The Shoulder Bag Making Its Mark as One of 2026’s It-Bags
With Jacob Elordi already carrying it, Bottega Veneta’s revived Veneta bag is positioning itself as the understated men’s accessory to watch in 2026
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A new contender enters the chat
Another contender for the men’s it-bag of 2026 has emerged, and it arrives with both pedigree and a well-timed celebrity endorsement.
Jacob Elordi was recently spotted carrying Bottega Veneta’s newly reissued Veneta bag, positioning the design at the center of early conversations around next season’s defining accessory.
The Australian actor, who earned his first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for Frankenstein and has also appeared in Emerald Fennell’s recent adaptation of Wuthering Heights, has become a reliable barometer for contemporary menswear. His off-duty uniform often balances athletic ease with luxury labels, and the Veneta fits neatly into that equation.
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Photographed last week, Jacob paired the shoulder bag with a blue baseball cap, a coordinating sweatshirt, light-wash jeans, and the Jacquemus x Nike Moon Shoes in red, which served as a pointed color accent.
From archive to icon
Despite its current momentum, the Veneta is not new. The design traces back to the 1970s, when Bottega Veneta co-founder Renzo Zengiaro introduced a supple pouch bag that departed from the top-handle silhouettes popular at the time.
Renzo’s model emphasized movement, tactility, and combined the House’s exceptional leather quality with its signature Intrecciato weaving technique in a body-contouring form.
The bag was relaunched in 2002 under the name Veneta, solidifying its status as a house icon. For Spring/Summer 2026, creative director Louise Trotter has reinterpreted the design once again, elevating its construction while preserving its core codes.
Modern utility
This season’s iteration introduces a new Intrecciato texture made from nappa leather strips, padded with a soft interior filler before being meticulously woven by the brand’s artisans. The padded construction lends the surface a subtle dimensionality and a cushioned tactility.
The Veneta is available in four sizes, including a Baby Veneta edition that offers a more compact option alongside more capacious versions. In the larger sizes, unreinforced leather handles allow for hand or shoulder carry, reinforcing the bag’s everyday functionality.
Offered in 11 colorways, including Blue Venezia, Lava Red, Espresso, and Nocciola, the Veneta balances seasonal freshness with the earthy tones long associated with the house. Its reappearance comes at a moment when men’s accessories are increasingly central to runway and street style discourse.
If early sightings are any indication, the Veneta’s appeal lies in its discretion. Without overt branding, it relies on craftsmanship and silhouette rather than logos. On Jacob, it reads as effortless.
More broadly, it suggests that the next wave of men’s it-bags may place greater emphasis on heritage and function.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Bottega Veneta Veneta bag is a reissued archive design originally introduced in the 1970s, reinterpreted for Spring/Summer 2026 by creative director Louise Trotter. It entered the 2026 it-bag conversation after Jacob Elordi was photographed carrying it off-duty, positioning the design at the center of early men’s accessory discourse for the season.
Jacob Elordi paired the Veneta bag with a blue baseball cap, a coordinating sweatshirt, light-wash jeans, and the Jacquemus x Nike Moon Shoes in red — using the sneakers as a pointed color accent against an otherwise restrained outfit.
The Veneta traces back to the 1970s, when Bottega Veneta co-founder Renzo Zengiaro introduced a supple pouch bag that departed from the top-handle silhouettes of the time. It was formally relaunched under the name Veneta in 2002 and has since been reinterpreted across multiple seasons while retaining the house’s signature Intrecciato weaving technique.
The SS26 Veneta introduces a new Intrecciato texture made from nappa leather strips, padded with a soft interior filler before being hand-woven by the brand’s artisans. The bag is available in four sizes — including a Baby Veneta edition — and 11 colorways, among them Blue Venezia, Lava Red, Espresso, and Nocciola.
The Bottega Veneta Veneta’s resurgence reflects a broader shift in men’s accessories toward pieces that rely on silhouette, material quality, and construction rather than overt logos. Without visible branding, the Veneta’s appeal rests entirely on its Intrecciato leather craftsmanship and its historical pedigree — a direction that suggests the next wave of men’s it-bags will prioritize discretion and heritage over recognition.
