A couple of years ago, I had the pleasure of attending an event for Lafayette 148 in Palm Beach that helped me rediscover the joy of dressing well in key pieces. The brand dressed me for the brunch, and two of the pieces continue to be my most coveted in my closet: a pair of flowy, breezy, long yet still flattering pants and an oversized blazer in a rich cream linen hue.
While the brand Lafayette 148 is more commonly known for its clothing, the brand continues to expand its bag offerings, and we have an up-close look at a bag that was just shown as part of its Fall 2025 collection that was just shown in NYC.
Fringe Is In
The L Tote is a classic staple of the Lafayette 148 family of bags. For this upcoming season, the team worked with artisans to create a black suede-and-leather, handwoven fringed tote.
“The signature L Tote acts as a recurring icon to explore each season’s themes, prints and atelier techniques. For Fall 2025, the collection explores the artistry of textile design – from traditional tapestry to the work of Anni Albers to our own in-house textile artists. One of the season’s prints was designed by ink-pressing a handwoven, black leather swatch directly onto garments, before the swatch itself was transformed into a crocheted and handwoven fringe top. And so these different layers and techniques – the elements which so often remain ‘hidden’ – are handwoven into the L Tote’s main body, as a proud and expressive celebration of the women in Lafayette 148’s New York atelier.”
– Emily Smith, Creative Director
I find one of the most essential aspects shoppers seek is authenticity—authenticity in the design process, in the materials, and in the brand as a whole. As I always say, the tote is a fundamentally basic yet necessary shape, and seeing how the team at Lafayette 148 brings it to life gives it more meaning and credence.
Current Iterations of the L Tote
More Details from Fall 2025
As I shared previously, while my handbag rotation is strong, I have room to further define my clothing and purchase more key pieces. I don’t prefer many of the brands I turn to for bags when it comes to my clothing, but just about everything from Lafayette 148 speaks to me. She is the person I want to be, and I share this with you as I sit in whatever we call one-step-up-from-sweats clothes.
Here are some detailed shots from the Fall 2025 presentation, which emphasizes materials, texture, and overall beauty.
It looks a lot like Akris totes.
Very cute