Welcome to It Bag Alternative, a column where we look into bags that aren't everywhere yet but that all the cool people are already wearing. These are the bags that have the true 'It' factor. The bags that are cool before everyone knows they're cool. The bags that you can buy now and tell everyone 'I told you so' later.
I can't loudly snap my fingers. The reason is simple, I keep very long acrylic nails. And so when I go to snap my fingers, the nails clink together instead and overpower the sound. But it's not at all the same. A snap is satisfying. A clink, not so much.
Maybe this is why I was instantly obsessed with Eckhaus Latta's snap bag. It's named after a snap, but not the kind you get from striking two fingers together. The bag's namesake comes from its silver snap closures that circle the bag's opening and line the straps. You can snap the bag entirely shut, or leave it entirely unsnapped. And yes, the buttons do create just as satisfying a sound as you would. (Definitely better than my nail clink).
The Snap bag at the latest's Eckhaus Latta Spring/Summer 2026 show.
And again, this time on its way off the runway.
The bag was first released last December and was the brand's first bag in its 13 years of existence. Allegedly, it came to Zoe Latta in a dream.
Ironically the bag's design is not necessarily dreamy. It's practical, grounded in the delight of utility. The snaps are functional closures that are particularly functional here because of how many there are. You can unsnap one and reach in for your lipgloss. You can unsnap a handful more and pull out a wallet. For when you're running around on the go, you can snap it shut entirely so as to not risk anything falling out.
The snap in motion.
Eckhaus Latta is very much a IYKYK brand. It exists so far outside the fashion world bubble that you won't just see 'fashion people' wearing it. Instead you'll see artists and chefs and creatives from all different industries slinging the Snap bag over their shoulders around New York. I actually saw the bag on so many stylish people in passing, I decided I could no longer stare. I knew I needed to try the bag out for myself.
Suddenly, I really understood the intention behind the bag's photo campaign, which featured adoring fans looking onwards at a unknown celebrity off camera, clutching onto their Snap bags as they leaned onto a barricade. The bag makes you become a fan.
Me with the Snap bag in the shade forget, a bright baby blue. I wore it with a Skall Studio top, vintage Roberto Cavalli skirt and my favorite pair of Labucq boots.
There have been a couple of drops of the Snap bag in different colors. The most recent features a ivory called 'bone' and my personal favorite, a baby blue called 'forget.' Funny enough the color is not one that you forget. It's a blue you can't help but remember. It's bright and bubbly and fun. It is not a color that I often see when it comes to bags. And I personally have never owned a blue bag, so I decided this would be perfect to fill a hole in my closet I never even realized I had.
The snap bag resting on my lap. I love looking down and seeing her.
Not only was the color rich, but the bag is perhaps the most perfect sized bag I've ever used. It easily could fit everywhere I typically need, but also a couple bottles of wine and a handful of books, depending on where the night was going to take me. My laptop even fit inside! But it almost feels sneaky big, because it doesn't really present as large. The hole for your arm is also masterfully done. I can throw it over my shoulder without any fear of it slipping. Instead it sat quite comfortably, even as I ran on the subway platform multiple times to catch the G train.
The snap bag next to my XXL watermelon slushie (another IYKYK New York drink). I could easily fit about 10 of these in the bag, which is a lot of watermelon.
One evening I decided to go all in on the blue and wore the bag with a pair of old Carel Mary Janes I got at a sample sale. Not only did it match in a way that felt fun and not too on the nose, but the bag was perfect for transporting wine to the park.
I felt myself reach for the Snap bag at every chance I got. Even though I hadn't owned a blue bag before, I never realized how perfectly it went with everything I typically wear. It also made me want to wear more blue in general. One evening I paired the bag with some Carel Mary Janes in a similar shade with a sun and moon on the toe. The bag was indirectly encouraging me to wear some lesser worn pieces in my wardrobe.
Another night, I wore the Snap bag with my pair of Marc Jacobs doll shoes, blue socks (of course!) and a vintage Jean Paul Gaultier dress. It was one of my favorite outfits in recent memory. The other special thing about the bag is that the hardware adds a nice pop that made me feel as though I didn't need too much jewelry. It does a lot of the accessorizing for you.
Me and my new love, the Snap bag, styled with a vintage JPG dress and freaky Marc Jacobs doll shoes.
Oh and the Snap in forget also perfectly matches with the Starface blue pimple patch, FYI.
But perhaps the best thing about the Snap bag is talking about the Snap bag. While I wore it out every day for a week, not a day passed by without someone asking me about it. It felt fun to wear a bag that gets people talking. It's even more fun if they were unaware of its existence, or hadn't heard of Eckhaus Latta before. The Snap bag gets people to approach you in the snap of a finger. It just has that inherent cool quality that turns everyone into a fan.
Shop the Eckhaus Latta snap bag, below.
