Vivienne Westwood designed the orb in 1987, combining a royal sovereign's orb with the ring of Saturn, and the stated idea was tradition launched into the future. That is a more considered origin than most house logos have, and it matters because the orb has never been quietly decorative. A vivienne westwood bag wears it prominently, usually in metal at the front, and the brand has never softened that. Westwood's politics were inseparable from the clothes and the accessories inherited the same refusal to be polite about themselves.

The Granny Frame Leather Tote is the most architectural piece here, using a metal frame closure that gives the bag a distinctive rounded top, and it is the shape most associated with the house. The Saff Heart Mini in faux leather is the most playful and the most literal, shaped as a heart. Hazel, appearing as both a Treasure Handbag and a Medium Handbag, is the most conventional shape in this group and the closest to a standard structured bag. Lottie Small and Emma are the shoulder options, with the Emma being the cleaner of the two. Bettina Mini Crossbody is the smallest format and the most practical for a night out. Pamela Small sits between the two. Faux leather appears across parts of the range, which is consistent with the house's long-stated position on materials.

If you take one thing away, the Granny Frame is the bag that best represents the house and the Bettina is the one you will use most. Frame closures are secure and take two hands, and the shape does not collapse, which is genuinely useful. The heart bags are wonderful objects and hold approximately nothing. Orb hardware is the focal point of every bag here, so check its finish carefully, since plated hardware on a bag that sits against clothing will show wear at the high points. Faux leather in this range is a coated fabric that wipes clean and creases permanently at fold points. Buy the shape you will carry, not the one that photographs best, because these all photograph well.