The Iconic Saint Laurent Mombasa Bag is Back
It’s official: fashion just simply can’t quit its Y2K handbag obsession. I mean, first came the triumphant return of the Dior Saddle in 2019. Then, we were all obsessed with the comeback of the Fendi Baguette in 2020, followed by the revival of the legendary Chloé Paddington in 2025. And now, in 2026, another icon steps back into the spotlight. Enter the Saint Laurent Mombasa. The sculptural, horn-handled bag that defined early-aughts cool is officially back, tapping into our collective nostalgia while feeling perfectly attuned to today’s fashion zeitgeist. From runways to street style, the Mombasa is poised for a full-scale renaissance in 2026—and here’s everything you need to know about it.
(Yves) Saint Laurent Mombasa Bag History
“What bamboo is to Gucci, the horn is now to Saint Laurent”, which is, allegedly, what Tom Ford said when he came up with the Mombasa Bag. Introduced in 2002 for the brand’s Spring/Summer 2002 collection, which was one year into the designer’s tenure at Saint Laurent, the Mombasa Bag was named after a seaport city in Kenya, and reflected Ford’s fascination with travel, exoticism, and global references—filtered, of course, through his unmistakably polished, early-aughts lens.
Defined by a slouchy, hobo-style silhouette, the body of the bag was constructed in buttery-soft leather with tonal stitching. Though what really set the design apart was was its curved horn handle. Much more than just a functional detail, it gave the bag its identity, attitude and a quiet sense of rebellion that transcended through subsequent iterations of the bag in denim, ruffled leather, velvet and other fabrications that followed over the next few seasons.
The New Saint Laurent Mombasa Bag
So, today’s edition of the Saint Laurent Mombasa Bag comes in 3 sizes and features a near identical silhouette to its predecessor, rendered in Courchevel leather, vintage calfskin, and pony hair. Though, there is one nuance. In particular, the iconic horn handle, while visually near-identical to the one on the vintage bag, is now crafted from metal and leather rather than natural horn. Basically, back in the day, YSL was using horns that were a byproduct of existing agricultural practices or naturally shed. The material was then hand-polished by artisans, giving each handle its own subtle variations in color and texture—part of what made every Mombasa feel so personal.
The new edition of the Mombasa Bag switches to the horn made from leather and metal, a move that clearly reflects today’s production standards, scalability, and evolving sustainability conversations within luxury fashion. And while it may lack some of the organic irregularity that made the original horn feel almost one-of-a-kind, the updated handle still preserves the sculptural impact and unmistakable silhouette that defined the design in the first place.
The Phenomenon of Re-edition Handbags
When brands reissue a popular style from the past, they are, of course, hoping for an instant commercial success driven by nostalgia. A perfect example? The Dior Saddle bag’s 2019 comeback. What was once a polarizing early-2000s silhouette suddenly became the bag again, spotted on everyone from editors to influencers to an entirely new generation who hadn’t even been around for its original run. It proved that when done right, a re-edition can feel fresh without losing its soul—and that fashion’s collective memory is a powerful thing.
But the real magic of reissued handbags goes beyond sales numbers. These comebacks create a bridge between eras, allowing longtime fans to reconnect with a piece they once loved, while newcomers get to experience it for the first time, free of the original context. And the return of the Saint Laurent Mombasa bag is yet another perfect example.
View the bag now on ysl.com or browse vintage versions here.
