PROMOCEAN
Behold the Plague of Luxury Purse Fatigue
Luxury Purses, Overexposed, the Overrated, and the Outright Exhausting.
Ah, the modern age! Where we spend a staggering 2.5 hours a day scrolling through social media, allowing our minds to be occupied by the latest trends and fads. For a select few, like yours truly, this digital dalliance is a necessary evil, a work-related hazard. But let’s not mince words, shall we? It’s the perfect opportunity for luxury fashion brands to infiltrate our brains, determined to have us believe we absolutely need that shiny new purse. Take GUCCI, for instance, practically force-feeding us their bamboo top-handle flap bag. How charming.
Now, as a self-proclaimed luxury purse aficionado, I’m not opposed to the occasional handbag being thrust upon me. What does irk me, though, is the sight of that very same luxury purse paraded on every celebrity, influencer, and advertisement in existence. It’s called luxury purse fatigue, and it’s reaching epidemic proportions.
Luxury purse fatigue is the burnout we experience when a particular handbag reaches peak saturation in the media.
What is this Purse Fatigue, you ask? In a world where we’re exhausted by the most mundane of choices, luxury purse fatigue is the burnout we experience when a particular handbag reaches peak saturation in the media. And who’s to blame for this overexposure? The usual suspects: Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and good ol’ Google.
With most of us unable to acquire every luxury designer bag our hearts desire, social media offers a virtual buffet of vicarious indulgence. Reviews, influencers, and advertisements give us a taste of luxury without the price tag. But in a cutthroat industry where every brand is vying for our attention, it seems overexposure is the key to being noticed. How delightfully counterintuitive.
The result? The mystique of a luxury item dissipates when every Hadid, Jenner, and their extended family flaunts it on the ‘gram. Oh, the joys of luxury purse fatigue!
“But wait,” I hear you cry, “does purse fatigue always lead to saturation?” Fear not, for it is a matter of personal perception. A dash of visibility among the right crowd can be tantalizing. Overdo it, however, and that once-exclusive accessory is now as common as the cold.
Visibility has long been a concern for the luxury market, with the inflated price of exclusivity being a primary selling point.
Visibility has long been a concern for the luxury market, with the inflated price of exclusivity being a primary selling point. But when everyone and their cousin sports the same accessory, that veneer of exclusivity cracks, and purse fatigue ensues.
So, what’s a fashion house to do? While addressing saturation can involve limiting production or implementing quota arrangements, purse fatigue proves a trickier beast. Designers must carefully select the ideal brand representatives, avoiding any perceived dilution of their image. But can we truly expect them not to pursue every sale with relentless vigor? After all, money makes the fashion world go ’round.
The evolving definition of luxury now finds us seeking solace in lesser-known, inconspicuous indie designers. We might still ogle the latest GUCCI or PRADA, but when it comes to spending our hard-earned cash, we’re opting for unique, under-the-radar treasures that truly reflect our individuality.
Add to this the rise of counterfeiters exploiting social media to create replicas before the real deal even hits the shelves, and one must ask: what does this all say about the state of the luxury industry? Are you as fatigued by it as I am?
The article was adapted from purseblog.com.
What’s the Deal with It Bag Has-Beens?A cautionary tale of a dreaded fashion fate.
We’ve all seen it. Bags that totally eclipse all conceivable expectations and become so sought after and cult worthy that it appears their reign over street style guides, editorial spreads, and our wish lists will never end.
An It bag is a high-priced luxury handbag that has become a hyped best-seller. The phenomenon arose in the luxury industry and was named in the 1990s and 2000s. Examples of handbag brands that have been considered “It bags” are CHANEL, HERMÈS and FENDI.
But, alas, the harder they rise, the harder they fall. It seems the desirable levels of popularity some bags once possessed can just as quickly turn against them. Overexposure, increasing competition from new designs, and fashion fanatics simply getting sick of certain styles can all contribute to the downfall of beloved bags.
