I always believed if Saint Laurent gave their celebrity-beloved Icare Maxi Bag a sister, it'd be as ludicrously capacious as its sibling—if not more. But on August 20, the atelier released the new Icarino bag at just a quarter of the Icare's size.
Sure, the mini hobo style is brand-new to the market, but it first caught my eye in Zoë Kravitz's hand on July 17. Thanks to her stylist, Danielle Goldberg, Kravitz got her hands on the $3,000 diamond-quilted design weeks before its official launch. At first, I thought it was a custom remake of the Sade Hobo Bag. Given her YSL Beauty ambassadorship, Kravitz could have one on her doorstep overnight. However, its oversize "YSL" Cassandre emblem reads more loud luxury than the Sade's. Within hours, an email popped up in my inbox properly introducing the Icarino, in all its mini crescent glory.
There's no denying the Icarino is bite-sized compared to the Icare. Usually, its size would limit it to upscale events only. With a five-second stroll from a hotel to her car, Kravitz proved otherwise. The nappa lambskin purse took center stage alongside the Caught Stealing star's take on the track short trend. She matched it to her now-signature peep-toe mules, courtesy of Manolo Blahnik.
Following in its sister's footsteps, the Icarino was on another celebrity's arm in a matter of days. By July 20, it was both New York and London cool-girl-approved. Charli XCX chose the same black colorway as Kravitz to complement her one-shoulder tank and knee-high boots. She filled the gap with herringbone mini shorts. Leaning into the Icarino's glamour, Charli wrapped a cashmere shawl atop her shoulders.
By August 8, the Icarino returned to my timeline once again at the hands of Blackpink's Rosé. While in Italy, she demonstrated the bag's adaptability, wearing it with even more relaxed pieces than Kravitz.
By tying a brown paisley scarf around its singular strap, the 28-year-old gave her bag some unexpected boho flair. (Turns out, the scarf also featured Saint Laurent tags.) Then, Rosé slipped on flip-flops with black rubber soles for some down-to-earth contrast.
By then, the Icarino was a fixture of end-of-summer fashion, and it hadn't hit shelves yet. Though, one question remained: Would it stay top of mind once fall arrived? Bella Hadid carried it across the finish line—as she had so many times before. (See Coach's Brooklyn Bag for proof.) Instead of the OG black colorway, the supermodel brought the autumnal suede finish street-side. The Icarino felt more boho-chic than ever before, next to summer whites and Vivaia's famed ballet sneaker.
Once I saw it on Kravitz's arm, I had an inkling Hadid would board the bandwagon soon. After all, she was one of the first to debut the Icare in summer of 2022. Hadid hasn't worn the Maxi since then—perhaps because she rarely needs to carry a laptop, a change of shoes, and all five of her Ôrebella fragrances in one tote. (Rumor has it, the Icare Maxi can hold all that and more.)
Saint Laurent's Icarino is only available in suede and black now, but in the next few weeks, four additional colors—sage green, salmon pink, gray-ish brown, and ivory—will drop. By then, the roster of A-listers toting this tiny style is bound to grow. It may be a little bag on the overall YSL roster, but it already has an outsize impact.
