Tote Bag.

Luxury handbags usually arrive with embossed logos, premium leather and eye-watering price tags. The latest “It Bag,” however, comes free with a pouch of pan masala or some namkeen farsan. Yes, the bright red-and-silver Vimal Pan Masala carry bag, Ramesh Namkeen bag and Chetak Sweets have somehow found itself rubbing shoulders with designer totes—not in high-end boutiques, but on Instagram Reels, travel vlogs and the streets of cities from Mumbai to Milan. Some of the humble desi bags are selling at Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000 in the US and other parts of the world via online sites.

What was once a humble canvas bag picked up at neighbourhood grocery stores, sweet marts and paan shops is now being flaunted by foreign tourists, thrift enthusiasts and content creators as an ironic fashion accessory. Somewhere between kitsch and cool, the Vimal and Chetak Sweets bags have become an unlikely style statement like the Trader Joe’s tote. So, is this cultural appreciation, internet humour, or just another case of fashion finding beauty in the bizarre?

Tote-ally Vimal

After all, if fashion has taught us anything, it’s this: One person’s baggage is another person’s Prada. One season it’s chunky dad sneakers; the next, it’s oversized jute bags or plastic sandals. Now, enter India-core—an aesthetic celebrating the wonderfully chaotic visual language of everyday India.

Think auto-rickshaw typography, steel tiffin boxes, railway chai cups, colourful matchboxes, Bollywood posters and yes, even pan masala bags.

To many international travellers, these aren’t ordinary objects. They’re authentic souvenirs with stories attached.

Fashion stylist Ira Malhotra says, “Luxury today isn’t always about expensive products—it’s about originality. Objects that feel ordinary to locals can become exciting design pieces when viewed through a completely different cultural lens. The Vimal bag is a perfect example of that.”

From Pan to Panache

The appeal isn’t necessarily the bag itself. It’s what wearing it communicates.

Fashion has entered an era where irony often trumps exclusivity. Carrying something intentionally “ordinary” has become a way of rejecting conventional luxury. A bag that costs virtually nothing suddenly becomes valuable because it sparks conversation. “It’s anti-fashion becoming fashion,” says designer Kubal Rawal.

“We’ve seen people wear supermarket bags, IKEA totes and even blue laundry bags as fashion statements. The Vimal bag fits into that global movement where everyday objects are reimagined as style pieces.” It’s fashion’s version of saying, I know this isn’t designer—that’s exactly why I’m carrying it.

The It Bag, Indian Style

Social media has turned ordinary objects into viral icons. One Reel featuring a tourist proudly carrying a Vimal bag can attract millions of views, inspiring others to recreate the look. And few things are more surprising than seeing someone pair linen trousers, vintage sunglasses and a pan masala carry bag.

What was once disposable packaging suddenly becomes content. In today’s attention economy, relatability often performs better than perfection.

Paan-Demonium

For many Indians, however, the trend is amusing. After all, the Vimal, Chetak, Ramesh Sweets and Annapurna canvas bags have long been associated with neighbourhood convenience stores rather than couture. Seeing international influencers style it with expensive sneakers and minimalist outfits creates a delightful cultural mismatch. It’s similar to how Indian tourists once treated New York’s famous “I NY” T-shirts as souvenirs while locals barely noticed them. To the Trader Joe’s bag craze for Pride 2026.

Context changes everything. Mumbai-based CA Aditi Fernandes, 26, laughs at the trend. “I grew up seeing these bags everywhere. Watching someone call it ‘vintage Indian aesthetic’ is honestly hilarious. But at the same time, it’s kind of nice that people are appreciating everyday Indian culture beyond elephants and palaces.”

Not everyone sees the trend as harmless fun. Some argue that celebrating objects only after they’re validated by Western audiences exposes a double standard.

Products considered mundane—or even looked down upon—in India suddenly become fashionable once they’re reframed through global social media. Others see it as harmless cultural appreciation. After all, fashion has always been borrowed from everyday life. The key lies in intent.

Pack It Like It’s Hot

The Vimal, Ramesh, Chetak and Annapurna canvas bags are also part of a broader return of kitsch. Bright colours, loud branding, nostalgic packaging and deliberately “uncool” objects are finding new audiences. Owning something unexpected feels more interesting than owning something expensive. As stylist Malhotra puts it, “People are tired of polished luxury. They want conversation starters. Sometimes that conversation begins with a plastic bag from a paan shop.”

Perhaps the funniest part of the story is that the Vimal bag itself hasn’t changed.

It’s still doing exactly what it was designed to do—carry things.

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