Birkin can wait: Why are New York girls obsessed with an It bag that looks just like a grocery cart?

If you’ve been walking around New York lately, the It bag you see most often might not be a Hermès Birkin or The Row Margaux, but a huge bag that rolls along the ground. The Hulken Rolling Tote has become this summer’s unexpected It bag. With its reflective silver body, oversized capacity, and 360-degree wheels underneath, it’s hard not to think of the grocery carts we’re all familiar with at first glance. Yet from New York streets and subway platforms to laundromats, stylish women are now pulling one everywhere.

Once dismissed for looking like a grocery cart, how did it become an It bag?

 

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Hulken’s original purpose was highly practical. Founded in 2018, the brand was built around the idea of making it easier to move large amounts of stuff, so it simply put wheels on a large bag. The Signature Rolling Tote is now made from durable, water-repellent polypropylene, with 360-degree rotating wheels, and folds flat for storage after use. It can be used for grocery shopping, taking clothes to the laundromat, hauling work supplies, or even carrying clothes for a shoot. It’s almost the complete opposite of traditional It bags, which aim for a delicate, compact design.

Perhaps that very practicality is why it suddenly took off. On New York streets, some people pull a silver Hulken on their weekly grocery runs or while browsing vintage shops, while others load it up with workout clothes, their kids’ sports gear, and daily essentials all at once. For city life, where you take the subway, walk, and have to carry several bags at once, a bag that holds plenty, rolls easily, and doesn’t look too bad seems far more practical than a luxury bag that needs to be handled with kid gloves.

It’s not your imagination: people really are suddenly searching for Hulken.

 

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Hulken’s popularity is also reflected in its search numbers. According to Google search data cited by Vogue, searches for “Hulken” reached an all-time high this year. Searches for “Hulken medium” rose 110% from the same period last year, while “Hulken rolling tote” increased by 90%. Even more interestingly, it had already quietly entered the fashion world: Hulken collaborated with Supreme in 2024, and recently enlisted Susan Alexandra, known for her ornate beaded bags, to create New York-inspired beaded charms, including coffee and bagel designs, for the practical rolling tote. What began as a tool for moving things is starting to take on the look of a true fashion accessory.

Why are stylish women increasingly drawn to things that “don’t look good but work great”?

 

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Fashion seems to have grown less interested in looking perfectly polished over the past few years. From dad sneakers and Crocs to oversized tote bags, and now rolling carts pulled down the street, items once considered too everyday, too practical, or even a little “mom-like” have become interesting precisely because they don’t try too hard to look luxurious. As luxury It bag prices keep rising, a Hulken that costs around US$ 100 and can handle groceries, laundry, work, and even moving offers a completely different way to show off: I don’t use it because it looks expensive; I use it because it’s genuinely useful.

Maybe the next It bag doesn’t need fine leather or a metal logo, and it might not even need to be carried on your shoulder. At least on New York streets this summer, fashion girls have offered another answer: wheels can work, too.

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