The latest “it” bag isn’t from Fendi or Louis Vuitton. No, this year’s hottest item is shaping up to be the reusable shopping tote.

Fashion retailers have traditionally dolled up well-designed branded packages (think Bloomingdale’s big brown bag and Tiffany’s blue box) in the hopes that shoppers would continue to use them long after they got their purchases home, further extending the promotional branding. But this latest trend places a fresh spin on reusable bags and puts a face to retailers’ greener ways, including mid-market specialty retailers and department stores.

Hudson’s Bay Co. recently debuted reusable shopping bags (above) and hang tags designed by the San Francisco office of Anthem Worldwide that spotlight the Canadian department store’s philosophy on sustainability.

Nordstrom is rolling out new paper shopping bags that are 100 percent recyclable and reusable shopping totes in its West Coast stores, decorated with a cityscape illustration by artist Ruben Toledo. “We know our customers care about the environment and this is an effort to serve them better and reduce our impact,” said Erik Nordstrom, the retailer’s president of stores.

Macy’s has also taken the greener path with shopping bags containing 30 percent recycled material. Also, the department store’s new reusable totes, which sell for $3.95, include a $1 donation to the National Park Foundation. AD