By now, we're all well-acquainted with Balenciaga's infamous Lays potato chip bag, a clutch disguised as a packet of Herman Lays' beloved snack.
The trompe l'oeil accessory, renditions of which can be found on AliExpress for as little as $2, is a particularly viral example of an irresistibly delightful phenomenon: the novelty bag, or as one writer put it, the "gag bag."
From Demna's luxurification of corner store munchies to JW Anderson's pigeon clutch, these are the best designer novelty bags from recent history.
Chanel's shopping cart
Season: FW14
Editor's Notes: Costco, but make it chic. Karl Lagerfeld's immersive supermarket set saw models clutch leather and gold shopping carts while strutting through aisles stocked with Chanel-branded groceries.
Thom Browne's dachshund
Season: FW16
Editor's Notes: Thom Browne first introduced the Hector bag, an homage to his beloved dachshund, in 2016. The original model was made of fur and cost €30,050 — now, it's a brand mainstay offered in varying sizes and fabrications.
Moschino's toilet paper
Season: FW17
Editor's Notes: Moschino scandalized the press by attaching a literal roll of toilet paper to a gold chain.
Everything Judith Lieber
Season: N/A
Editor's Notes: The mother of all novelty bags, Judith Lieber's crystal-encrusted minaudieres come in every form: hamburgers, stacks of cash, cocktails, the Eiffel Tower.
Puppets and Puppets' baked goods
Season: FW21
Editor's Notes: Puppets and Puppets' now-famous Cookie bag has inspired a slew of equally charming iterations featuring eerily realistic pastries, fried eggs, brownies, and bananas.
Louis Vuitton's paint cans
Season: FW22
Editor's Notes: Virgil Abloh's final collection for Louis Vuitton featured a slew of statement accessories, including this leather paint cans outfitted in the house's signature monogram. Abloh was a master at elevating the mundane to the realm of art, and his paint can bags were no exception.
JW Anderson's pigeon
Season: FW22
Editor's Notes: You know Pigeoncore is about to blow up when Carrie Bradshaw co-signs it.
Dauphinette's croissants
Season: SS23
Editor's Notes: Designer Olivia Cheng made whimsical croissant bags out of real surplus bakery bread. Coated in antifungal resin, the scrumptious accessories are (almost) good enough to eat.
Collina Strada's broccoli
Season: SS23
Editor's Notes: Full of fiber!
Balenciaga's Lays potato chips
Season: SS23
Editor's Notes: Ah, yes. The final boss of trompe l'oeil bags. Demna's Balenciaga-branded crisp packets made of leather were an instant hit on social media.
