THE BATTLE OF THE VINTAGE HANDBAG
THE BATTLE OF THE VINTAGE HANDBAG
COMELY HANDBAG FACTORY
The millennium marked the “battle of the vintage handbag”
When every luxury brand and designer label endeavoured to produce the “it” bag of the season.
This resulted in an endless search for novelty in scale and decoration and the utilization of ever excessive and esoteric materials (collagen injected snakeskin anyone?)
The hierarchy of precious materials was relinquished as industrial fabrics such as nylon could be as costly as bespoke woven velvet.
A waiting list and celebrity endorsement became vital prerequisites of the commercial success of a bag.
The notion of celebrity and headline grabbing handbags became inextricably linked, and a marketing process known as “seeding” gained popularity with the big brands and designer labels.
This tactic was first deployed by Balenciaga in promoting Nicolas Ghesquiere’s Lariat in 2001. A squishy tote featuring tassels and rivets and with the signature leather strip on the zip, the bag was sent to 30 influential fashionistas and trendsetter, including Kate Moss, Sienna Miller, Chloe Sevigny and Charlotte Gainsbourg.
Endlessly snapped by the paparazzi with the bag on their arm, it quickly achieved cult status with the commensurate waiting list.