stage in another design

Beyond the spots, Hirst’s butterfly motifs appear in intricate mandala-like compositions made from butterfly wings. They bring a more intricate, almost kaleidoscopic dimension to the collection.

His Spin Paintings become wearable art

The collaboration also features Hirst’s signature Spin Paintings, with their energetic swirls of colour translated onto the bag’s leather surface. Some of the hand-painted versions are produced in particularly exclusive editions, making them especially interesting to collectors.

The celebrations go beyond the handbag

Balenciaga is marking the milestone with Le City House, an immersive anniversary experience that opens at its historic Paris address at 10 Avenue George V. The showcase brings together archival bags, campaign imagery, celebrity-owned pieces and personalisation services, including handle re-lacing and custom monogramming. The experience is also set to travel to cities including New York, Tokyo, Shanghai and Beijing.

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