Why Is The Internet So Obsessed With This High Street Bag?

Sometimes, certain accessories experience a level of success that seems unexpected. Consider the recent ubiquity of enormous sun hats, largely seen at Cannes, or the enduring appeal of Loewe's basket bag, a consistent best-seller every year. The latest item to dominate influencer accounts and sell out at record speed is, however, a high street bag: Charles & Keith's Toni Knotted Curved Hobo bag, to be precise.

The popularity of this bag is not news; it's been quietly amassing, not to overstate the issue, a legion of influencer fans, including Fleur Raffan, Lindsay Vrčkovnik, Steph Hui and South Korean actor Han So-hee. As a result, it promptly sold out, leaving many people extremely disappointed (as communicated on social media via many, many disgruntled comments). Now, however, it's back – but for how long is anybody's guess. The bright orange version has, in fact, already sold out, so I'd wager a guess that it won't be that long at all before the black and ivory versions follow suit.

Why has this £85 bag become such a smash hit? Well, I'd suggest it is of the perfect proportions. It's oversized but not too large, so it avoids straying into cumbersome territory. The shape is elegant without being stuffy, while the smooth leather lends it real polish. It's ultimately a roomy shoulder bag that's really stylish, allowing you (and most of the internet) to carry more than just the bare essentials.

Hannah Banks-Walker is Grazia's head of fashion commerce. She has previously written for the likes of Harper's Bazaar, The Financial Times Glamour, Stylist, The Telegraph, Red, i-D and The Pool on everything from fashion to curly hair (hi!) to the patriarchy. Not necessarily in that order. Find her on Instagram and Twitter. But please don't look for her MySpace profile, which until now was the last time she wrote about herself in the third person.