You decide: Hermès, Chanel, Goyard, Louis Vuitton, Celine, or Bottega Veneta?

Is 2026 the year to give black bags a rest and embrace a little extra shine? Metallic shades are proving themselves as everyday neutrals — subtle enough to wear on repeat, yet impactful enough to elevate even the simplest winter outfit. Just ask Hermès fans, who flocked to the Maison’s 2024 and 2025 Doré and Gris Argenté introductions, which showed how metallics can add depth and light without ever feeling over the top.

Hermès

Hermès offers a refined approach to metallics. From the warm glow of Doré to the cool shimmer of Gris Argenté, classic shapes like the Constance and Mini Kelly II get a luminous lift without ever feeling flashy. Doré, first introduced in limited metallic releases for the 2004 Athens Olympics and revived in 2024, brings elegance and warmth, while Gris Argenté with matching palladium hardware adds a modern, silvery touch. With collectors already speculating about a potential return of the bronze metallic in 2026, Hermès continues to make metallics feel timeless, not trend-driven.

Image courtesy: @pursebop

Image courtesy: @pursebop

Chanel

Metallics have always been integral to Chanel, lending a luminous edge to the Maison’s signature shapes and seasonal innovations. Different leathers take metallic finishes in distinct ways: smooth lambskin offers a reflective, luminous sheen; grained calfskin gives a softer, more understated glint; and patent leather provides a high-shine, high-impact effect.

Beyond leather, Chanel’s Holiday collection introduced the Hard-Case Clutch, proving metallics can be sculptural as well as wearable, while tweeds often incorporate metallic threads and sequins for subtle shimmer. From radiant Classic Flaps to the contemporary Chanel 25 Mini in silver or gold with tonal hardware, the Maison balances timeless elegance with shimmer. And then there’s the colorways — Chanel’s metallic palette extends beyond conventional gold, silver, and bronze, with bold options like metallic purple and vivid fuchsia adding playful, statement-making flair.

Goyard

Goyard takes a measured approach to metallics, rarely straying from its signature eleven-shade palette. Notably, the Maison explored metallic Goyardine with the Precious Metal Collection in 2021, which reimagined the iconic Saint-Louis Tote in Gold, Pink Gold, and Silver.

Building on that precedent, this Holiday season sees Goyard revisiting limited-edition metallics with a trunk-inspired lineup given a subtle, luminous twist. Inspired by Midnight in Place Vendôme, Paris, the collection features the Alto Hatbox Trunk, Minaudière Trunk Bag, and Dé Trunk Bag reimagined in luminous gold and silver Goyardine canvas, complemented by matching metallic Chevroches calfskin accents. Unusually for Goyard, the new gold Goyardine pieces feature matching gold hardware — from reinforced corners and rivets to the signature trunk clasps — while the silver versions retain the Maison’s traditional palladium hardware. The result is a restrained yet eye-catching shimmer that elevates Goyard’s classic trunk aesthetic while remaining unmistakably refined.

Read: Goyard Reveals its Most Dramatic Line Yet: Midnight in Place Vendôme

Image courtesy: Goyard

Image courtesy: Goyard

Image courtesy: Goyard

Louis Vuitton

Louis Vuitton is no stranger to high-shine, high-impact metallics. First introduced in Marc Jacobs’ Autumn–Winter 2009 collection, the Monogram Mirror featured an embossed canvas in reflective gold and silver finishes, quickly becoming a cult favourite and a symbol of Y2K-era style, famously carried by Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian. Today, the Monogram Mirror designs have slid back into the lineup, expanding beyond the revived classics in Gold and Silver to new icons like Pharrell Williams’ Shopper Tote MM in a fresh Gunmetal shade. Beyond the statement finishes, Louis Vuitton also explores more subtle metallic expressions. Sleek silver calfskin appears on modern icons like the LV Biker PM, where the reflective finish emphasizes its structured silhouette, rather than competing with it.

Image courtesy: Louis Vuitton

Image courtesy: Louis Vuitton

Celine

Celine is going big with metallics, embracing maximalist shine rather than subtle shimmer. While gold-tone hardware dominates most designs, with the Triomphe emblem taking center stage, the Maison has dialed things up this season — introducing bold, reflective finishes and statement exotics that elevate every silhouette to full-on metallic brilliance. Laminated python and lizard bring texture to life with warm, reflective tones that catch the light at every angle. Evening-ready sizes, including the Teen Garance and Mini Claude, are paired with gleaming gold Triomphe logos, creating silhouettes that are impossible to ignore. At Celine, metallics don’t whisper, they declare their arrival.

Image courtesy: @pursebop

Image courtesy: @pursebop

Bottega Veneta

Bottega Veneta is entering the metallic conversation through its most recognisable signature: the Intrecciato weave, reimagined in luminous finishes that amplify texture rather than overpower it. Whether rendered in laminated leather with a softly fogged, mirror-like effect or in satin-finish lambskin that delivers a warmer, more fluid glow, metallics at Bottega feel tactile and considered. Gold and silver appear in equal measure across the Maison’s evening and mini icons — from the East-West Andiamo Clutch to the Mini Jodie and Knot — sometimes even intertwined within the weave itself, amplifying the Intrecciato’s depth and texture. A consistent theme runs through the offering: these are statement metallics designed for after-dark moments, with compact proportions and sculptural silhouettes that let the weave, not excess shine, do the talking.

Image courtesy: Bottega Veneta

From understated metallic leathers with a subtle sheen to full-blown statement exotics, the contenders are set. Now it’s over to you — which Maison deserves to take gold? Cast your vote below.