The business of tote bags Or rather, how a piece of cotton came to cost thousands of dollars

We shove them to the back of our closets to make space, fill them with objects, books, and knick-knacks, hate them when they slip off our shoulder while we try to tie our shoes, cherish them when they are gifted to us, but soon forget about them. The tote bag has become a design object of immeasurable value over time, evolving from a simple affordable and sustainable cotton bag into a customizable canvas. As a perfect advertising medium, it has adapted to cultural changes year after year, successfully standing the test of time. So much so that, in these first three months of 2026, it entered the Top 10 most searched fashion items online according to Lyst.