Zebra Print Bags: Why the Stripe Is the Print of the Season, and the Haircalf Styles to Buy

The short answer: a zebra print bag works like a neutral that happens to be graphic. Carry it with black, cream and denim and it is the only print you need. Buy it in hair-on calfskin, which gives the stripes depth, and in a shape you would carry in plain leather. Searches for zebra print bags have tripled since summer, and our pick is the Khaite Medium Lotus Tote in Zebra Print Haircalf and Black Suede, a scarf-inspired tote with a rounded base. Shop all designer bags and the full Khaite collection at Coveti.

Animal print bags come back every few years, but zebra has a particular appeal: it is black and white, so it sits with almost anything. Khaite is the New York label Catherine Holstein founded in 2016. It won the CFDA American Womenswear Designer of the Year award in 2022 and again in 2023, and it is known for reworked wardrobe essentials: cashmere knitwear, denim, leather and a very particular kind of evening dress. This season it has put its best known bag shapes, the Blake, the Lotus and the Joan, into zebra-striped haircalf paired with black suede, black leather and oxblood.

Haircalf vs printed leather

How to wear a zebra print bag

• With black: the stripes become the accessory, nothing else needed.
• With camel and cream: softer, very winter.
• With denim: the easiest daytime outfit there is.
• Avoid: other animal prints. One is chic, two is costume.

Our picks: Khaite in zebra

1. Medium Lotus Tote in Zebra Print Haircalf and Black Suede

The Lotus is light, scarf-inspired and steady on its rounded base, which makes it the one to use every day. Read more in our Khaite Lotus bag guide.

2. Blake Top Handle Bag in Zebra Print Haircalf and Oxblood Leather

A flap-front Blake on a top handle, zebra against oxblood box calfskin. On the shoulder by day, in the hand at night.

3. Small Joan Hobo in Zebra Print Haircalf and Tan Leather

A petite hobo cut from expansive zebra panels with an integrated tan strap, and the tan makes it the warmest of the group.

4. Soft Blake Shoulder Bag in Zebra Print Haircalf and Black Suede

The slouchy version of the Blake, a flat body that expands as you fill it. Also as the Soft Blake Small.

5. Blake Nano Bag in Zebra Print Haircalf and Black Leather

A meticulously scaled-down Blake for a phone, a card and keys. Evening, in the hand.

What to wear with it

The Manston Coat in Black, a reworked trench in double-faced wool, with the Connor Jean in Benson and the zebra Lotus. For evening, the Nano with the Marou Dress in Black Velvet. More in the Khaite Blake bag guide and the Khaite bag guide.

Frequently asked questions

Are zebra print bags in style?

Yes. Zebra is the leading animal print of the 2026 winter season, and worldwide searches for zebra print bags rose about threefold between July and September.

Is haircalf real fur?

Haircalf is calfskin leather with the short hair left on, a by-product of the leather industry. It is not long-haired fur.

How do you clean a haircalf bag?

Brush it gently in the direction of the hair with a soft brush, keep it away from rain and take stains to a leather specialist.

What colours go with a zebra print bag?

Black, white, cream, camel, denim blue and deep red. Avoid mixing it with another animal print.