Why That ‘It-Bag’ Will Be Out of Fashion Before Your Credit Card Bill Is Paid

It starts with a whisper. A celebrity is spotted carrying an unfamiliar bag, paparazzi flashbulbs turn it into a moment, and suddenly, fashion insiders declare it the accessory of the season. A few weeks later, influencers flood Instagram with carefully staged coffee-and-bag flat lays. Before you know it, waitlists form, resale prices skyrocket, and the bag achieves that coveted “It-Bag” status.

Then, just as you’ve finally justified spending a month’s rent on it, the cycle turns. The next season’s collection drops, newer shapes and colors flood the market, and that once-impossible-to-get bag starts looking… outdated. The resale value plummets, influencers quietly move on, and fashion houses subtly distance themselves from the very trend they created. Congratulations, you just bought a collector’s item—but not in the way you hoped.

This isn’t a coincidence. It’s a carefully orchestrated system designed to keep you chasing, spending, and believing that this time, this bag will be the one that lasts forever. Spoiler alert: it won’t.

Remember the PRADA Cahier? The GUCCI Bamboo Top Handle? The DIOR Saddle Bag? All were once at the top of the It-Bag food chain, only to be slowly pushed aside by newer, shinier models. The luxury market thrives on planned obsolescence—the art of making last season’s must-have feel like yesterday’s news.

Even if a bag itself doesn’t go out of style, brands can always manipulate its desirability. They tweak the proportions, introduce limited editions, or just stop producing certain colors, making you feel like you need the newest version. That “investment” bag? It’s just another pawn in the endless cycle.

The PR Machine Behind Your ‘Must-Have’

Think it’s a coincidence that every influencer is suddenly carrying the same bag? Think again. The luxury industry is a well-oiled marketing machine, and nothing about It-Bag culture happens organically.

Brands carefully curate which celebrities and influencers receive their newest designs, ensuring they appear in just the right hands at just the right time. Red carpet placements, front-row appearances at Fashion Week, and strategic seeding to socialites—this is all part of a multi-million-dollar campaign to manufacture desirability.

By the time the average shopper catches on and considers making a purchase, the It-Bag’s expiration date is already approaching. What looks like a spontaneous trend is actually the result of years of behind-the-scenes planning. You’re not just buying a bag; you’re buying into a meticulously crafted illusion.

How to Break Free From the Cycle

The easiest way to stop playing the luxury game? Recognize it is a game. If you’re buying an It-Bag, do it because you love the design—not because some marketing campaign convinced you that your wardrobe is incomplete without it.

Style isn’t about the price tag—it’s about confidence.

The Illusion of ‘Must-Have’

Every season, a new bag emerges as the one to own. Celebrities are spotted with it, influencers strategically pose with it, and suddenly, it feels like life won’t be complete until it’s hanging from your arm. But here’s the thing—this cycle never ends. Today’s must-have is tomorrow’s resale listing, and the industry counts on that.

Buy the Bag, Not the Hype

Fashion is supposed to be fun, not a financial burden. The next time a bag is pushed as the must-have of the season, take a step back. Ask yourself: do I love this, or do I just love the idea of it? Because if history has taught us anything, it’s that the It-Bag you’re eyeing today will be sitting in the back of someone’s closet by next year.

And if that’s the case, maybe—just maybe—it’s better to sit this one out.