Each new year means a fresh crop of bags to marvel over, and as we reach the end of 2024, it’s time to recap some of the year’s biggest bags. Bags are significant sales drivers for many brands, and introducing a buzzy bag can make or break a brand’s entire year.
A new release can also be a pivotal point for a luxury House, showcasing a changing direction and helping to increase demand and desirability. Sometimes, this goes hand in hand with the debut of a new creative director’s debut collection, like Alessandro Michele at Valentino and Chemena Kamali at Chloé.
While we typically cover the year’s most important new releases to hit the scene, this year, we’re doing things a little bit differently because we would be remiss, not to mention one incredibly influential, but not entirely new, bag. Let’s dive in!
Alaïa Le Teckel
Alaïa’s Le Teckel made waves when it first debuted earlier this year, quickly becoming a favorite of the fashion set and those in the know. Le Teckel, named after the French word for Dachshund, was designed by creative director Pieter Mulier.
Characterized by an elongated body and tubular shoulder straps, the bag’s relatively simple shape resonated not only because of its quiet appeal but also because of its of the moment east/west shape. It is easy to dress up or down, incredibly unfussy and gives off the ultimate cool-girl appeal.
The bag’s release marked a turning point for the luxury House, which, though rich in history, has never been a critical player in the luxury handbag world. While once Alaïa’s bags flew under the radar, they are now becoming just as coveted as its ready-to-wear, with the brand seeing a 51% increase in demand during the third quarter of 2024.
Miu Miu Aventure
Few bags received as much buzz on social media this year as the Miu Miu Aventure, which made its debut for the Fall 2024 season. The perfect everyday bag, the Aventure features distinct nodes to Miu Miu’s archives, modeled after a doctor bag from 2009.
Miu Miu was having its renaissance long before the Aventure came along. What was important about this release was not only the bag itself, but also the charms meant to be worn with it. The Aventure’s debut helped define the bag charm trend, catapulting it to ubiquity and proving the power and influence of Miu Miu and its creative genius, Miuccia Prada.
The Row Margaux
The Margaux Bag is nothing new or even groundbreaking, but still, its classic shape and effortless slouch struck a chord with fans last year when quiet luxury was suddenly the aesthetic of the moment. That momentum continued to build into 2024, making the bag nearly impossible to snag this year.
The Margaux has become a staple of the luxury label, not to mention a favorite of stars like Jennifer Lawrence, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Jennifer Garner, and more. What fans love about the Margaux is that it’s not only relevant, but it’s one of those bags that will never go out of style, meant to look better with use and age.
While the jury is still out on whether The Margaux is really the next Birkin, one thing is for sure: its popularity peaked in 2024.
Coach Empire Carryall
Primarily driven by the demand for sleek carryalls with a minimalistic appeal, Coach’s Empire Carryall became a Gen Z favorite after going viral earlier this summer. Designed by Stuart Vevers, the bag offers a vintage appeal and a lived-in look.
Many felt its coveted shape reminiscent of The Row Margaux but at a much more accessible price. Months after it first made waves, the Coach Empire Carryall consistently sold out in the 48 size, which is not so coincidentally the size that received the most buzz on social media.
Coach continues to gain momentum in this new era for the brand, and a buzz like this surrounding a contemporary bag has not been seen in some time.
Saint Laurent Y Tote
One of the year’s most anticipated new releases, the Saint Laurent Y Tote, first made waves when its then-unknown shape was spotted on Bella Hadid over the summer. Few outlets were talking about this bag, but that changed immediately when other stars like Zoe Kravitz and Charli XCX were seen with it prior to its early-November release.
Designed by Anthony Vaccarello, the Saint Laurent Y Bag immediately felt reminiscent of the Saint Laurent of the early aughts. It features subtle branding and is void of the brand’s iconic YSL Cassandre logo. The slouchy, relaxed shape of the Y Tote and its oversized body make this bag extremely relevant, but its sleek, under-the-radar details also signal a shift for Vaccarello.
I feel like I was not super into bags this year and looking at this list I can see why lol. The only one that is somewhat interesting to me is the YSL tote, but even then I’m not sure if the current design is worth the price. Maybe if it came in some more interesting color ways.
I will be very happy when Y2k and quiet luxury goes out of fashion as I feel designers are taking all of the worst parts of both as inspo for their designs, and then people on social media are hyping them up by having them sell out and the cycle continues. Oh well, more money saved by me shopping my closet lol
I do sort of agree with you that, in general, this was a “boring” year for bags overall! My favorites this year when it comes to newbies definitely includes the Miu Miu Aventure and the Saint Laurent Y, though!
I don’t have the contents to fill these big bags and I definitely didn’t feel the influence of these bags this year. Between big bags and “bag charms” that cost a bag I’m glad I took a break this year.
As mentioned above, I do feel that this wasn’t the most exciting year for bags overall! While I genuinely love the Miu Miu and the Saint Laurent Y (review coming soon!) I do agree that I would struggle to fill them up.
Besides the first one – I agree with all others 🙂 Planning on getting the Miu Miu adventure
I love the lived-in look and smoosh of the Aventure!
Big bags were supposed to be “in” this year, but I wasn’t interested. They just look big, unwieldy, and clunky. To me, none of these look chic or stylish. The Teckel is just odd.