When you think of Bloomingdale’s, you think of the Big Brown Bag — the large paper shopping bag designed by Massimo Vignelli in 1973 that has become a staple of New York City streets ever since. (Andy Warhol was a fan.) There’s also, of course, the Medium Brown Bag and the Little Brown Bag too. But the rise in popularity of the “status tote” over the last decade or so, and New York’s effort to cut down on disposable bags in general, has rendered the humble shopping bag of any shape and size more scarce.
Thankfully, for the department store’s 150th anniversary, its merch is getting a second life as part of an exclusive, 300-part limited-edition collection in collaboration with brands like Ralph Lauren and vintage shops like Fantasy Explosion. You can, of course, still buy a a Big, Medium, or Little Brown Bag as a more durable tote. But you can also buy a cheeky Fantasy Explosion fragrance department bag (below), or one with a vintage Bloomingdale’s logo. Fantasy Explosion is known for resurfacing and resurrecting iconic New York merch, so you’ll want to snag these while they last. There are also sweatshirts, T-shirts, and caps to be had as well.
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