The Saint Laurent Y Tote was one of the biggest handbag launches of 2024. Its sleek, understated design signaled a subtle shift for Saint Laurent, a house that had long relied heavily on its iconic logo bags.
Designed by Anthony Vaccarello, the Saint Laurent Y Tote felt reminiscent of the Saint Laurent of the early aughts, with its subtle branding and absence of the brand’s iconic YSL Cassandre logo.
The bag first became one to watch when Bella Hadid was spotted carrying it that summer. It had not yet been released, and few outlets were covering it at the time. That quickly changed when other stars, including Zoë Kravitz and Charli XCX, were seen with the bag ahead of its early November 2024 debut.
2024’s Most Unlikely It-Bag
The Y Tote’s slouchy, relaxed silhouette and oversized proportions made it feel fresh and of-the-moment, while its understated appeal offered surprising staying power. It was distinctly Saint Laurent, but in a less overt way—striking a balance between quiet and statement-making luxury.
Few could have predicted its widespread popularity. Its minimalist shape also served as a blank canvas, lending itself easily to novelty colorways and rich suede iterations.
This season, the Y Tote returns with a subtle update, making the design feel even more refined than before.
A Look at the Saint Laurent Y Slim Tote
Like the original, the Y Slim Tote is defined by its distinct integrated Y stitching—a detail reminiscent of mid-to-late 2000s Saint Laurent under Stefano Pilati, when subtle design codes often replaced bold logos.
The key difference lies in the piping that forms the Y motif, which has been slimmed down for a cleaner, more streamlined effect. While the original design was already pared back, this updated version feels even more discreet, without sacrificing the roomy interior that made the Y Tote so functional.
What do you think of the slimmer take on the Y Tote?
It’s either gonna hurt or gonna snapped. But i do love the camel color.