Male celebrities have it in the bag. Recently, Jacob Elordi made headlines for his impressively curated collection of designer bags, showing off everything from a classic Burberry cross-body to an impossibly tiny Valentino bag. On Oct. 6, A$AP Rocky kept the momentum going with a cool Bottega Veneta bag, almost overshadowing Rihanna’s comically oversized clutch (. . . almost). It seems more and more prominent men are having fun with these costly handbags, integrating them into their fashion choices in new and progressively bolder ways.
Although designer handbags have long been a staple in women’s fashion, men’s fashion was initially slow on the uptake, eventually motivated by fashion icons like Pharrell Williams and the late Virgil Abloh. Some celebrities, like Drake, say they’re collecting bags for future partners they don’t have – and then giving some to fans at concerts, or storing them away where they’ll never be seen. But others are finally getting in on the trend for themselves, defying gender norms and rightfully flexing their outrageously beautiful purses.
“A lot of people laugh at me, but, you know, the bag’s worth more than their house,” sports bettor and bag collector Dave Oancea told GQ about his six Birkins back in 2020. “I just know that it’s dope, and it’s $100,000.” Seeing purses as a tangible token of wealth as opposed to an inexplicably gendered accessory might explain why so many hip-hop artists originally gravitated to the trend, with Snoop Dogg rocking monogrammed Louis Vuitton, Jay Z carrying his go-to Goyard, Cardi B and Offset stepping out with matching camouflage Birkins, and Gunna rapping about nabbing a Birkin.
In theory, bags are a delightful, gender-less pit to fill with whatever your heart desires. But on a deeper level, they’re also investments, trophies, and fashion statements. “I think it’s silly to think the shape of an object determines what gender it belongs to,” online personality Miss Jason told i-D in 2019. “We as a society really have to let go of this traditional way of thinking when it comes to how somebody looks or perceives themselves.” Our take? Designer handbags are for everyone with the bank account to enjoy them. Read on to see how male celebrities are rocking their purses like never before.
Related: Celebs Can’t Stop Wearing the Villain-Era Corset – the Sexy Version of Regencycore
