The oldest bags in history were invented for the wealthy to conceal and carry coins and valuables, and so it follows that the handbags of today are telltale signs of class and status. The rise of the ‘It’ bag, a concept developed throughout the 20th century, relied on a commercial tool, tried and tested time and again by luxury goods manufacturers: celebrity marketing.
Parisian designer Louis Viutton was one of the first to pioneer luggage as a status marker and marketing tool for his brand, with his high quality, durable yet striking ‘LV’ monogrammed leather bags and cases. The highly coveted ‘Speedy’ holdall was originally conceived the ‘Express’ at its initial release in the 1930s. Smaller, softer and niftier than hard-case luggage, the Speedy fast became a chic French favourite, and by 1965 could be seen on the arm of globally renowned starlet Audrey Hepburn.
Today, celebrity marketing has only proliferated along with the social media boom. Influencers, A-listers and artists alike offer brands opportunity to promote their products direct to their target consumer in an aspirational way.
2026 saw the crowd go wild for Bottega Veneta’s intrecciato leather ‘Maxi Veneta’ hobo bag, a super-sized shoulder sling style constructed using strips of highest quality Italian leather. The marketing for this coveted piece takes a fresh approach, playing into one of the modern era’s hottest topics – challenging gender norms. Traditionally, the worlds favourite women have been muse and model to promote cult arm candy – think Princess Diana and her ‘Lady Dior’, or Jane Birkin’s eponymous ‘Birkin’ bag designed just for her by Hermes. For the Maxi, Veneta worked with Jacob Elordi, the 6’ 5” dark and chiselled male Australian actor, who donned the bag, alongside his effortless off-duty-prep outfits, throughout the press tour for Frankenstein and “Wuthering Heights”.
