It might feel like fashion sacrilege to even suggest it, but The Row's Margaux bag could be the accessory with an industry influence as big as that of the Hermès Birkin.
Whether you've realised it or not, you've undoubtedly spotted the silhouette over recent months either being unboxed on TikTok/Instagram by your favourite content creator, spotted in the tight grip of an A-list celebrity or – if you're anything like us – appearing all over your phone via the algorithm's ads.
There hasn't been a designer handbag launch with this much impact for a long time.
Let's start with the elephant in the room: It's almost impossible to get your hands on.
Sold out just about everywhere with ‘Join The Waitlist’ buttons present beneath every colourway on The Row's own website, your best bet at snagging yourself a Margaux is in store or via re-sale/pre-loved retailer sites like Vestiaire Collective and eBay. But don't let the latter fool you… There's very little in the way of a ‘second-hand, half-price’ narrative here. But would you expect any less for such a modern day icon? A future heirloom?
So popular, in fact, is the Margaux that it often increases in price on resale – cementing its position as so much more than a trending cult item.
Or, if you happen to love the shape but need a little more convincing where the price tag is concerned, fear not; there are some seriously slouchy leather tote bags, shoulder bags and top handle bags elsewhere that'll do just as good of a job at carrying your life's belongings as The Row's Margaux.
Why is this bag proving such a cultural hit right now, you ask?
Firstly, of course, it's the brainchild of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen – who are behind the industry's ever-elusive, ever-loved fashion label, The Row. A huge tick in many a fashion fan's book.
Aesthetically speaking, the bag feeds into just about every accessory trend going right now. The epitome of quiet luxury – a quintessential tagline for the brand itself, were it not too minimalist to have one – it comprises a subtle, logo-less design that lets the butter-soft leather speak for itself.
It's also oversized (yes, across all four of its size categories) – a particularly popular look right now, especially on the city streets of New York and London, but also a very real, practical consideration for anyone considering purchasing such a high-ticket item.
Perhaps the most convincing proof of its power is that this isn't, actually, a new bag. And yet it still feels like one…
First launched in 2018, the Margaux has been re-released season after season in various, subtly new colourways.
But it wasn't until recently that it broke away from being a ‘fashion insider favourite’ to a globally adored mega-bag, with fashion search platform Lyst recently naming it the ‘hottest product’ of the moment after search increased for the brand by 93% in the most recent quarter and for the Margaux bag by 198% year-on-year.
Of course, the recent celebrity attention has certainly helped introduce the bag to the masses. With everyone from Kendall Jenner and Zoë Kravitz to Jennifer Lawrence and recently even Harry Styles finding the allure of the Margaux impossible to resist, it looks like the bag's momentum is in no way fading.
For more from Glamour UK's Fashion Editor Charlie Teather, follow her on Instagram @charlieteather. For other investment pieces, look to Loewe's basket bag, Prada's raffia tote, the best Bottega Veneta bags, and also where to buy second hand luxury bags like Chanel, Dior, Gucci and more.
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