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Originally published: 1-Jun-06
Original link:
http://biz.yahoo.com/special/luxury060106_article2.html
Lauren Sherman
Forbes.com
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Fendi "B.Bag"
$27,700*
Hailing the return of the structured bag, this might be Fendi's
best seller since the Baguette. Although the white lambskin runway bag
(pictured on the runway) was well-received, the $27,700 black
crocodile version is truly coveted.
*(14,731 pounds, 21,617 euros, 1.2M rupees, C$31,038, A$36,910) |
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Hermès "Birkin"
$20,000-plus*
Nearly all Hermès Birkin bags, named after English actress and '60s
fashion icon Jane Birkin, are special orders, like this red leather
version. Most Birkins are upwards of $20,000, but the final price
depends on skin and hardware.
*(10,636 pounds, 15,608 euros, 910,800 rupees, C$22,410, A$26,650) |
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Yves Saint Laurent "Muse"
$18,990*
Seen on the arm of everyone from Kate Moss to
Jessica Simpson, the roomy yet refined Muse riffs on
the traditional bowling bag. Linda Evangelista's sage
green version, pictured above at Paris Fashion Week last February, is
now available in white crocodile for $18,990.
*(10,099 pounds, 14,820 euros, 864,805 rupees, C$21,278, A$25,304) |
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Prada "Frame Bag"
$15,090*
This structured crocodile bag, embossed with the signature Prada
emblem, made its first appearance on the Autumn/Winter 2006 runway in
Milan. It is available in the tan color shown above, known as Krusca.
*(8,025 pounds, 11,776 euros, 687,199 rupees, C$16,908, A$20,107) |
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Zac Posen "Alexia"
$15,000*
With his first line of bags, Posen has created the ultimate homage
to the '70s. This blue crocodile version oozes opulence.
*(7,977 pounds, 11,706 euros, 683,100 rupees, C$16,808, A$19,988) |
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Ralph Lauren "Ricky"
$14,000*
The latest of the exclusive bag set, Ralph Lauren's is named for
his wife and is available in silver crocodile. For the shocking orange
version, you'll have to travel to RL's newly opened Japanese flagship.
*(7,445 pounds, 10,926 euros, 637,560 rupees, C$15,687, A$18,655) |
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Chloe "Paddington"
$12,880*
After experiencing a huge wave of popularity a couple of years
back, the Paddington satchel, which features metal accoutrements,
including the signature golden padlock closure, remains relevant by
maintaining its exclusivity. This grey leather version was the bag du
jour last autumn, and now admirers can scoop up the chocolate
crocodile style for close to $13,000. Due to high demand, luxury
department store Bergdorf Goodman allows customers to
order no more than three every 30 days.
*(6,850 pounds, 10,052 euros, 586,555 rupees, C$14,432, A$17,163) |
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Gucci "Boston"
$11,990-plus*
This medium-sized croc bag, with bamboo details and gold hardware,
rings in at almost $12,000, but the larger version will set you back
$13,900. It's also available in black crocodile, patent leather and
guccissima leather.
*(6,376 pounds, 9,357 euros, 546,025 rupees, C$13,435, A$15,977) |
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Bottega Veneta "Bambina"
$7,800*
Unlike powerhouses Louis Vuitton or Chanel,
Bottega Veneta has no recognizable logo or trademark handbag shape.
Available only at Bottega Veneta boutiques, the spring line offers
quality, exclusivity and status. This soft crocodile Bambina,
available in Biscotto Fume, has a suede lining and magnetic closure.
*(4,148 pounds, 6,087 euros, 355,212 rupees, C$8,740, A$10,394) |
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Devi Kroell "Crystal Disco Ball"
$4,900*
Devi Kroell, who first became well known in fashion circles for her
slouchy, metallic python hobos, gives the evening bag a much-needed
injection of edgy glamour by covering it in black crystals.
*(2,606 pounds, 3,824 euros, 223,146 rupees, C$5,490, A$6,529) |
Think spending $180 on a pair of perfectly
distressed jeans is extravagant?
