‘Follow, follow, follow’: The designer who never expected his bags to go viral

If you’ve seen a chaotic scene on TikTok lately with people clamoring for brightly colored handbags, chances are good that it was for Francis Pierre Laborde's design. Photo: The New York Times

On certain Sundays, there are two lines to get into the Grand Bazaar, an open-air market on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

One line is just to get through the chain-link fence, beyond which shoppers can browse handmade sweaters, rugs and vintage coats. The other line is for a chance to buy a handbag made by Francis Pierre Laborde.