They’ve Arrived: The 8 Designer It Bags of 2026

It may only be January, but the spring/summer 2026 collections are already landing in stores, and that only means one thing: The most viral-worthy It bags are beginning to emerge, and my fashion-editor senses are tingling. We first glanced at these new silhouettes on the runways last fall, but now that luxury brands are launching them into the wild, it’s becoming clearer and clearer which designer bags are set to be big. They may be new to the market, but I can pretty much guarantee that these eight styles will go on to define the year as a whole. It’s a tall order, but based on the early response I’ve already noticed from celebs, insiders, and shopping experts, these are just brimming with It-item potential.

“From the S/S 26 collections, two clear handbag directions are emerging,” says Barbara Janeczek, curation manager at the global fashion shopping platform Lyst. “On one side, we’re seeing practical silhouettes gaining traction, such as Bottega’s Ciao Ciao Bag,” and, I’d add, the even newer Barbara Tote. On the other, shoppers are gravitating toward bags with vintage-feeling personality, including reissued styles like the Mombasa. Bowling bags are also up 51% month on month, with Balenciaga’s Bolero Bowling Bag seeing a +66% spike since the end of December. Similarly, The Row’s Peggy Clutch was also +67% in January.”