Designer Bag Charms: Where the Trend Started and How to Wear One Well

Designer bag charms are the most personal thing you can hang on a bag, and among the simplest luxury gifts: there is no size to guess, and the choice runs from a brass initial under $100 to fur charms and micro bags above $1,000. Choose by material first (plush, shearling or fur, leather, enamel and crystal, or a miniature bag), then by weight and fastening, because a hard clasp knocking against smooth leather is what marks a bag. Below, our editors trace where the current wave began, citing the fashion press that reported it, and sort 72 charms and keychains from 20 houses into nine edits. We finish with how many to stack, which bags carry a charm well, and how to give one.

Designer bag charms: how the current wave started

Charms on luxury bags are not new. Cara Delevingne opened Fendi's fall 2014 show in Milan with Karlito, a miniature Karl Lagerfeld made of fur, dangling from her fingers, and WWD's review of the show said the charm largely overshadowed the season's bags and shoes. Fendi still makes Karlito, and one is in our shearling and fur edit below.

The present wave is recent enough that two magazines dated it while it was happening, and they start the clock in slightly different places. In a piece published November 4, 2024, W Magazine's Carolyn Twersky Winkler traced the resurgence to Miu Miu's fall/winter 2023 show in March 2023, where Miuccia Prada moved keys from inside the bag to the outside; in later Miu Miu seasons, W writes, she added paracord and stuffed the bags with clothes and shoes. Marie Claire's Emma Childs, writing on August 15, 2024, said fashion editors and street-style regulars first took an interest after Jane Birkin, who famously hung knickknacks from her namesake Hermès bag, died in July 2023, and that Miu Miu's charm-heavy spring 2024 show used the same styling.

By the fall 2024 shows, the two magazines report between them, the idea had spread. Fendi hung leather lollipop holders from Baguettes, Prada clipped button-like mirror compacts to briefcases, and Coach hung New York keychains and coffee mugs from its carryalls. W adds that "the momentum continued" with Chemena Kamali's Chloé, which hung metal, fabric and leather pieces from slouchy bags, and with Demna, then at Balenciaga, who weighed the house's Rodeo bags down with padlocks, chains and carabiners.

Labubu and the plush bag charm trend

Then came the Labubu craze. The toothy plush monster was created in 2015 by Kasing Lung, a Hong Kong-born artist based in Belgium, and is sold in blind boxes by Pop Mart, NBC News reported on April 27, 2025; the same report noted that Rihanna and Blackpink's Lisa had been seen with Labubu charms on their handbags. Labubus are Pop Mart's, not a fashion house's, so none appears here. In our editors' reading, the craze made a plush toy on an expensive bag look normal, and the charm is now a category the houses make every season. Choose one the way you choose jewelry, for the bag and the person, not as a bet on a trend.

How to choose a luxury bag charm: material, weight and fastening

The material decides how a charm behaves on the bag, so start there. The table sums up what our stylists have seen in use; it is experience, not any house's instruction. The full range sits in our bag accessories and keychains.

Then read the fastening. Our picks' listings name snap hooks (Prada, Givenchy, Valentino), lobster clasps, spring-gate rings (Saint Laurent), push clasps (Loewe) and leather lanyards; Bergdorf's listing for Bottega Veneta's woven dog says its lanyard "can be attached to any handle." On a bag with no hardware ring, our stylists prefer that kind of leather loop: it ties through the handle and nothing metal touches the bag.

Teddy bear bag charms and plush charms

The bear is the charm most people picture, and the houses dress theirs in their own codes. Prada's white teddy is mohair and cotton, about 3.9 inches tall by Saks's listing, with the enameled triangle logo on its chest; Mytheresa's Prada teddy wears a pink dress carrying the same logo. Burberry's Thomas bears come in the house check: one in pebble check cashmere with a bow tie, one in dark garnet cashmere about four by five inches, and a furry polyester bear in a wool check cardigan with movable arms and legs. Max Mara's Myteak bear combines polyester with an alpaca, cashmere and silk blend, by its listing. Moncler's MonDuck key holder, from Moncler's own store, is a fluffy duck on a carabiner strap, and McQueen's The Doll Artie is a handmade crochet skeleton carrying a miniature Manta bag.

