The moment I saw Coach's Empire Carryall debut at the label's Fall 2025 fashion show, my fashion editor senses told me two things: First, that the pantheon of Coach's best bags had just earned another soon-to-be viral style in the form of this East-West bag with extra-long handles. And second, that Bella Hadid would be the person to carry it there. Just over a month later, the model's return to New York City on March 25 proved my theories correct.
Bella Hadid's boho-chic, studded suede bag was her first companion for a day of rushing between photoshoots and casual paparazzi walks, but it wasn't her last. After starting the day with a Valentino runway tote, she quick-changed into a little black polo dress, knee-high boots, and the bag that nearly every fashion magazine would cover within minutes: the Coach Empire Carryall. She strategically placed it on her shoulder facing the cameras outside a Manhattan studio, its creamy leather juxtaposing the skintight sheen of her dress. She certainly knew runway obsessives would clock exactly which collection it came from—and that we'd want to purchase it immediately.
Dibs on Coach's Empire Carryall didn't necessarily seem guaranteed even for Bella Hadid. Shortly after the see-now, buy-now style premiered on the Coach runway, styled with a range of utility vests, heavy coats, and '90s-grunge slip dresses in shades coordinating with the bags' leather, it sold out. Having witnessed the bags' three versatile shades and essentials-friendly shapes live on the runway myself, I'd sensed its must-have energy. And, I'd been jealous of those who clicked fast enough to shop it first.
I'd also guessed Bella Hadid would still manage to swipe the Coach Empire Carryall for herself eventually. It was the Orêbella founder carrying Coach's triangular Brooklyn bag last summer that sent sales skyward; likewise for a viral woven tote from the upcycled Coachtopia line.
Hadid has tried on other designer bags for size over the past year, from Saint Laurent's Sac du Jour to the aforementioned Valentino tote. But time after time, the model's Coach bags are the ones she isn't alone in carrying.