And so enter, handbag has-beens. Sometimes a direct result of our collective purse fatigue, and sometimes something more. These styles once ruled fashion’s handbag hotlist, now seeing their popularity dwindle. But what makes a design in danger of becoming a handbag has-been? And is there any way to predict which bags will meet this fate next? Let’s find out.
The Danger of Overexposure
A little bit of mystery goes a long way when it comes to luxury bags, and it’s one way to combat that dreaded handbag fatigue we’ve discussed. And while it’s great for sales when a design becomes the ‘It’ bag of the moment and is spotted on every billboard, Instagram advert, and influencer at Fashion Week, too much exposure too quickly can threaten the longevity of a bag’s popularity.
Case in point, the LOUIS VUITTON Multi Pochette Accessoires. Released in late 2019, this design arguably started the multi-bag phenomenon, which saw handbag aficionados scrambling to carry a multitude of bags incorporated into one design. The trend, and this style in particular, became a cult favorite, and the bag (which is, in fact, two pouches resembling the Pochette Accessoires and a Round Coin Purse all attached to a thick cross-body strap) was sold out everywhere for months after its release. But fast forward to 2023, and the design is nowhere to be seen.
The problem with bags garnering wild levels of popularity and exposure very quickly is that this momentum is hard to maintain and can leave fashion insiders and consumers prematurely bored of seeing the bag.
The wild hype surrounding certain bags notoriously drives up resale prices, this investment potential is often overinflated and short-lived.
One bag that could potentially fall victim to the curse of overexposure is the BALENCIAGA Le Cagole. Providing today’s trendsetters with a rush of Y2K nostalgia, the Le Cagole has been the breakout bag of the 2020s so far. With its overembellished studded design, inspired by BALENCIAGA’s famous Motorcycle line, and coveted curved shoulder bag silhouette, the style has quickly risen to widespread popularity. But since the Le Cagole has experienced so much exposure and popularity in a reasonably short time, it’s arguably lost an element of its mystique. It’s faced with the difficulty of maintaining momentum and continuing its relevance.
The luxury resale market has long been an avenue for shoppers to score ‘It’ bags sold out everywhere else. The wild hype surrounding certain bags notoriously drives up resale prices and leads shoppers to believe that a bag has lucrative investment potential. But when bags climb to cult-favorite status very quickly, this investment potential is often overinflated and short-lived.
When a bag’s acclaim is largely thanks to a popular new trend or aesthetic, the design risks becoming a has-been.
Fashion can be fickle. Trends that show no signs of stalling are often over before you know it. So when a bag’s acclaim is largely thanks to a popular new trend or aesthetic, the design risks becoming a has-been. Take the PRADA Re-Edition bags. Many designs have come to be associated with the resurgence of early 2000s fashion, but perhaps no bag selection is more synonymous with fashion’s Y2K revival than PRADA’s Re-Edition styles.
Crafted from the label’s signature nylon material and shaped to a sleek and functional shoulder bag silhouette, bags from the line were on the arm of every celebrity. They dominated trend guides during the early 2020s. But just a couple of years later, PRADA’s Re-Edition bags noticeably lack the popularity they once enjoyed despite repeatedly being dubbed as classics, and styles from the range struggle to receive the same level of interest from editors, stylists, influencers, and consumers today. The fashion world has moved on and is obsessing over new styles.
When a bag is commonly associated with a certain era in the minds of consumers, it is often prematurely labeled as outdated.
A bag doesn’t have to perfectly embody a specific trend or the style of a particular era to be at risk of ending up a handbag has-been. Sometimes when a bag is commonly associated with a certain era in the minds of consumers, it is often prematurely labeled as outdated once the era is over. One example is the CHANEL Maxi Classic Flap. As fashion waved goodbye to the compact purses of the early 2000s, it ushered in a new era of tote bag love which saw large and slouchy styles reign supreme. As a scaled-up version of a CHANEL icon, the Maxi Classic Flap became the go-to CHANEL bag of many during the late 2000s and early 2010s.
Paparazzi images featuring the likes of Lauren Conrad donning the super-sized CHANEL favorite, along with the decade’s other must-have styles, such as skinny jeans and wedge sneakers, have cemented the bag’s association with the era’s fashion.