Then you might gasp at shelling out $37,000 for an Hermès "Birkin" bag,
even if it is made of orange crocodile and embellished with palladium
hardware.
Yes, five-figure handbags. To be sure, they're rare--but for a certain
set, they have come to replace the $675 Manolo Blahniks of the post-Sex
and the City '90s.
"It used to be the shoes make the man," says Milton Pedraza, chief
executive of the Luxury Institute, a market research firm based in New
York City. "Well, these days, the handbag makes the woman."
Status bags are nothing new. In the 1960s, after
a structured Hermès bag graced the cover of Life magazine, shielding the
pregnant stomach of Princess Grace, everyone wanted a "Kelly" purse. The
'80s belonged to the roomier, softer Hermès bag inspired by British icon
Jane Birkin. After the minimalism of the early 1990s, the opulent Fendi
"Baguette," which came in dozens of versions, inspired lengthy waiting
lists. Women shelled out hundreds, and sometimes several thousands, for
the "It" bag.
However, a major shift in the overall handbag price point occurred about
five years ago with the emergence of what Marshal Cohen, chief analyst for
the Port Washington, N.Y., research firm NPD Group, calls "signature
items."
Suddenly, splurging on a pair of premium denim jeans or dropping a few
hundred dollars on satin slingbacks became socially acceptable, even
encouraged in some circles. The willingness to spend way more than
necessary, and to think of an accessory as an investment and a
collectible, is part of what makes a handbag so coveted, Cohen says.
This idea was put to the ultimate test on April 20, 2005, when Doyle New
York auctioned a black crocodile Hermès "Birkin" with a diamond-covered
clasp and lock. It sold for $64,800.
Why would anyone spend so much on a purse when they could have something a
little roomier and more useful--say, a car--for the same price? For its
exclusivity, originality and above all, status, says Cohen.
"It's the difference between buying a Rolls Royce at $300,000 and buying a
Rolls Royce at $150,000," he says. "There's really little difference at
some point--it's the status that comes along with it and the desire to
separate yourself."
As a result, nearly every fashion house has gotten into the game. High-end
designers like Narciso Rodriguez and Zac Posen have new handbag lines.
Coach has expanded its business dramatically with smart handbag marketing,
offering stylish, mid-priced bags that change frequently, like the uber-luxury
labels.
Posen, whose curve-hugging, 1940s-inspired dresses have become red carpet
must-haves for women including Natalie Portman, Nicky Hilton and Lauren
Dupont, plans to distinguish his handbag line through "detailing and
textural materials that reveal themselves in a combination of function and
flair," says Stephanie Cozzi, sales director of the house. "The Zac Posen
woman wants to feel like she is carrying a future collectible when she has
our bag on her arm."
To compile our list of the most expensive handbags, we searched through
product offerings for the priciest versions currently on the market--not
including custom-made or antique versions. We limited the list to one
handbag per brand, so the list wasn't full of slightly different bags all
by the same maker. Of course, there will always be a designer who is
willing to charge a little bit more for some extra detailing on a handbag,
not to mention a customer who is willing to spend a little bit more to
have it.
The brands on our list are highly recognizable. They include Gucci, Hermès
and Ralph Lauren, all known for creating top-quality goods infused with
impeccable style--and charging a pretty premium for them. Newcomers Devi
Kroell and Zac Posen also made the cut, Kroell with her black crystal
version of the traditional evening bag and Posen with his luscious blue
croc "Antonia."
Though the brand name counts, price is also determined by material;
anything in ostrich, python or crocodile tends to up the ante. Most labels
offer their most popular bags in several skins. Take Yves Saint Laurent's
very popular "Muse" bag. The chocolate leather version will set you back
around $1,300. The white crocodile, however, is priced at $18,990.
At these astronomical prices, our experts see no sign of the "It" bag's
demise. But still we have to wonder--what's next?
"The belt," Pedraza says, "will become a much bigger status symbol."
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