Rosana Lai
Chanel‘s 2.55 flapbags, Hermès birkins, and now The Row bags. The luxury label founded by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen have certainly earned its place in the pantheon of most-coveted (and luxurious) handbags, in no small part thanks to a global recession driving the rise of “quiet luxury” and the army of celebrities who have adopted The Row’s current ‘It’ bag, The Margaux, as the ultimate status symbol of 2024.
Founded in 2006 with the original aim of making the perfect white T-shirt, the Olsen twins have since turned their passion project into an empire of sartorial excellence. Cocooning coats and creamy dreamy cashmere jumpers aside, The Row bags have become ‘It’ bags in their own right. Whether it’s the can’t-get-your-hands-on-one Margaux to the slouchy, XXL Idaho tote, all the bags are designed to be future classics, defined by their clean silhouettes, sumptuous fabrics and generous proportions. Oh, and eye-watering price tags.
So it comes as no surprise that they’ve been found on the arms of those who wouldn’t blink an eye at a £4,000 black tote. The list of The Row’s Hollywood fans is endless, but you’ve surely seen the lust-worthy bags on the arms of Zoë Kravitz, Jennifer Lawrence and Kendall Jenner to name a few. The Margaux, with its rounded, trapezoid shape wrapped in all its supple leather glory has been absolutely everywhere in recent months, so it could be easy to forget all the other hits that The Row has rolled out over the years.
Below we rank our favourite The Row bags by our favourite fashion twins.
#1 The Margaux
Gotham
You’re probably tired of seeing this bag, but there’s a reason why it tops every list. It’s arguably the most difficult challenge of any brand to create an easily identifiable handbag without slapping on logos or using loud hues, so one must credit The Margaux for earning its reputation as the “next Birkin” with nothing but extraordinary craftsmanship. Now the label’s most recognisable bag, it’s no wonder Harry Styles and Jennifer Lawrence can’t get enough.
#2 The Alexia
Rob Kim
The Row’s take on the saddle bag shape, The Alexia is one of the brand’s latest styles. It comes in second because we could see it climbing the best bag ranks as slouchy bags continue to trend into fall. The Alexia features a deep fortune-cookie fold down the middle, giving it an architectural dip, and sturdy top handles. It’s basically an ultra-chic expandable tote and we’re here for it.
#3 The George
The weekender bag of dreams, The George is one of the more utilitarian styles of the range. It has flown under the radar as far as celebs-sightings go but it’s number three on our list because everyone owns a duffel and this is as luxe as it comes. As everyone heads out of town for sunnier shores, the duffel is also probably be the hardest working bag this summer. We love that The George comes in calfskin leather and washed cotton denim, making it functional for all kinds of temperamental weather, but still ultra-luxurious.
#4 The Idaho
AKGS / Backgrid
To the untrained eye, The Idaho bag could look like any other high street tote from afar, but that just feeds into its IYKYK appeal. Also one of The Row’s most versatile styles, The Idaho comes in several fabrications and sizes. While it’s the ideal work bag shape and size, Hailey Bieber mastered the art of dressing it down with a polo-shirt, and baseball cap.
#5 The Half Moon
Rachpoot/Bauer-Griffin
The Half-Moon is to us what the Fendi Baguette was to the 90s, that easy, tuck-under-the-shoulder bag that goes with just about anything thanks to its sleek, ergonomic design. Poster girls for the 90s aesthetic Kendall Jenner and Emily Ratajkowski were of course some of the first to popularise the minimalist mini bag, but it makes our top five because we’re sure you’ll be seeing it for decades to come.