The Enduring Appeal of the Basket Bag
From Jane Birkin to Alexa Chung, José Formoso Reyes’s Nantucket bags from the 1950s to J.W. Anderson’s latest Loewe iterations in 2025, why is it that the basket bag continues to charm fashion people decade after decade? Let’s find out.


When Jane Birkin started carrying her belongings in a wicker picnic basket in the late 1960s, it was quite a radical moment. Basket bags can be traced back to Ancient Egypt, when weaving played a central role in communities throughout the world from Ghana to Provence. However, Birkin really repositioned it from an item for transporting produce into a fashion accessory, even wearing one on the red carpet at Cannes. Pictures of Birkin and her baskets still fuel Pinterest every summer, 60 years on.
Fast forward to 2025, and basket bags have become a powerful product offering for every luxury design house. Valentino’s raffia Viva Superstar is £1390, a woven Loewe Puzzle costs £1350 and a Saint Laurent logo-adorned tote passes the £4000 mark. So, how has the humble basket rebranded from a practical market bag to something with a four-figure price tag?
A selection of modern-day basket bags from designers including Miu Miu and Prada.
The first woven bags were created by brands like Los Doradas as a cheaper alternative to leather in the wake of WWII in the 1950s, when casual handbags came to the fore. This was a period when designers were experimenting with materials in response to the leather shortage; in 1947, Gucci launched its now-signature bamboo bag, with curved handles crafted from bamboo imported from Japan.
Although born from austerity, these bags gradually became associated with resortwear throughout the decade, as The White Lotus types of the time began carrying the "Nantucket bag" to the beach. Its creator, weaver José Formoso Reyes, moved to the island off Cape Cod after the war, and added a lid, straps and even embellishments to traditional baskets, transforming them into handbags that then made their way to elegant coastlines such as the French Riviera. At the time of writing, Reyes originals were priced between £3500 and £4700, highlighting their exclusivity.
Top left: French actress Brigitte Bardot carries a basket bag in Saint Tropez, France in July 1974. Bottom left: An original José Formoso Reyes "Nantucket" bag. Bottom right: British and French actress Jane Birkin carries a basket bag at the premiere of Slogan in Paris, France in August 1969.
Steadily, designers began experimenting with straw, raffia and woven fabrications. In the Coach archive, you’ll find early takes on basket bags with leather handles, whilst the likes of Dolce & Gabbana, Sonia Rykiel and Jean Paul Gaultier all dabbled in woven bags. For spring/summer 2010, Karl Lagerfeld introduced a wicker Chanel bag with the house’s signature double CC logo—a significant moment in the history of the luxury basket bag.
Model Karlie Kloss carries a basket bag during Chanel's spring/summer 2010 runway show in Paris, France in October 2009.
Traditional basketweaving techniques were also the inspiration behind Bottega Veneta’s Intrecciato woven-leather bags, which celebrate their 50th anniversary this year. "In 1960s Italy, the market was dominated by heavy, stiff and structured handbags," Barbara Zanin, Bottega Veneta’s director of craft and heritage, explained to Vogue. "[Our] designs were characterised by their great softness—the bags were fluid, supple, simple. The introduction of the Intrecciato gave the bags a fluidity, almost like a fabric."
The man who really changed the game when it comes to basket bags, however, is undoubtedly Jonathan Anderson, who introduced the first Loewe basket bag in 2017. "I collect a lot of baskets myself, and within the foundation, we have a lot of very important examples of baskets from around the world," the designer said about his appreciation for the craft of weaving. The original iteration of the Loewe basket has a traditional, hand-woven body made in Spain using raffia leaves that are cultivated, harvested, sun-dried and woven by artisans in Morocco, with tan leather straps and a calfskin patch embossed with the house’s logo. Since then, Loewe has been inspired by woven baskets from across the world and has launched its Weave, Restore, Renew program, which commissions Spanish artisans to restore antique baskets, adding a Loewe twist.
A selection of content creators with various Loewe basket bag designs.