There are countless examples of designs that have remained must-haves for decades, like the HERMÈS Birkin, CHANEL Classic Flap, LOUIS VUITTON Speedy, and many more.
There is, of course, the concept of a bag becoming so sought after that the only direction its popularity can go is down. This doesn’t happen to all beloved bags. There are countless examples of designs that have remained must-haves for decades, like the HERMÈS Birkin, CHANEL Classic Flap, LOUIS VUITTON Speedy, and many more. But there’s a growing list of once classic bags with dwindling popularity. 
There are certainly some styles that are more likely to miss out on continued long-term popularity.
Two obvious examples come in the form of the CHANEL Grand Shopping Tote and LOUIS VUITTON Neverfull. As some of the most sought-after tote bags of all time, these two designs reached peak popularity during the 2010s, and while they are undisputed classics, they simply don’t boast the same widespread popularity they once did. Some social media users have even taken to platforms like TikTok to brand the styles “over.”
Handbags gaining and losing popularity is an inevitable part of fashion. Whether styles fall from grace because of fickle trend cycles or consumers getting sick of seeing the same thing, handbags becoming has-beens is nothing new. But there are certainly some styles that are more likely to miss out on continued long-term popularity. And for handbag lovers eager to invest in enduring classics, it won’t hurt to be on the lookout for signs that a style’s popularity could be doomed to plummet.
The article was adapted from purseblog.com
BOTTEGA VENETA Ties the Knot Again
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
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
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.
| Classic Bags | New Price | Old Price | % Increase | Delta |
| CHANEL Classic Mini Square Flap Bag | $4,700 | $4,200 | 11.9% | $500 |
| CHANEL Classic Mini Rectangular Flap Bag | $4,900 | $4,400 | 11.36% | $500 |
| CHANEL Classic Small Flap Bag | $9,600 | $8,200 | 17% | $1,400 |
| CHANEL Classic Medium Flap Bag | $10,200 | $8,800 | 16% | $1,400 |
| CHANEL Classic Jumbo Flap Bag | $11,000 | $9,500 | 15.8% | $1,500 |
| CHANEL Classic Maxi Flap Bag | $11,500 | $10,000 | 15% | $1,500 |
| CHANEL Classic Flap Mini Top Handle | $5,400 | $4,800 | 12.5% | $600 |
| CHANEL Coco Handle Mini | $5,400 | $4,800 | $600 | 12.5% |
| CHANEL Coco Handle Small | $5,900 | $5,000 | 18% | $900 |
| CHANEL Coco Handle Medium | $5,500 |
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.
| Reissue Bags | New Price | Old Price | % Increase | Delta |
| CHANEL Reissue Mini Bag | $4,900 | $4,400 | 11.36% | $500 |
| CHANEL Reissue Regular Bag | $10,200 | $8,800 | 15.91% | $1,400 |
| CHANEL Reissue Large Bag | $11,000 | $9,500 | 15.79% | $1,500 |
| Boy Bags | New Price | Old Price | % Increase | Delta |
| CHANEL Small Boy Flap Bag | $6,100 | $5,400 | 12.96% | $700 |
| CHANEL Medium Boy Flap Bag | $6,600 | $5,900 | 11.86% | $700 |
| CHANEL Large Boy Flap Bag | $7,000 | $6,200 | 12.90% | $800 |
| Wallet-On-Chain Bags | New Price | Old Price | % Increase | Delta |
| CHANEL Classic WOC Bag | $3,350 | $2,950 | 13.56% | $400 |
| CHANEL Boy WOC Bag | $3,425 | $3,000 | 14.17% | $425 |
| CHANEL 19/22 Bags | New Price | Old Price | % Increase | Delta |
| CHANEL 19 Small Bag | $6,400 | $5,700 | 12.28% | $700 |
| CHANEL 19 Large Bag | $6,800 | $6,300 | 7.94% | $500 |
| CHANEL 19 Maxi Bag | $7,500 | $6,900 | 8.70% | $600 |
| CHANEL 22 | $5,800 | $5,300 | 9.43% | $500 |
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.
