Chances Are You May Already Own Spring’s Most Popular Handbag

The Saint Laurent Mombasa is back and more desired than ever.​The Saint Laurent Mombasa is back and more desired than ever. 

Early 2000s nostalgia, especially when it comes to the popular handbags of that era, doesn’t seem to be waning. Between Balenciaga’s City, Chloé’s Paddington and Fendi’s Baguette, the vintage “It” bags of that time have found themselves back in the cultural conversation. Chalk it up to Gen Z rifling through their parents’ closets and discovering these pieces as well as the popularity of wearing archival designs across all generations. Whatever the reason may be, spend any time on social media or resale sites and you’ll find that Y2k designs have never felt more current. The latest making a comeback? Saint Laurent’s Mombasa bag, back when the brand was still called Yves Saint Laurent.

Debuted on the YSL spring 2002 runway, when it was under the creative direction of Tom Ford, the Mombasa was a slouchy hobo that featured an actual horn as the handle. Upon its release, the handbag was an immediate hit, with customers drawn to its unique use of materials. “You had different iterations. There was silver, resin, and of course the most well-known being horn. The latter is a foundational detail and reflects something that demands handiwork in detail and time,” says Liana Satenstein, who writes the Substack NeverWorns. 

In January of this year, Saint Laurent decided to reissue the design, with a campaign starring Bella Hadid. Retaining the original shape, it’s available in three sizes (small, medium and large) and an array of colors and materials from classic black leather to pony hair to suede. Finished with its signature handle, the new version skips the horn and resin in favor of leather and brass. Since its launch it’s been spotted dangling on the arms of Rosé, Rosie Huntington-Whitley and Anja Rubik, to name a few, fueling desire among the brand’s fans and handbag enthusiasts.

But don’t credit this renewed interest as simply Y2K nostalgia alone. The Real Real’s associate director of fashion and strategic partnerships, Noelle Sciacca, cites other fashion forces at play. “Back in 2022, Matthieu Blazy’s debut at Bottega Veneta introduced the Sardine, a sculptural, curved-handle bag that immediately brought the Tom Ford-era Mombasa to mind. Fashion insiders picked up on the similarity quickly, and resale interest started to tick up even then, well before Saint Laurent officially brought the style back into focus,” she says.

For Satenstein, the newfound appeal is reflective of the Mombasa bag’s history that goes beyond craftsmanship. “When Tom Ford went to YSL, he wanted to create his version of the Gucci bamboo bag, and he did it successfully, swapping in horn for wood,” she says. That compelling narrative won over editors at the time as well as customers, with the bag flying off the shelves at department stores. “The story behind the bag is fabulous.”

Whether or not new fans know that bit of lore, it’s clear that they’re curious enough to search for secondhand versions. “Searches for the Mombasa bag are up 152 percent year-over-year, placing it among the top archival bags driving current resale interest,” Sciacca says. With prices at a quarter of what a new one will cost you, it seems like the perfect moment for those seeking to add one to their collection to do so. And if you’re Satenstein, pre-owned is the way to go. “The vintage route is really fun. An editor probably owned it before you did.”