We Tried the Viral and Affordable Freja Mercer Handbag

If there’s one thing Who What Wear editors are notoriously picky about, it’s handbags. I speak for all of my coworkers when I say we have good taste in purses, and we’re not afraid to spend too much of our paychecks on really gorgeous designer versions when they warrant being purchased. Shoes, jeans, sweaters, and more fashion items can all be both affordable and ridiculously expensive-looking. Honestly, some of my favorite pieces cost me next to nothing (but you’d never know it by looking at them). Bags, though, are often the exception. You can tell when the leather isn’t as high of quality or the zippers are always getting stuck. It sucks, I know, especially given how handbag prices are growing of late. Hope isn’t all lost, though. Not when the bag I’m here to tell you about exists.

Earlier this month, Freja—the affordable, vegan-leather handbag brand beloved by Hailey Bieber, Jennifer Lawrence, and Katie Holmes—debuted its long-awaited Mercer bag. The east-west shoulder bag comes in three of Freja’s classic color options—espresso, oat, and black—and features all of the same traits that fashion’s most-wanted handbags possess, but without the ridiculously high price tag. Like all of Freja’s bag options, the Mercer is shockingly reasonable price-wise at just $298. You read that right: It is possible to buy a handmade, on-trend purse, made of pebbled vegan ultrafiber leather, for less than $300. I’d call that a modern (fashion) miracle.

I’ve been a fan of Freja for years, getting my first Caroline bag in 2021. I carried it everywhere, fielding questions and compliments along the way. When people asked where they could get it and how much it cost, they were shocked to discover its price. In person even more than online, it looks like a designer handbag. The brand’s founder and creative director, Jenny Lei, didn’t cut any corners. After all, she founded the brand out of frustration and desire—she couldn’t find a tote bag that looked chic, elegant, and sophisticated. “Where were the beautiful, understated totes crafted with attention to the little details?” she asked herself early on. She didn’t want to make yet another bag brand, but the more she thought about it, the more she felt the industry was in need of one that actually checked off women’s boxes. Care, affordability, and practicality were all considered in the making of Freja, none of which have been lost as the brand’s been picked up by celebrities, content creators, editors, and more.