By Contributor,Dahvi Shira

Copyright forbes

Campaign image for Alo Bag Collection
Photo credit: Steven Miesel

If you scoffed at the idea of Alo launching $3,000 handbags, it’s okay, the concept isn’t for you. The brand adamantly stands by its polarizing decision to take a further leap into luxury, explaining that the bags aren’t just another purchase—they represent a pre-established lifestyle.

“Just as fitness studios have transformed into high-end wellness destinations, Alo has expanded [its offerings] to reflect how our customer truly lives,” says chief design and merchandising officer, Abby Gordon. “For her, a bag isn’t just an accessory, it’s an extension of her lifestyle, seamlessly carrying her through every aspect of her day.”

While handbags weren’t necessarily in the cards when the brand (which stands for Air, Land and Ocean) launched in 2007, there was always a plan to evolve, and to continue melding luxury with lifestyle.

“Alo was a wellness company before wellness was even a buzzword,” Gordon says. “From the beginning, we’ve built a premium fashion and lifestyle brand rooted in mindful movement, design innovation and community. Over the years, we’ve elevated our apparel to meet our customer wherever she is—from studio to street—allowing her to move seamlessly through her day, whether she’s going from pilates class to work to coffee with friends.”

Alo’s Luxury Bag Collection (And Its Criticism)

Plans to launch the Alo Bag Collection were announced on August 28, as an extension of its pre-existing Atelier line, which blends high fashion with high performance. Pre-orders were available for the four offerings (Alo Voyage travel bag: $3,300 – $3,600; Alo Tranquility Tote suede carry-all: $2,300; Alo Odyssey structured travel bag: $3,200; Alo Balance Bucket slouchy leather and suede bag: $2,000). The bags were designed in Los Angeles, and handcrafted in Florence, Italy, using responsibly sourced calfskin certified by the Leather Working Group (LWG).

Each piece features a healing crystal hand-selected from South America in smoky quartz (grounding and protection) or citrine (creativity and abundance). The added detail ensures the brand stays true to its wellness message.

“Mindful movement and intention setting are at the core of our brand,” Gordon says. “Intention setting is an essential part of yoga. When you step onto the mat, you set an intention as you begin your practice. When you pick up your bag and see the crystal, it serves as a reminder to carry that power of intention into every aspect of your life.”

Leading up to the Alo Bag Collection’s official launch on September 22, social media has expressed its opinions, with @thecamillemoore—whose video received 493,000 views—arguing that she “can’t understand for the life of me why they would do this to their brand. There’s zero strategy, it’s delusional … [This launch] isn’t building anything meaningful for the brand that’s going to be measurable. It’s not a gym bag, it’s a purse that you would wear to lunch. Alo hasn’t demanded the authority for someone to spend $3,000 on a purse. Eight-hundred dollars would have been super smart. Alo to me is best worn with a Louis Vuitton bag. It’s that brand. It’s best worn with another brand, so they should collab, as opposed to trying to be all the different brand pieces.”

But Brooke of @thebrandblueprint account told her 51,000 followers, “The important thing to know is Alo is a billion-dollar company and they need to keep growing. But they have so much competition trying to steal their market share, and all this competition is really going to harm them from being able to grow. So the strategy that Alo has behind this bag is how they want to position it. They want you to know they’re a premium activewear brand for a premium customer. They’re trying to position themselves above their competition. Their marketing has people carrying Birkin bags and wearing Alo.”

Her one qualm, however, is the exceedingly high price point of the Alo Bag Collection, explaining, “Did they need to make these bags $3,000? Absolutely not. I think Alo’s thesis behind these bags is to have a big viral moment and that all news is good news. But, let’s be real—it didn’t need to be $3,000. It could have been $1,000, and [one] bag is quite unoriginal and boring. But [another bag] reminds you they don’t want to be Lululemon. They’re the Alo premium activewear brand. So, I think in terms of positioning, the brand is smart to lean into who Alo wants as a customer.”

Summer Nacewicz, the brand’s executive vice president of marketing & creative, insists that even if the Alo Bag Collection isn’t for everyone, it’s definitely for someone.

“People want to carry something that reflects who they are,” she says. “Our customer is incredibly loyal, and looks to Alo for products that fit seamlessly into her lifestyle. These bags are built with the same craftsmanship and attention to detail you would expect from heritage houses, but designed with versatility and wellness in mind. At first, some might be surprised to see Alo in this space, but once they touch and feel the product, and experience the quality of the bags, they’ll see why it makes sense. This is the future of luxury wellness.”

The Alo Bag Collection Marketing Strategy

Amelia Gray Hamlin, Delilah Belle Hamlin appear at ALO Bag Collection Release Party in Collaboration with Vogue
Sansho Scott/BFA.com

Alo has wasted no time immersing its premium collection into high fashion culture. The bags made their flashy debut at a launch event during New York Fashion Week with Martha Stewart, Amelia Gray Hamlin, Delilah Belle Hamlin, Adut Akech and Patrick Ta among names in attendance. The bags will also have moments at upcoming London and Paris Fashion Week. The Voyage bag in particular has been seen with Katie Holmes and Emily Ratajkowski.

Since kicking off pre-order options, consumers have been able to purchase through a private concierge service linked to 23 of 176 Alo locations worldwide.

“We chose locations where we already have a strong, loyal community, making sure we’re front and center with our core customer as we introduce this new category,” explains Nacewicz.

Listing Beverly Hills, New York City (Soho), Miami, London and Seoul as leading destinations, Nacewicz describes them as “cities with a deep connection to both wellness and fashion,” adding, “That in-person-first model also lets our customers feel the quality firsthand, which is essential when you’re talking about Italian leather and hand-finished details.”

While Los Angeles and New York “make sense as established fashion and wellness hubs,” Nacewicz considers Miami “the biggest surprise,” explaining that “the demand there keeps accelerating. It’s a fitness-first culture where people truly live the Alo lifestyle.”

Whether you love the idea of the Alo Bag Collection or hate it, one thing’s certain: The brand isn’t stopping here. “Alo was never about staying in one lane,” Nacewicz says. “If we had, we’d still only be known for leggings. Today, we’ve expanded into gyms, digital fitness, beauty, supplements, footwear and more. It’s all part of a bigger vision of wellness weaving into everyday life. Our bags are another step in creating this wellness ecosystem, where every product reflects a lifestyle of health, intention and innovation.”

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