BOTTEGA VENETA Ties the Knot Again

by CRIS&COCO | Mar 27, 2023 | Luxury Accessories

First of Its Kind, Last of Its Kind. The new BOTTEGA VENETA knot clutch highlights the brand’s signature woven leather.

Since its founding in 1966, BOTTEGA VENETA has been producing leather goods in the small northern Italian city of Vicenza, where artisans make handcrafted bags and other accessories using a centuries-old technique called Intrecciato, weaving strips of leather into a tightly crosshatched pattern.

Maier was determined to protect BOTTEGA’s bags from trends. Shortly after his appointment, he came across a rounded box clutch circa 1978 in the archives and decided to make it his own.

Since its founding in 1966, BOTTEGA VENETA has been producing leather goods in the small northern Italian city of Vicenza, where artisans make handcrafted bags and other accessories using a centuries-old technique called Intrecciato, weaving strips of leather into a tightly crosshatched pattern. Refined yet durable, the interlocking motif came to signify discreet luxury.

In 2001, when the German designer Tomas Maier arrived as the brand’s creative director, the fashion industry was at the height of It bag mania and the accompanying obsession with monograms, flashy hardware and other embellishments. But Maier was determined to protect BOTTEGA’s bags from trends.

Shortly after his appointment, he came across a rounded box clutch circa 1978 in the archives and decided to make it his own, swapping out its rectangular clasp for one shaped like a nautical rope and naming the curvy pochette Knot. Since spring 2002, most seasons have included iterations of the clutch, which has been reimagined in an array of materials, colors and sizes.

The hypertextured Knot Clutch, which comes in onyx and bone, is unmistakably BOTTEGA— synonymous, said Blazy, with “style over fashion in its timelessness.”

Last November, Matthieu Blazy, who had been overseeing ready-to-wear at BOTTEGA since 2020, took over as artistic director. For his fall 2022 debut, the 38-year-old designer — a French and Belgian national who previously worked at CALVIN KLEIN, CELINE and MAISON MARGIELA — took inspiration from Umberto Boccioni’s 1913 Futurist sculpture “Unique Forms of Continuity in Space.” “BOTTEGA VENETA is, in essence, pragmatic,”

Blazy said in the show notes. “Because it specializes in bags, it is about movement … there is fundamentally an idea of craft in motion.” Not surprisingly, Intrecciato showed up in many of Blazy’s creations, including over-the-knee boots, miniskirts, bucket totes, chunky belts and driving loafers — and, notably, his reinterpretation of that now-iconic Knot Clutch.

Blazy’s foulard Knot is composed of interwoven strips of paper-thin calf leather, with a slightly softer silhouette than the original and a twisted, brass-toned clasp. The hypertextured bag, which comes in onyx and bone, is unmistakably BOTTEGA— synonymous, said Blazy, with “style over fashion in its timelessness.”

The article was adapted from nytimes.com.

The BOTTEGA VENETA Knot Minaudière On Strap Has Arrived

by CRIS&COCO | Mar 21, 2023 | Luxury Accessories

BOTTEGA VENETA’s iconic Knot gained immense popularity even without loud monograms or shiny logos.

With its curved corners, magnetic frame closure, structured body and knotted hardware, BOTTEGA VENETA’s iconic Knot gained immense popularity even without loud monograms or shiny logos. Over the years, it became a go-to favourite, carried as a chic clutch for evening parties and the like. And then it disappeared. 

Matthieu Blazy has brought back the beloved icon in a refreshing new interpretation.

The good news? Matthieu Blazy has brought back the beloved icon in a refreshing new interpretation. Along with the classic, there’s also the Knot Minaudière On Strap with an extra intreccio strap for wearing over the shoulder.

The woven leather on the bag has an extra plisse-like detailing that gives it extra character. This acts a way of identifying newer versions of the Knot unveiled at Bottega Veneta’s Fall-Winter 2022  line-up.

You will notice that the knot isn’t placed on top this time. Instead, it appears on both sides as a securing mechanism for the 20cm (drop length) leather shoulder strap. Each bag measures 19 cm wide and 11.5 cm high, coming in Barolo (deep red), Bone (white) and Black foulard Intreccio leather pairing with gold-tone brass hardware.

CHANEL 2023 Price Increase

by CRIS&COCO | Mar 20, 2023 | Luxury Accessories

CHANEL Tests Purse Lovers With $3,000 Price Hikes

CHANEL SA’s small Classic Flap bag was always a luxury item, but after three price hikes last year, it is selling for $8,200. That is up from the $5,200 it cost in 2019.

The French fashion house has been raising prices at a faster pace than other luxury brands, analysts say, prompting an outcry from some shoppers and testing their willingness to pay.

CHANEL increased its prices for 2023 again, and we share which bags are affected and by how much. It came as a surprise to absolutely no one, but considering the latest hikes for CHANEL bags, it’s hard not to wonder when and if the price increases will see an end.