This handbag launch was a strategic commercial decision, as it enabled those who can't afford one of the brand's leather bags the chance to buy a (clearly branded) Loewe bag. As designer perfumes and lipsticks show, entry-level purchases have a significant influence over a brand’s bottom line.
First launching in the spring/summer 2018 collection, prices for a Loewe basket started at £375, and the piece quickly became a regular feature on The Lyst Index of hottest products, sparking a wave of copycat bags. In 2025, raffia remains ever-present in the core offering at Loewe, with new iterations and spins every season as part of the ongoing collaboration with Ibizan fashion boutique, Paula’s. The prices, however, have escalated as demand has soared.
Content creator @theindiaedit documents using her Prada basket bag whilst on holiday.
Now, it’d be more efficient to tell you which luxury design houses don’t produce a raffia logo-adorned bag than those that do. Honourable mentions from recent seasons include Jacquemus’s gigantic Le Grande Baci straw tote, which has cartoonish proportions, making it almost as big as the wearer. In 2023, Prada’s raffia bag, which was available in a range of ice-lolly shades as well as neutral straw, became the bag of the summer, whilst Saint Laurent’s leather-trimmed raffia bags are a regular sighting at Hotel du Cap near Cannes.
Top left: British actress Sienna Miller carries a Sézane basket bag in Los Angeles, California in June 2024. Bottom right: British model and presenter Alexa Chung carries a basket bag during London Fashion Week in London, United Kingdom in February 2017.
The story of the basket bag really started with a celebrity endorsement, as it was the original Birkin bag before Hèrmes released the official Birkin. Alexa Chung is perhaps one of Jane Birkin’s biggest style fans, and so it’s not surprising that she has helped drive the basket-bag agenda. She attended the Chanel show in 2010 in a tweed jacket and a boxy hamper-style handbag with an exaggerated Chanel logo. Since then, Chung has shown that basket bags aren’t simply for trips to the beach or picnics in the park, but rather a year-round staple. At London Fashion Week in February 2017, she channelled Birkin herself and wore a simple woven market bag with her wool coat, rain be damned.
Another modern-day muse whose style has become synonymous with the basket bag is Sienna Miller. I can think of several archival images of the actress carrying a top-handle basket, but most recently, she’s been seen with the Justine tote from French brand Sézane on her arm.
Content creator @_loissterling carries a brown Dragon Diffusion basket bag.
It is no coincidence that the rise in basket bags comes at a time when there's a wider appreciation for crafts and artisans. Whilst wicker baskets have proved big business for luxury design houses, they have also helped little-known brands achieve cult status. Dragon Diffusion is one such success story, with its fashion-person-favourite bags carried by countless editors, influencers and even Ashley Olsen.
Last summer, its Nantucket bag earned a spot on the aforementioned Lyst Index report of hottest products, alongside power players such as Prada and Saint Laurent. These woven-leather bags are all inspired by the traditional craft of basketry work, and Dragon Diffusion is keen to keep this heritage alive. The first signs of woven leather originated in coastal areas of the Balkans, says its website. "There is evidence of trade in woven leather sandals from [Stari Grad] on Hvar island with Greek traders," it explains.
Whether you opt for a leather woven bag by Dragon Diffusion, a Loewe raffia style or a market bag from your next island holiday, these bags all look better when they're a little lived-in, with sand caught in the cracks and suncream splashes on the handles. Follow the Jane Birkin philosophy and remember this isn’t a bag to be precious about—a basket is at its best when over-stuffed.
2025's Basket Bag Line-Up: 11 Key Styles to Know
Style: Shoulder
Size: H41 x W42 x D18 cm
Colour options: Two
Featuring the brand's signature origami-inspired folds, Loewe's XL Puzzle tote is one discerning fashion people will recognise from a mile off. With contrasting leather shoulder straps and a gold metal hardware logo, this is one of the more understated basket bags Loewe has bestowed upon us, though it's no less impactful than its predecessors.
Style: Shoulder
Size: H24 x W45 x D14 cm
Colour options: Three
Not all basket bags are created equal. Nor are they all created in straw. Dragon Diffusion has set itself apart in the saturated market thanks to its woven leather designs. Still encapsulating the same grab-and-go appeal, this is the perfect basket bag if you find raffia iterations too casual for your tastes.
