Ask anyone what the hardest bag in the world is to get, and they would most likely say it’s an Hermès Birkin.
The colorful purses are made in a limited supply, allegedly only offered to clients who have an extensive purchasing history with the brand.
And, with a starting price tag that’s easily more than $10,000 and a limited amount shipped to the brand’s boutiques each year, it’s become an indulgent, luxury item that only few can attain and afford.
But in recent months, there have been rumblings that a new pièce de résistance is on the rise: the Margaux bag from Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen’s very pricey brand The Row.
The Row’s Margaux bag, which has been seen on celebs like Kendall Jenner (pictured in 2023), has been dubbed as the new Hermès Birkin
Ranging in price from $3,490 to $6,810, the bowling-shaped Margaux bag comes in a handful of different sizes, as well as a variety of colors and finishes
The Birkin comes with a starting price tag that’s easily more than $10,400 and a limited amount are shipped to the brand’s boutiques each year
The now sold-out bag has been dubbed ‘The New Birkin’ by many savvy TikTok users, with Vogue even calling it a ‘future heirloom in the making’ in an article published last November.
The brand, which was founded by Mary-Kate and Ashley in 2006, prides itself on no logos, no labels and no loud prints.
‘The Margaux was introduced six years ago, but it earned greater prominence during the recent «quiet luxury» craze, which is an aesthetic The Row is closely associated with,’ Anthony Barzilay Freund, editorial director at 1stDibs, told DailyMail.com.
‘It has recently been toted by some key influencers — including Rosie Huntington Whiteley and Kendall Jenner — which has led to a spike in its desirability,’ Freund explained.
Ranging in price from $3,490 to $6,810, the bowling-shaped Margaux bag comes in a handful of different sizes, as well as a variety of colors and finishes. Potential buyers can choose from deliciously luxe leathers to soft and indulgent suedes.
The price of the bag makes it a ‘luxury investment,’ Freund told DailyMail.com, comparing it to that of a tote from understated designer Bottega Veneta.
‘The Margaux is positioned as a versatile «workhorse» bag, with an ample interior and a chic, unassuming exterior making it perfect for many uses and settings, much like the Birkin,’ Freund said.
Now, it just can’t seem to stay on the shelves.
Actress Jennifer Lawrence is also a big fan of the bag, holding it here in a deep purple-brown color in 2023
‘The Margaux was introduced six years ago, but it earned greater prominence during the recent «quiet luxury» craze,’ 1stDibs editorial director Anthony Barzilay Freund said
The bag also comes in another shape, known as the ‘EW’ – which is still equally as expensive to the other models
Content creator Lilly Sisto was one of the first people to start sporting the bag on TikTok before it blew up into the mainstream.
The piece was gifted to her in September 2023 as payment from a brand she worked with – and while it was something she had been eyeing for a long time, she didn’t think it would explode into such a huge trend.
‘I still don’t think the bag is trendy since it can be in your closet forever but it is interesting to see how many people are obsessing over it,’ Sisto told DailyMail.com.
According to Freund, over the past six months, searches on 1stDibs for ‘Margaux’ have increased over 300 per cent compared to the six months prior.
He explained that the increase began in October and ‘reached a peak’ in January 2024.
Some of the brand’s items, like the zip-front combat boots, have gone viral in the past, but the majority of their pieces, like the cashmere sweaters and tailored suit pants, are meant to be so unsuspecting and luxe that they go unnoticed to the naked eye.
New York City-based influencer Madison Rae purchased her bag last fall, which she was able to get by calling The Row store on the Upper East Side.
They happened to have one left – a size 15 in taupe-colored leather, which she got delivered to her house that same day.
The bag has become extremely popular on social media, with many influencers and fashion experts getting their own, like Lilly Sisto (left) and Delia Atenea (right)
Influencer Madison Rae is another big fan of the Margaux bag
Rae, who is based in New York City, also owns a Birkin bag in addition to her Margaux tote
Rae told DailyMail.com that the purse had ‘exceeded’ all of her expectations.
‘I’m a mom of two young kids and a self-proclaimed bag lady,’ she explained.
‘I walk/subway everywhere and sometimes I need to carry a bag that holds a lot, but also still makes me feel elevated and put together.’
But while getting hands on the bag may have been attainable even as early as last fall, it’s not so easy to get ahold of anymore, much like the Birkin.
According to Business of Fashion, 85 per cent of the bags ‘introduced to online retailers including Bergdorf Goodman and Mytheresa’ had sold out, citing data from retail analytics firm Edited.
Currently, the bag is sold out on The Row’s own website, as well as Saks Fifth Avenue, Mytheresa, Matches Fashion, and even UK-based stores like Harrods and Selfridges.
Rae admitted that not being able to find the bag online made her want it ‘even more.’
‘I think it’s trending, not trendy,’ Rae explained. ‘It’s having a really big moment right now but it’s still understated and with all things The Row, you only know if you know.’
In the next five years, the bags resale value is estimated to be anywhere from $2,000 to $3,000, Freund told DailyMail.com, and possibly even more.
‘I still don’t think the bag is trendy since it can be in your closet forever but it is interesting to see how many people are obsessing over it,’ Sisto told DailyMail.com
Over the years, the Birkin bag has been extremely popular with celebrities, like Cardi B and Heidi Klum
Freund said that buyers had reported that the bag was ‘well-constructed and durable,’ which were key attributes for a successful resale.
He said it was hard to predict its exact future resale price, though, because of the ‘fluctuating tastes in fashion as well as the bag’s unproven history and longevity.’
‘Availability is also a huge factor in the vintage market, with scarcity dictating prices,’ he said.
‘While the Margaux is almost constantly sold out online, it does continue to be continuously produced, which may affect the bag’s secondary-market value over time.’
But as cute and coveted as the bag is, is it really the new Birkin?
Some customers aren’t so sure.
‘I don’t necessarily feel it is the new Birkin, but I do feel it is one of the «It» bags to have at the moment,’ Delia Atenea, of Momma Loves Fashion Blog, told DailyMail.com.
‘A Birkin is a Birkin and I feel that you can own both and style both of them very differently,’ Atenea, who owns the bag in a black leather size 17, continued. ‘The Birkin feels a little more sexy to me while the Margaux is more minimalist and chic.’
Atenea pointed out that she believes that some of The Row’s sale tactics are mirroring that of Hermès and how they sell the Birkin
Curiously enough, The Row’s Margaux bag was first introduced in 2018, but seems to have blown up into the mainstream recently
Freund admitted that while calling the Margaux the ‘new Birkin’ was ‘catchy marketing,’ he said it was a ‘bit hyperbolic at this stage.’
‘The Row is an interesting and unique brand, but nothing can compete with the prestige and legend surrounding Hermès and its Birkin or the bag’s proven track record on the market,’ he told DailyMail.com.
‘It might be more appropriate to call this bag the new alternative to Louis Vuitton’s Neverfull, Chanel’s Grand Shopping Tote, or YSL’s Sac de Jour,’ Freund furthered.
However, Atenea did point out that she felt like the tactics that The Row was using to sell the bags were beginning to mirror Hermès because of its limited availability.
‘They just removed all the Margaux Bags from third party retailers, making the bag harder to get, and they have been sold out lately,’ she claimed to DailyMail.com.
Freund also noted that The Row’s Margaux was only on its sixth year of production, while the Hermès Birkin would be celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2024.
As Rae told DailyMail.com, ‘Let’s just let the Margaux be what she is and the Birkin be the Birkin. They can coexist!’
