can the margaux keep its hype?
the strategy (or lack thereof) behind the luxury bag.
The Row sets trends aplenty. But the fact that it is trending seems contradictory, after all, the label operates on an “if you know, you know” ethos. Since its foundation in 2006 by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, The Row has been the go-to label for the wealthiest women and men who appreciate luxurious yet inconspicuous clothes. However, with the rise of coded dressing in the past years, the label has become more widely coveted despite its steep prices. Among its most wanted pieces is the top-handle Margaux. The bag has achieved such a level of success that it has been hailed as the next Birkin.
The Margaux is a softly structured top-handle bag with belted gusseted side panels. It comes in four sizes (10, 12, 15, and 17 inches), various colors (usually neutral and seasonal colors), and materials (grained or smooth leather, suede, and a canvas-leather combination). It costs between $3,650 and $5,810, but due to its high demand, it usually sells for much more at resale websites. Although the bag is constantly reinterpreted, its slouchy silhouette remains the same and is instantly recognizable by fashion insiders and, as of recently, many outsiders as well.
Although it was launched in 2018, it was during the past year that the bag reached cult status. According to Lyst, the Margaux was the most coveted product of 2024. Recently, Vogue defined it as an “heirloom in the making.” You can’t scroll your feed for a few minutes on Instagram and TikTok without seeing it in the arms of celebrities and social media personalities. As soon as the bag hits the shelves, it sells out. (A limited-edition bag in alligator that cost $50,000 sold out before even hitting the shelves.)
Whether there was a strategy behind the bag’s success is difficult to tell since marketing is almost nonexistent when it comes to The Row (which is a strategy on its own and creates a mystique around the label). Also, designing a piece that becomes an “it-bag” is extremely difficult; much of it is simply luck. But now that they have it, their strategy seems clear. The designers constantly introduce tweaks to the Margaux each season and produce it in small quantities. Tweaking the design creates a sense of novelty, bringing new customers to purchase their first bag and old customers to increase their collections.
However, being part of an exclusive club is part of what makes The Row and its designs so charming. Understanding the intellectual designs and discerning them from fast fashion copies makes you one of the few connoisseurs. Such a dichotomy between the label’s ethos and the bag’s virality makes this scenario intriguing. With more people in the know, the label becomes less exclusive. I know, I know. With such expensive pieces, The Row will never become inclusive of, well, the less wealthy. But it might mark a chapter in which The Row taps into a lifestyle market that offers less expensive pieces in tandem with more exclusive ones. This is something that the label has, thus far, chosen not to do. But this was before the Margaux and the $1 billion investment it has recently received.
Whether it is the next Birkin remains to be seen. But the biggest challenge for the label might be to keep the bag’s exclusive status in times of Instagram and TikTok. Yet if there’s a thing that Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen have mastered in 30 years of fame, it is to be in the spotlight without becoming obsolete. It’s safe to say that the Margaux is in good hands.