Balenciaga Velo

Nicolas Ghesquière (now the artistic director of womenswear at Louis Vuitton) started his fashion career with Balenciaga. At 22 years old, he joined the brand’s Japanese licensing department, designing wedding dresses and funeral wear. Just three years later, in 1997, he was promoted to creative director. 

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More about Balenciaga Velo

Ghesquière’s 12-year tenure at Balenciaga’s helm was marked by his must-have designs, which set the trends of the early- ‘00s. While some remember his patchwork dress from Spring/Summer 2002, everyone remembers his line of motorcycle bags from 2001. Now considered to be one of the most defining accessories of the millennium, the motorcycle bag was not originally well-received. Considered too soft, large, and unstructured (at the time, Fendi’s Baguette and Dior’s Saddle shared ‘IT bag’ status), the board at Balenciaga only let Ghesquière produce 25 sample pieces. After Kate Moss requested one (then known as the Lariat, but today re-named the City), they quickly changed their opinion and the line went into production.

Following the successful release of the first styles, Ghesquière expanded the collection and designed many more. Though all feature the same signature detailing (whipstitched top handles, stud and buckle embellishments, tassel zipper pulls, and a pocket mirror), they have significantly different dimensions.

The Balenciaga Velo is narrow and tall, making it the perfect motorcycle bag for those who want a style sized between the First and the City. 

Want to score Nicolas Ghesquière’s most iconic design? Shop our collection of pre-owned Balenciaga Velo Bags. From Praline to Anthracite, we keep a variety of colors in stock.