CHANEL 2023 Price Increase Explained

CHANEL’s chief financial officer, Philippe Blondiaux, has shared insights into the CHANEL price increases. Last summer, he said the brand could implement a price increase “to account for currency fluctuations and inflation.” Moreover, he hasn’t shied away from speaking on the increase in being a part of the brand.

The twice-a-year increase has become something expected by customers over the past years as common practice. When asked about the increase’s reasoning, Blondiaux shared with WWD that “We usually revise our prices twice a year. That’s what we’ve always done and will continue to do.”

In 2022, CHANEL maintained the double-digit revenue growth it has accustomed to, even with the closure of stores in Russia and China. However, when looking at the numbers, research analysts for Jefferies shared that the sales uplift the brand has seen could be due to the 21-30% increase in pricing on its bags over the past couple of years versus the overall volume in sales.

The CHANEL Classic Flap is increasing in price by 12-17%, depending on size.

The New CHANEL Prices and What is Affected

The increase was steep! Steep enough that the only Classic Flap under $10,000 is the small size, with the Maxi reaching the $11,000 mark now. The Classics were hit with a 16% increase, soaring prices above $10,000 for most. The Coco Handle, CHANEL 19, and the Pearl Crush were all given a 14% increase across the board.

This was a global increase, affecting many markets. Below you can find the new, updated prices of CHANEL Bags for 2023.

This CHANEL Classic Maxi Flap with an original $3,700 price tag from 2010. This bag now costs $11,700 – over 300% price increase in 13 years.

Impact on the CHANEL Consumer

The price increases are partly due to CHANEL’s desire to become more exclusive. However, the rate at which these bags have increased has turned many off. Customers of the brand have a hard time stomaching paying nearly $1,000 more for the same bag overnight. Additionally, the frequency and the secrecy of the price increases have some turned off as well.

One user on our forum shared that “when Tiffany’s had a price increase, my SA let me know weeks in advance. I feel like CHANEL just wants us to keep spending more. I just can’t help but feel like I’m in an emotionally abusive relationship.”

While other brands also implement increases, CHANEL seems to be in a league of its own with the percentage and consistency of increases. Though the brand has worked for worldwide price equality, the new prices put these bags on par with Hermès pricing and as reported by many, out of reach.

Final Thoughts

While many feel negative about the price increase, plenty will begrudgingly pay more for the bags they have been eying and others won’t even bat an eye. CHANEL understands its core customer well, one they will confidently retain while reaching new luxury customers.

In-store, plenty of bags are still sold before they ever hit the shelves, letting you know that while these increases are a broadly criticized practice by the brand, it isn’t pricing out its core audience from buying CHANEL.

Who’s “Deserving” of Luxury?

by CRIS&COCO | Mar 7, 2023 | Luxury Accessories

Luxury: A Game of Thrones, Without the Dragons. Let’s dissect the inner workings of snobbery and gatekeeping within the luxury goods realm. Grab your monocle and take a seat…

While meandering through the abyss of old blog posts, I stumbled upon one that held my attention. Not due to the anonymous author’s riveting prose but because of a dramatic comment section saga unfolding beneath.

Who hath the right to don CHANEL?

As writers, we know the comment section can be a wild west of opinions, but seeing someone’s hard-earned dream purchase of an LV Onthego bag met with such contempt was disheartening. What was the issue, you ask?

The anonymous commenter had no qualms about fake luxury goods being the scourge of the Earth, which is fair game. The problem arose when the commenter deemed the author unworthy of owning the genuine article based on her less prestigious, low-wage job. According to this critic, the author would never be “one of us, ” even with the bag in hand.” Ah, gatekeeping at its finest.

This got the wheels turning: How do we decide who belongs in our luxury-loving community? What mysterious criteria are used to judge the worthiness of one’s consumer habits? Who, pray to tell, is genuinely “deserving” of luxury? Spoiler alert: everyone. Yes, luxury goods are pricey and not accessible to all, but that doesn’t dictate who’s worthy of ownership.

Luxury Branding suggests luxury consumption helps fulfill social needs and build identity. Luxury goods are status symbols, signaling one’s actual or desired societal position

So why the division? Research from the 2020 Handbook for Luxury Branding suggests luxury consumption helps fulfill social needs and build identity. Luxury goods are status symbols, signaling one’s actual or desired societal position. Possessing such items is often seen as a privilege reserved for those with inherited or earned status. And no, this mindset isn’t fresh off the press.

We haven’t evolved much from ancient Greeks banning Spartans from owning gold or silver. But as luxury brands open the gates to the “non-elites,” it becomes trickier for gatekeepers to maintain their exclusivity. They grasp at straws, like socio-cultural capital, to determine who’s “worthy.” But when someone defies these arbitrary standards, the gatekeepers feel threatened and resort to petty tactics to protect their fragile identity.

After all, we’re all just people with a penchant for pretty things.

Frankly, it’s an unpalatable display. The only undeserving ones are those who forget that kindness and understanding are free and can only enrich a community that thrives on our shared love of luxury. So, let’s ditch the snobbery and gatekeeping, shall we? After all, we’re all just people with a penchant for pretty things.

The article was adapted from pursblog.com.