How our stylists wear one: a single bear, such as the white Prada or the garnet Burberry, on a plain bag in black, gray, cream or burgundy, where it reads as a wink. On a printed bag it disappears. Hang it on the ring that faces away from you, so it does not rub against your coat all day.

Shearling and fur charms for winter

Soft charms are winter's version, and the most important thing to know is what they are made of. Shearling is sheepskin with its wool left on; Fendi's pieces here are fur, and their listings say so. Chloé's Treasure Tails pairs a shearling tail with a gold brass heart on a chain, and its Heart Shearling charm hangs a mini heart engraved with the handwritten Chloé signature, both from Chloé's own store. Fendi's Heartbeat is red mink fur, and its listing says the heart shape was inspired by an engraving on an ancient column at Formia. Its Squirrel is an acorn of felt and mink fur that zips open to a small compartment. The Karlito here is yellow fox fur with mink and kidassia, by Fendi's listing, with a zip at the back.

Loewe's Fawnie is a deer with an acetate face, gold-finished antlers and dyed shearling, about 11.8 inches long with its strap, and its paw charm is shearling and calf leather. For someone who does not wear fur, Balenciaga's plush tail is fabric, according to its listing. Neiman Marcus's listing for Fawnie recommends professional cleaning, and Balenciaga's says not to wash. Our stylists unclip fur and shearling on wet days.

Leather bag charms

In our experience leather is the kindest charm for the bag: light, soft at the edges and quiet when you walk. Givenchy's bow, from its Lucky Charms line, is ivory nappa with a silver Givenchy signature, and its petal flower is leather on a push clasp, about 3.25 inches wide. Chloé's tulip, in coral grained buffalo leather, carries a gold-tone Sphere Dice charm, and its cherries are burgundy buffalo leather. Bottega Veneta knots bi-color nappa into a four-leaf clover about 5.75 inches long, and weaves Intreccio nappa into a small dog on its own lanyard. Christian Louboutin cuts fringed leather into a cluster of mimosa, and Jacquemus's La Carotte knots leaf-like straps above an embossed root.

Three pairings our stylists use: the burgundy cherries on a cream or gray bag; the coral tulip on a white or ecru tote; the green clover on black. Leather charms are also the ones to hang from a soft hobo, because they do not drag its shape.

Enamel, crystal and metal charms

These are jewelry for the bag, and among the heaviest and hardest pieces in this guide. Valentino's Coeur Royal is an enameled heart with the VLogo in antique brass, about 5.1 inches long by its listing. Saint Laurent's YSL Heart is a harlequin heart of brass, enamel and glass with a hammered finish and a dangling Cassandre. Christian Louboutin's red signpost, which NET-A-PORTER's listing says was inspired by the circus, is gold-tone metal with enamel and crystals. Alexander McQueen shrinks its Knuckle clutch into a crystal-covered charm about 2.4 inches wide. Versace's Medusa keychain, Chloé's horseshoe with a horse head and hand-painted enamel pendants, and Balenciaga's Strass charm, a suede strap set with rhinestones, follow. Gucci's sterling silver keyring with the Web in green and red enamel comes from Gucci's own store; Gucci lists it at about half an ounce.

Our stylists match a metal charm to the bag's hardware tone. For a holiday party, a crystal charm on a clutch chain does the work of a second piece of jewelry; our guide to evening bags covers the bags.

Micro bag charms, mirrors and cases

A miniature bag is the charm with a job. Prada's Mini Icon shrinks the house's nylon backpack to about 3.9 inches tall in Re-Nylon, and its leather mirror case hangs from a snap hook. Balenciaga's Rodeo micro bag, in smooth calfskin, has a turn lock, a main compartment and a flat back pocket, about 6.7 inches tall; its Le City charm in pink lambskin is a double-sided round mirror. Chloé's Mini Paddington, from Chloé's own store, keeps the line's studs and padlock. Saint Laurent's quilted LouLou charm is sized, by Neiman Marcus's listing, for AirPods, keys, lipstick and cards, and can hang from a belt loop as well as a bag. McQueen's lipstick case, in croc-embossed leather, has a mirror inside, and Moncler's Caradoc key ring is a down-padded nylon miniature of the house's quilted Caradoc bag.