Style: Shoulder
Size: H25 x W51 x D18 cm
Colour options: Seven
If it's good enough for Sienna Miller, I'm certainly not going to argue. In fact, I've seen this carry all on the arms of so many stylish people so far this summer, both famous and non, making it a heavyweight contender in the 2025 basket bag league.
Style: Shoulder
Size: H21.5 x W30.5 x D10 cm
Colour options: Eight
Different basket bags tap into different moods, and none subscribe to 2025's boho aesthetic in as meaningful a way as the Hipissa tote from Ancient Greek Sandals. With it's crochet-like finish, slouchy shape and plethora of pretty colour combinations (my favourite, however, has to be the classic black and neutral), it was practically made for wearing with billowing summer dresses.
Style: Shoulder
Size: H55 x W55 x D3 cm
Colour options: Two
We can count on Jacquemus to offer a unique slant on the basket bag as we've come to know it, and the brand's newest style is certainly no exception. Boasting a round silhouette and oversized proportions, with the raffia woven into a crochet-like finish, the Spiaggia (the Italian word for beach) is memorable for all the right reasons.
Style: Top handle
Size: H30 x W42 x D29 cm
Colour options: Three
For the purists amongst you—those who want a basket bag without any embellishments or distractions—your search can start and end with Sensi Studios's straw tote. Just as at home on the beach as it is carrying your laptop in on your commute, it's practical, versatile and so stylishly simple.
Style: Shoulder
Size: H55 x 43 x D5 cm
Colour options: Two
Saint Laurent's Icare bag has only been on the scene since 2023 but it's already been carried by some of the biggest celebrity names—think Angelina Jolie, Zoë Kravitz, Hailey Bieber and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. While its most commonly found on the arms of those in the know in the leather iteration, for me, the raffia finish is just as compelling. And don't get me started on the YSL emblem adorning the front of it. If you want compliments, this is the basket bag to carry.
Style: Shoulder
Size: H25 x W42 x D23 cm
Colour options: Three
DeMellier's New York tote might be a modern-day It bag but, in the warmer months, its Santorini basket takes over as the fashion person's arm candy of choice for hot climes. What I enjoy most about this style is its structure, the leather straps keeping it firmly in shape and offering something very different to the rest of the basket bag landscape.
Style: Shoulder
Size: H38 x W36 x D3 cm
Colour options: Eight
What do Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Dua Lipa, and Hailey Bieber have in common? Aside from being fashion icons in their own right, they all own a Prada crocheted raffia tote bag. The size? Surprisingly practical. The logo? Unmistakable. If you're searching for a basket bag that also doubles as a status symbol, this is it.
Style: Top handle and shoulder
Size: H24 x 55 x D18 cm
Colour options: Four
Local craftspeople in Northern Ghana spend up to three days hand-weaving each Muuñ tote, which is then assembled at the brand's atelier in France, which, as it turns out makes for stylish fusion. Complete with a removable pouch to house your essentials safely, this basket has all the hallmarks of an original design but with 2025 sensibilities.
Style: Top handle
Size: H20 x W35 x D11 cm
Colour options: Two
Yes, this basket bah might look smaller than the others in this edit, but don't be fooled—it's soft raffia material and unstructured, circular style mean it's surprisingly roomy—large enough for your essentials plus some suncream and the summer reading if your choice. You might even squeeze in a pair of flip flops, but seeing as it's Khaite, I suggest anything that goes on the ground is placed in a separate, less special bag.

Emma is a freelance fashion editor with over 15 years experience in industry, having worked at The Telegraph, Grazia and, most recently, British Vogue. Emma was part of the founding team of Who What Wear UK, where she worked for six years as Deputy Editor and then Editor—helping shape the team into what it is today is one of the biggest privileges of her career and she will always see herself as a Who What Wear girl, contributing to both the US and UK sites. Whether she's writing about runway trends or spotlighting emerging brands, she aims to write about fashion in a way that is democratic and doesn't promote over consumption.