Dive Brief:
- Handbags with a narrow, horizontal silhouette are this year’s “it bag,” according to resale platform Fashionphile, with searches for “East West” on the luxury resale platform growing 229% year over year.
- The silhouette’s rise in popularity was seen in increased searches for several different brands. Sales for “Louis Vuitton East West” on the platform grew 142%, and searches for “Chanel East West” grew 333%, per the report.
- Fashionphile also ranked the top handbags by sales on its platform, with the Louis Vuitton Pochette Métis ranking first, followed by the Chanel Wallet on Chain and the Gucci GG Marmont Chain shoulder bag.
Dive Insight:
The findings are part of Fashionphile’s annual Ultra-Luxury Resale report, which tracks handbags, watches and jewelry. The report compared sales and trends on its platform from January through May of this year to the same period last year, according to a Fashionphile spokesperson.
In contrast to last year’s “Barbie”-fueled boom, the color blue outperformed pink by 24.5% in terms of search traffic on Fashionphile during the time period. Excluding neutrals and multicolors, pink was the second most searched for color, and it was the top “filtered by” color shade on the platform throughout the period. Blue and pink were followed by red, green and purple in terms of searches.
In addition to identifying the top-selling bags and bag colorways, Fashionphile also broke down purchase and search results by age group.
The Gen Z cohort, which Fashionphile defined as ages 18 to 24, takes a “value-conscious approach” to secondhand luxury, and prioritizes environmental impact, according to the report. That age group’s top purchased bag was the Hermès Roulis, and the most viewed item among the cohort was the Chanel Double Flap bag.
Younger millennials’ buying patterns on Fashionphile align with Generation Z’s preferences. Older millennials have a distinct preference for brands including Louis Vuitton, per the report.
In general, millennials seek “unique, scarce luxury items that set them apart,” according to Fashionphile. Young millennials’ most purchased handbag was the Louis Vuitton Speedy, and like Gen Z, their top-viewed item was the Chanel Double Flap. Older millennials, however, purchased the Yves Saint Laurent Lou Camera bag the most.
Gen X’s most-purchased item was the Louis Vuitton Alma, and younger Baby Boomers (aged 55 to 64) bought the Goyard Saint Louis bag the most, while Baby Boomers over 65 purchased the Louis Vuitton Artsy the most.
Fashionphile additionally identified potential trends for the coming year based on purchasing patterns on the platform.
Fashionphile predicted that the cowboy-core trend would peak in 2025. Cowboy-inspired elements, such as turquoise jewelry and fringe, saw an increase on the platform, by 11% and 39.4%, respectively, year over year. The trend was supported by pop star Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” album, which was released this March. Several brands have pointed to the album as generating buzz for them, including Levi’s.
Fashionphile also pointed to a “ladies-who-lunch” style trend uptick in 2025, defined by elements such as pearls, tweed and mini bags. Searches for pearls grew 29.2% year over year, tweed searches grew 55%, and searches for micro bags doubled. Top handle bags additionally grew 68.2%.