In our stylists' view, a micro bag works best on a large tote without an inside pocket, where it becomes that pocket. On a small bag it looks redundant.

Fruit, food and drink charms

Food charms are the most fun and, for most people, a one-season pleasure. Loewe's Granny Smith apple is tightly woven, with a logo tag that looks like a produce sticker, and its strawberry is acetate and gold-tone brass. Saint Laurent hangs a resin orange beside a Cassandre medallion. Givenchy's croissant is smooth leather with handmade edges, Balenciaga's keyring carries a takeaway coffee cup, a croissant and a set of keys, and Christian Louboutin's leather banana has crystal eyes. Dolce & Gabbana's watermelon is crocheted viscose with a zip top and a DG charm, and Valentino's cherries are enamel on brass.

Our stylists treat the house signatures (a VLogo, a Cassandre, a leather knot) as the charms to keep for years, and the fruit as the ones to enjoy for a season.

How to stack bag charms without overloading your bag

Stacking is where most charm mistakes happen. These are our stylists' rules of thumb, not any house's advice:

• Two, sometimes three. One statement charm and one small one on a day bag; a third only on a large tote with two handle rings.
• One hard, one soft. An enamel heart beside a leather knot reads deliberate. Two metal charms on one ring clatter against each other and the bag.
• Split the weight across two rings, one at each side; piled on one, charms tip a structured bag when you set it down.
• Do the lift test. Few listings give a weight, so lift the bag by its handle with the charms on. If it leans toward them or a soft handle bends, take one off.
• Keep hard pieces off the front panel. Metal, enamel and crystal tap against the bag with every step; in our experience the marks show first on smooth calf, box leather and patent, while grained leather hides them. Hang hard charms against the strap or the side gusset, on a short drop.
• Match the metal to the bag's hardware; silver-tone, gold-tone and antique brass rarely look intended together.

The easiest stack is one already built. McQueen's double chain links ball chain and pearl-like beads to a skull, with a hinged clasp at each end, and its Lustre charm is a chandelier of crystal and faux-pearl flowers. Saint Laurent's cable chain carries lemons and grapes over about 34 inches and, by its listing, can serve as a shoulder strap. Balenciaga's brass chain, hung with small charms, clips between two rings, and its Le City heart hangs a heart mirror from two split rings. Chloé's copper hand drops hearts and padlocks; Givenchy's Lucky Charms chain carries an enamel egg and fish, a peanut and a bird which, its listing says, were inspired by Hubert de Givenchy's objects; Loewe's Amazona charm, named for the bag in our Loewe bags guide, strings a padlock and keys on beads.

Which bags suit a charm

How our stylists match charm to bag:

• Structured top-handles and totes with D-rings take a charm best, chains and metal pieces included.
• Shoulder bags take a charm on the front strap ring, short enough to hang above the base.
• Soft hobos and slouchy bags take leather charms only; anything heavy pulls the slouch out of shape. Our fall bags guide has the season's hobos.
• Crossbody bags want a small, flat charm; a long one swings against the hip.
• Evening clutches take one crystal piece on the chain, or nothing.
• Bags our stylists leave bare: exotic skins, patent and pale suede, where hard charms scratch and dark ones can transfer color.

A charm from the bag's own house (Chloé's Mini Paddington on a Chloé bag) looks like a set, and a charm with no visible logo goes on anything; two monograms from two houses compete. On color, our stylists find a red, burgundy, cream or green charm on a black bag the surest choice.

Designer keychains and monogram key rings

A keychain carries keys on a split ring; a bag charm is decoration first, though many listings say their piece does both. This is also where the house monograms live, for the woman who wants a signature rather than a joke. Bottega Veneta knots napa leather between two key rings, about 4.5 inches long. Prada's Saffiano strap carries a small enamel charm on a steel hook. Saint Laurent's Cassandre keyring hangs a Cassandre and a vegetable-tanned leather cord tassel from a spring-gate ring, about seven inches long overall. Givenchy's Cargo key ring is polyamide canvas with the house signature embroidered tone on tone. Loewe spells its name in puffed silver-tone brass letters on a blue leather cord, Fendi's Letters charm hangs hand-finished nappa tassels from a ring with the Fendi lettering, and Valentino's VLogo is about 1.8 inches of antique brass. Gucci's Diamante keyring, from Gucci's own store, is sterling silver, about 0.7 ounce by Gucci's listing.

