Spike Lee is in his bag, or rather, carrying one!

The Oscar-winning director showed up to the 98th Academy Awards with a dazzling accessory: a gold cassette-tape handbag from Houston-born label RUNYARO. Fashion enthusiasts called it one of the night’s most memorable moments, and the small bag quickly trended across social feeds. 

RUNYARO’s signature “Royal Gold Cassette Tape” bag is exactly what it sounds like: a structured leather bag whose front is plated with metal cassette-tape motifs (the brand calls them “14kt. gold mirror image metal”), complete with spike detailing and an attitude all its own. The piece sits in the brand’s Musicnaire collection and is described on the RUNYARO site as a celebration of music, memory and craftsmanship — “the first and the original design by Runyaro” and the house’s best-known model. Price point? The brand lists similar styles in the $950–$1,150 range. 

A cassette tape bag is more than a novelty on a red carpet; it’s a piece of culture. Lee’s career is built on music-soaked cinema and Brooklyn flavor — from soundtrack choices to costume flourishes — so a music-rooted accessory almost becomes a signature. Many praised Lee for continuing to use his red-carpet moments to spotlight Black designers and bold, conversation-starting objects. “The Royal Gold Cassette Bag is a tribute to the era that inspired everything. Music. Culture. Legacy,” the brand shared.

RUNYARO started with a cassette-bag concept and has since built a small luxury house around music-inspired hardware and hand-finished leather. The label’s site and socials lean into nostalgia (Motown references, cassette iconography) while pitching the bags as heirloom pieces meant to “hold memories” — a pitch that clearly resonated on a night when history was on display.  

And one thing about Lee, he’s going to turn a moment into a bold, personal, Black cultural homage. Lee wasn’t nominated for an Oscar this year, but made his support for Oscar-winning Ryan Coogler apparent.