The Rise of the Men’s Handbag: 14 Brands to Know

The handbag is having a moment in menswear. And more interestingly, the idea that a bag should belong to a gender is beginning to feel increasingly outdated.

What once came with the apologetic label of the “man bag” is increasingly treated as what it has always actually been: a useful yet expressive object with no particular reason to belong to a feminine category.

Searches for “mens handbag” have risen 637% year on year, according to Google Trends analysis by The Data Fashion Brief, reaching their highest recorded level in early May 2026. Across the SS27 menswear collections analysed, handbags appeared in 15% of looks, making them one of the season’s most visible accessories.

But perhaps the more interesting change is happening away from the runway. We are seeing it on the streets, too, with male celebrities increasingly carrying their bags as an integral part of how they dress.

For a long time, the options for men’s bags were largely defined by function: the backpack for school, the briefcase for work, the small crossbody for travelling. Today, a bag can be practical and sculptural, understatedand recognisable, all at the same time. It can carry a laptop, a book or.. nothing at all, simply completing the way you dress.

That shift creates space for independent brands to rethink the category. For us, the current interest in men’s bags feels less about a passing trend and more about a broader change in how we think about the objects we carry.

Find Arcatype’s curated selection below.

O. FILES

Origami Leather Bag

O. FILES takes the logic of origami and translates it into a leather bag, creating a folded front panel that gives the minimal silhouette its character. Made in Tuscany from vegetable-tanned, hand-aged calfskin, the design reflects the brand’s wider approach, rooted in classic sartorial traditions and utilitarian codes.

HEREU

Trena Flat Square Crossbody

Inspired by Mediterranean craft traditions and made in Spain, HEREU brings a softer sensibility to the contemporary men's bag. The Trena is a compact crossbody with a clean, almost architectural shape, combining everyday practicality with the refined leatherwork.

A KIND OF GUISE

Ukanda Bag

A Kind of Guise has always approached clothing through the lens of place, travel and craftsmanship, with each seasonal collection inspired by a specific country or culture. Relaxed in shape but deliberate in construction, the Ukanda Bag is designed as an everyday carry that balances functionality with a sense of place.

NKTRMNV

Double Bag

Nikita Romanov’s Ukrainian label NKTRMNV takes a more experimental approach. The Double Bag plays with the idea of separation and structure, feeling different from the conventional men's work bag; more sculptural and less concerned with fitting neatly into a category.

MISMO

M/S Explorer

Mismo's M/S Explorer is made for carrying a little more and going a little further. The 54-litre weekender combines cotton-and-nylon canvas with full-grain bridle leather and can be carried by hand, over the shoulder or as a backpack. Designed in Copenhagen, it reflects the Danish lens on functional, considered everyday objects.

‍LAC DEMURE

Gorm Cross-Body Leather Bag

Crafted from soft lamb leather and lined in cotton, the Gorm has enough space for a laptop and everyday pieces without looking like a traditional work bag. Its relaxed silhouette and understated hardware make it equally suited to a commute, a long meeting or a slower day, designed to stay in rotation for years.

QWSTION

Flap Tote

QWSTION starts with a quite different question: not what a bag should look like, but what it should be made from and what happens to it afterwards. The Flap Tote is made from the brand's plant-based Bananatex fabric, with a construction designed around durability, versatility and eventual disassembly.  

‍BON PROJECTS

Loop Bag Medium

Amsterdam-based BON Projects approaches the bag as something designed to adapt to you and your lifestyle. The Loop Bag Medium is crafted from 100% leftover leather, upcycled into unique pieces, and comes with a strap that can be switched out. Its modular strap system allows the familiar everyday silhouette to change with your mood, adding a little more personality.

HARDGRAFT

Offhand Shoulder Bag

Hardgraft has a knack for making functional objects feel sculptural. The Offhand Shoulder Bag is soft and relaxed in the way it sits against the body, while its proportions give it a more distinctive presence than the average crossbody. It feels like a traditional men’s accessory, reconsidered as a more personal object.

BROWNYARD

Leather Buckle 17 Bag

South Korean label BROWNYARD draws on everyday uniforms and utilitarian clothing, reinterpreting familiar forms through considered materials. The Leather Buckle 17 Bag follows that vision in vegetable-tanned leather, with a simple buckle detail and a shape designed for every day.

PB 0110

PB 1 Shopper/Weekender

PB 0110's PB 1 is built around an idea: one bag that changes depending on what you put inside it. Made from soft vegetable-tanned leather, unfilled, it folds into a smaller shopper-like shape; filled, it expands into a spacious weekender.

LATE TO WORK STUDIO

Kite Crossbody Bag

Founded in New Zealand by three friends, Late to Work Studio was born from a frustration with predictable, disposable fashion. The brand takes a more directional approach to everyday carry, with the Kite Crossbody playing with proportion and shape while remaining compact.

UCON ACROBATICS

Tessa Bag

Ucon Acrobatics brings a more urban, technical perspective to contemporary bag design, creating pieces for the realities of city life. The Tessa is made from recycled textile and designed to carry everyday essentials, with a clean silhouette that keeps functionality at its core.

BUYT BAGS

Noir Black Barrel Bag

Amsterdam-based BUYT is a travel and accessories house inspired by the golden age of European travel, reinterpreting familiar bag shapes through a contemporary lens. The Noir Black Barrel Bag brings that spirit to a silhouette that sits somewhere between an everyday, sports and travel carry.

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