TikTok: Novelty Bags Take Off
Published 06 March 2026
From foodie merch tie-ins to playfully unexpected collaborations, brands across the board are tapping into growing consumer demand for whimsy and creativity with an array of novelty bags – with varying degrees of practicality.
As explored in Merch & Licensing: Fresh Fashion Strategies, food x fashion collaborations have wide-ranging appeal and continue to gain momentum across a variety of categories, with everything from restaurants and grocery stores to fast food and alcohol brands hopping on the merch bandwagon. A number of new novelty bags are elevating this playful trend.
London-based Anya Hindmarch’s recent team-up with Italian olive oil brand Filippo Berio comprised a party-ready beaded bag and a practical raffia tote inspired by the latter brand’s packaging. It follows similar bags from the accessories label that riff on the design cues of everything from Sweet ‘N Low to Nurofen.
Other recent releases in this realm include German supermarket chain Lidl’s shopping basket-esque The Trolley Bag, in collaboration with Brooklyn-based Nik Bentel Studio, which blends hyper-novelty with ironic utility, as well as British artist Corbin Shaw’s bootlegged Co-Op Birkin bag and New York-based streetwear-adjacent label Esenes Worldwide’s quirky dumpling-shaped bag.
Beyond the influence of foodie merch, Sacai’s (Japan) partnership with Smythson (UK) reimagines luxe notebooks as shoulder bags, taking the literary inspirations favoured by brands like Dior and Coach to a new level, while Bangkok-based artist Taras Yoom and Albanian luxury consultant Aureta Thomollari have teamed up for a clutch that doubles as a portable backgammon board (see The Brief). Elsewhere, Moschino’s A/W 26 collection also featured a variety of kitschy bag shapes, including food-related options.
The desire for novelty continues as consumers tire of algorithm-driven homogeneity, and these playful pieces feel like indulgent little luxuries. They tap into a maximalist design ethos that translates the bizarre absurdity and surrealism of artificial intelligence-generated imagery into real-life products that act not only as unique statement pieces but also as disarming real-life conversation starters.
Video Transcript
The grocery tote is getting a whole new makeover.
Novelty bags are surging as brands tap into the consumer appetite for whimsy creativity.
Food and fashion collaborations, are continuing to gain momentum, with restaurants, grocery stores, fast-food and alcohol brands expanding into the merchandise space.
Recent standouts include Anya Hindmarch’s collaboration with Filippo Berio, featuring a beaded party bag and tote inspired by the olive oil packaging. The brand has also previously referenced packaging from Sweet 'N Low and Nurofen.
Other examples include Lidl’s Trolley Bag with Nik Bentel Studio; Corbin Shaw’s bootleg Co-Op Birkin; and Esenes Worldwide’s dumpling-shaped bag.
Beyond food, we’re also seeing notebooks being turned into shoulder bags and clutches that double as a backgammon boards.
Overall, novelty bags reflect consumers’ growing fatigue with algorithm-driven homogeneity.
These playful, maximalist pieces translate the surreal absurdity of AI-generated imagery into tangible products, serving as both indulgent statement accessories and disarming conversation starters.