For keys worn outside the bag, our stylists choose a leather keyring, so the keys knock against leather first.

Bag charm gifts: for a stocking, or with the bag

A charm needs no size, so the only thing to get right is the bag it will hang on. A charm from the house of the bag she carries most is the safe choice, and two of Chloé's pieces are made for exactly that: by Chloé's listings, its Sphere Lock Dice charm, a tribute to the house's summer 2002 Bracelet bag, is designed to personalize the Bracelet bag, and its brass Alphabet letters are designed to personalize Chloé's Alphabet small leather goods. If you do not know her bag, choose by her taste: a leather knot for a minimalist, a fruit for someone who wears color, crystal for the woman who dresses up.

For a stocking, the edit below stays under $300: Chloé's brass initial for her Chloé Alphabet wallet, Isabel Marant's Nano Oskan Moon (a leather mini bag with a "Bisou" metal detail) and its silver-tone cluster of a heart, domino, key, dice and medallion, Givenchy's brass Lucky Turtle and Lucky Peanut, Zimmermann's fringed leather animal, and Loewe's calfskin flower pin, which its listing says can go on bags and straps. More small gifts are in our luxury stocking stuffers.

Given with a bag, a charm works best in its own box, so she decides where it goes. One caution from a listing: Burberry says its furry Thomas Bear is not a toy and is meant for collectors 14 and over. Hanukkah begins at sundown on Friday, December 4, 2026 and ends at nightfall on Saturday, December 12, according to Hebcal, and a charm suits one of its eight nights. For bigger gifts, see our holiday gift guide for her and designer wallet guide. Tell our AI stylist which bag she carries and the colors she wears, and it can suggest charms from our catalog that suit both.

How we chose

• Charms, not pouches. We left out key pouches, card cases and coin purses sold under charm names. Valentino's Rockstud charms photograph as small envelope cases, so they went too.
• By the photograph. A Balenciaga piece sold as a plush charm photographs as a fabric tail, so it sits with the soft charms, not the bears.
• Materials named plainly. Where a listing gives mink, fox, polyester, viscose or acetate, the text says so, and the fur pieces are labeled as fur.
• Fastenings read, because a snap hook and a leather lanyard suit different bags.
• From 20 houses, new only. Chloé, Gucci and Moncler pieces come from the houses' own stores on Vêtir, and nothing is pre-owned.

Frequently asked questions

Are bag charms still in style in 2026?

Yes, in our editors' view. W Magazine traces the current wave to Miu Miu's fall/winter 2023 runway and Marie Claire to the months after Jane Birkin's death in July 2023; both reported charms on the fall 2024 runways, and the Labubu craze followed in 2025. Our judgement, from the range on sale now, is that the houses treat charms as a standing category rather than a one-season novelty, so a well-made one should outlast the trend.

Do bag charms damage handbags?

They can. In our experience, hard metal, enamel and crystal charms leave marks on smooth calf, box leather and patent when they swing against the bag. Hang them from a strap or side ring, keep them short, or choose leather or plush charms for delicate bags.

How many charms should you put on a bag?

Our stylists' rule is two on a day bag, one statement and one small, and three only on a large tote with two rings. If the bag leans when you lift it, take one off.

Where do you attach a bag charm?

To a D-ring, a strap ring or the base of a handle. On a bag with no ring, tie a charm with a leather lanyard through the handle instead of clipping it.

What is the difference between a bag charm and a keychain?

A keychain is built to carry keys on a split ring; a bag charm is built to decorate. Many designer pieces, including several here, are sold to do both.

What is a good designer bag charm gift?

A charm from the house of the bag she carries most, or a leather charm with no visible logo, which suits any bag. Under $300, look at small brass charms such as Givenchy's Lucky Turtle, or Chloé's initials and Sphere Lock Dice charm if she already carries Chloé; for a bigger gift, an enamel heart or a micro bag.

Keep reading

• Luxury stocking stuffers under $300
• Gifts for fashion lovers
• The best luxury gifts for her
• The best fall bags
• The best designer wallets for women