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In great news, the Marc Jacobs Stam bag—a mid-2000s icon, if you recall—is back. In not-so-great news, the upcoming re-drop of the bag means sourcing OG versions is about to become a bloody (and expensive) battle.
As Gen Z continues to pour through the fashion archives to relish in trends they didn’t quite get to experience in their heyday, we’re seeing a shift from early-aughts cyberpunk grunge and gaudy streetwear to the less ironic—and arguably, more controversial—late-2000s Indie Sleaze.
The quilted leather top-handle purse that featured a thick metal chain and coin-purse closure was named after the Canadian model Jessica Stam, who shot to fame in the mid-2000s—even taking a spot in Forbes’ top-earning models of the year. First appearing as part of the designer’s Fall Winter 2005 collection, Marc Jacobs‘ Stam was catapulted to ‘It’ status by celebrities like Rihanna, the Hilton sisters, Lindsay Lohan, Ashley Tisdale, Beyoncé, Hilary Duff and Lauren Conrad.
Though it was sadly discontinued in 2013, plenty of the bags have been sitting pretty on resale sites, patiently waiting for their time in the sun again—although, we’re sure the prices will sky-rocket in no time after this latest campaign.
Featuring Paris Hilton, Selma Blair, Ashanti, Ashlee Simpson, and Jessica Stam herself, the latest campaign is a nostalgic dream. Shot by Harley Weir and styled by Alastair McKimm, it’s clear the Stam has been reimagined for a 2023 sensibility.
As we’ve seen with the return of Balenciaga’s Motorcycle totes, more and more recent eras of fashion are getting cherry-picked by consumers to bask in a revival. But while the idea of a bag from 2005 classifying as an ancient relic of the past to teens is rather terrifying, it’s all part of the necessary shift to recycled clothing. Once you get over the initial dread that we’re all getting older, the Y2k revival and thrifting boom amongst younger consumers can be appreciated for what it is: vital to curbing fast fashion’s reign and the industry’s waste problem as a whole.
It’s all just further proof that you can always find a good investment in fashion.
You can purchase the re-edition of the Stam bag for $2,890 at Marc Jacobs.
