Is Coach’s Viral Empire Carryall 48 the Official Fall 2024 Bag? How to Grab TikTok’s Latest Sold-out Obsession, Price and More

October 19, 2024

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, WWD may receive an affiliate commission.

Thanks to TikTok, bag enthusiasts have found a new style to obsess about. Tens of millions of searches and dedicated posts for the Coach Empire Carryall bag have skyrocketed its status into internet fame, making it the most coveted bag of the season. And, at least for now, it’s still available to shop.

On Aug. 16, Coach’s creative director, Stuart Vevers, shared a video on the social media platform, guiding his followers through creating the brand’s Empire Carryall 48 bag, which was featured in Coach’s fall 2024 runway and soft-launched in limited quantities in North America for $1,595. The video, which has garnered more than 331,000 views, caught the attention of lifestyle expert and bag investor Preston Konrad, who went on a mission to buy his own Empire Carryall 48, sharing every step of the process on his account. In one week, the bag became the “must-have” accessory of the season on TikTok.

The Coach Empire Carryall is inspired by New York and “the idea of something that had been loved and treasured,” Vevers explained. The bag is crafted of natural grain leather and features a roomy open compartment. Its design has been compared to The Row’s Margaux bag, “which in some circles are the new Birkin,” WWD previously reported.

@stuartvevers

👜🤗🤎👛💌😊#behindthescenes of coachfall24. This season in leathergoods @Coach , we explored archetypes—a hobo, carryall, a briefcase, backpack—that feel timeless and could be found in someone’s closet from many years ago but still feel relevant today. We’ve lovingly distressed them, too, to make that point. We are celebrating the life of the piece in addition to the design, something real rather than something idealized. I love the idea of repurposing fashion archetypes for use rather than as a symbol or an image. Each of the bags introduced this season are named after places in New York and feature a simple foil ‘Coach’. The charms🍎🚕 🥨 are inspired by the souvenirs one might collect around our hometown, like apples, yellows taxis, pretzels, leather “Coach” NYC postcards 🌅 and the Statue of Liberty 🗽. PS 😉: Our Empire Carryall is made with a new softer version of our glovetanned leather.

♬ original sound – Stuart Vevers

In fact, TikTok creators are most excited to “Jane Birkin-ify” their Coach Empire Carryalls, as one user captioned her unboxing haul video. The trend of styling the bag with eclectic charms has garnered over five million posts alone, with tapped-in Coach fans sharing “charm tours” that gather everything from small stuffed animals to pearl necklaces, silk scarves, and Coach’s new city charms. The bag has become a new-classic for all style perspectives, serving as a blank canvas that welcomes personal touches from all walks of life.

The trend was sparked on the runway, where the Coach Empire Carryall 48 was seen accessorized by keychains and New York City charms. “The idea was that our character was traveling through the city and picking things up along the way, like a pretzel or a Statue of Liberty postcard… We actually wrote every postcard, especially for each model whose bag it was hanging off,” Vevers said.

Coach, fall 2024

Giovanni Giannoni/WWD

The Coach Empire Carryall is also available in four different sizes, including 40, 35, and 26. Size 48, which catapulted the style to fame, is currently sold out on coach.com (likely due to over 9 million TikTok users searching for answers for “how to buy a Coach Empire Carryall 48”). Interested customers should sign up for the “notify me” feature on the brand’s website.

Lucky Coach fans who got their hands on the 48 continue to sound off on the app. “Not pictured: the 3 hours I spent admiring this bag,” posted one user, while another shared excitement about adopting it as her “new go-to work bag.” In a standalone review of the Coach Empire Carryall 26, user @brookiescloset gushed over how “soft and supple” the leather feels. “I got this size because I wanted a bag that I could easily throw my keys, wallet, phone, and cosmetic bag, and not have to dig around… to find what I’m looking for,” she said, adding that “this really is a perfect size” between a small handbag and a tote.

The Coach Empire Carryall continues the brand’s viral bag streak. A few weeks ago, bag enthusiasts were focused on the Coach Brooklyn Shoulder Bag 39 after seeing it carried by Bella Hadid in the streets of New York.

According to Coach, a glove-tan leather style in size 48 will be officially released on Oct. 20 in limited quantities at $895. Additionally, the Empire Carryall 40 will also be released for $695 in multiple colors, including Honey, Maple, Black and Merlot.

Coach introduced its fall 2024 collection in February. “There’s a lot of good momentum at Coach right now which, after being here 10 years, is nice to see,” Vevers told WWD during a preview.