You seriously need THIS bag in your life

Trust us, your Instagram feed will thank you

cult gaia ark

Trust us, your Instagram feed will thank you

I know summer is kind of over (though I’m desperately clinging to it, I’m wearing my striped Nanushka jumpsuit as I type), but that doesn’t mean you can’t plan ahead for next year.

If there’s one bag that has been consistently the star of my Instagram feed, it’s the Cult Gaia Ark bag. Now I know it’s not technically new - Jessica Alba was first spotted wearing it when it launched in the summer of 2016 - however it’s still so popular it’s got its own waiting list, joining the ranks of Hermes’ coveted Birkin bag. Not bad, eh?

The bag is sold out on Net-A-Porter in the UK, however they are waiting on more stock, and you can sign up using the below link so you don't miss out.

cult gaia

Shop now: Cult Gaia Ark small bamboo clutch for £95 from Net-A-Porter

So let me list the ways in which I love it.

It’s a one-way ticket to LA girl cool

LA fashion may not have been taken that seriously until Gigi Hadid and Emily Ratajkowski came along, but now that it is, this is the one accessory you need to look like an LA girl: it’s just the right amount of laid-back cool.

Founder and designer Jasmin Larian was actually inspired by Coachella when she launched her brand.

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It’s an It bag for under £100

Sure, it might not yet quite be in the league of the Chanel 2.55 and Birkin bags of the world, but if you haven’t got a spare grand or three lying around, then it’s quite cool to know you can purchase a bag that has celebrities and fashion editors clambering over it. There’s something to be said for attainable high fashion.

It’s the game changer your wardrobe needs

The Ark is so much more than a bag, it’s a game changer. Wearing it makes you reimagine your entire wardrobe, whether it’s reaching for that bohemian white dress you wouldn’t have picked otherwise, or a bold red suit for work.

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It’s the #ootd accessory of dreams

Sure, it’s perfect for those Greek hols #ootd shots, paired with an embroidered playsuit or summer dress, but it can easily be worn with dressier paper bag trousers and a shirt in the city. And you can take it into winter too, worn with layered knitwear.

It comes in lots of shit hot designs

Still not convinced by the bamboo design? No problem, the bag now comes in sleeker acrylic styles too.

Penny Goldstone

Penny Goldstone is the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire, covering everything from catwalk trends to royal fashion and the latest high street and Instagram must-haves.

Penny grew up in France and studied languages and law at the Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris before moving to the UK for her MA in multimedia journalism at Bournemouth University. She moved to the UK permanently and has never looked back (though she does go back regularly to stock up on cheese and wine).

Although she's always loved fashion - she used to create scrapbooks of her favourite trends and looks, including Sienna Miller and Kate Moss' boho phase - her first job was at MoneySavingExpert.com, sourcing the best deals for everything from restaurants to designer sales.

However she quit after two years to follow her true passion, fashion journalism, and after many years of internships and freelance stints at magazines including Red, Cosmopolitan, Stylist and Good Housekeeping, landed her dream job as the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK.

Her favourite part of the job is discovering new brands and meeting designers, and travelling the world to attend events and fashion shows. Seeing her first Chanel runway IRL at Paris Fashion Week was a true pinch-me moment.