Here are my picks. i’m looking across all price points as if the cost of the product isn’t an issue.
LOUIS VUITTON x Takashi Murakami Speedy Bandouliere 25 ‘White Multicolored’
This bag is a collaboration bag in the speedy style. it wears like a mini piece of luggage and is very structured and relatively stiff.
Marc Jacob’s The Tote bag
The Tote Bag was first released in 2019 and quickly became a cultural phenomenon, selling over 100,000 units in its first year. Designed to reject the exclusivity of traditional “It-bags,” it was created as a high-quality, utilitarian carryall that combines luxury craftsmanship with everyday functionality. While it launched in durable cotton canvas, it is now available in full-grain leather, jacquard, denim, and seasonal fabrics like faux shearling and towelling.
The Fjallraven Kanken backpack
Originally designed in 1978 by Swedish outdoor brand Fjällräven, the Kånken backpack was created to help prevent back problems among Swedish schoolchildren, with its simple boxy shape and lightweight Vinylon F fabric offering both practicality and durability.
Although it was a staple in Scandinavia for decades, the bag experienced a remarkable resurgence in the late 2000s and early 2010s, when a growing appetite for minimalist design, heritage branding and “normcore” fashion propelled it into global popularity. Spotted on students, creatives and influencers alike, the
Kånken became a defining accessory of the era — functional yet stylish, understated yet instantly recognisable. Its rainbow of colourways and timeless silhouette helped cement its status as an iconic piece of 2000s fashion, bridging the gap between retro utility and contemporary street style.
Balenciaga Le City (Motorcycle) Bag (2001)
The Le City — often dubbed the Motorcycle Bag — from Balenciaga is widely regarded as one of the defining handbags of the early 2000s.
Sienna Miller and Kate Moss are stereotypical celebrities who encapsulate the Balenciaga Motocycle bag vibe.
Originally introduced in 2001 under the creative direction of Nicolas Ghesquière, the bag broke away from the structured, logo-driven styles that dominated luxury at the time. Its soft, slouchy leather, signature tasselled zips, and aged brass hardware gave it an effortlessly undone, almost rebellious feel.
Though initially produced in limited numbers, it quickly gained traction after being championed by models and style insiders, becoming synonymous with off-duty cool and the rise of paparazzi culture.
By the mid-2000s, the Le City had cemented its status as an It-bag of the era — a piece that captured the bohemian-luxe spirit of the decade and remains an enduring icon in contemporary fashion history.
Proenza Schouler PS1 (2008)
This is a messenger-style bag that embodied “indie sleaze” and effortless cool.
The PS1 from Proenza Schouler is one of those rare bags that perfectly captured the mood of late-2000s fashion. Designed in 2008 by founders Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, the satchel was created as an antidote to the era’s overly polished “It bags”, favouring a softer, more lived-in aesthetic.
With its slouchy structure, satchel-inspired buckles, and practical crossbody strap, the PS1 felt effortlessly cool — more like a vintage schoolbag than a status symbol.
Its rise to popularity coincided with the shift towards downtown minimalism and the growing influence of off-duty model style, quickly becoming a staple among editors and fashion insiders. By the early 2010s, the PS1 had secured its place as a defining accessory of the era, representing a move away from logo-heavy luxury towards understated, intelligently designed pieces.
The North Face Base Camp Duffel
The Base Camp Duffel from The North Face is one of those rare pieces of kit that transcended its original purpose to become a cultural staple. First introduced in 1986 and designed for serious expeditions, the bag was built from hard-wearing laminate fabric to withstand extreme conditions — a practical holdall for climbers and mountaineers rather than a fashion statement.
Yet as outdoor aesthetics filtered into mainstream style throughout the 2000s and 2010s, the Base Camp Duffel’s bold colourways, cylindrical shape and prominent logo found a new audience in cities rather than at base camp.
By the height of the streetwear-meets-technicalwear movement, it had evolved into a symbol of functional cool: a bag equally at home in an airport lounge, university gym or weekend away, cementing its place as one of the most iconic active bags of the past two decades.
Adidas Airliner Bag
A noughties essential, the slim, rectangular Airliner became synonymous with Y2K sports style. With its trefoil logo and glossy finishes, it was worn crossbody with tracksuits and denim alike especially during the 2000s.
The Airliner bag from Adidas is a quintessential relic of 2000s sports style, blending retro athletic heritage with everyday wearability. Inspired by vintage flight bags from the 1970s, the slim, rectangular silhouette was reissued under the Adidas Originals line in the early 2000s, just as logo mania and terrace-inspired fashion were surging back into the mainstream.
With its glossy finishes, contrast piping and bold trefoil branding, the Airliner became a fixture on high streets and campuses alike — worn slung low across the body with tracksuits, denim and football trainers. Its rise coincided with the broader revival of Y2K aesthetics, and by the mid-2000s it had cemented itself as a defining accessory of the era, symbolising a time when sportswear and street style were becoming one and the same.
Just like some of the other iconic bags in this article, the brand has released other variations of this bag. By doing this the brand can tap into trends whilst still retaining the original DNA of their best selling bag. See here the mini airliner bag and the Adicolor Elongated Airline Bag.
