THE DEATH OF DESIGNER BAGS
Accessibility does not represent exclusivity. When an item or a brand becomes accessible, it is no longer desirable to luxury clientele.
As a little girl, I dreamed of walking into a luxury store and buying whatever I wanted. I was obsessed with the illusion of what luxury fashion looked like and couldn't wait until I could explore the world of luxury fashion and participate in its overconsumption. Like most girls, I dreamed of a walk-in closet full of luxury clothes; I imagined the smell, the feel, the fabric, the different coloured tissue paper and boxes thrown all over my floor as i excitedly pulled out my new designer bag. The illusion of luxury fashion hypnotised me, and unfortunately, when I could afford to participate, I realised that the glamorous world was all but an illusion.
By the time I could afford to consume luxury products, I was met with judgmental staff ignoring me, staring me up and down and dismissing my overall presence. At first, I didn’t understand the rudeness, and then I realised they were industry standards for very specific brands like Chanel and Hermes. It was so odd to me how people on the selling side could dismiss the consumers paying their rent on a handbag, but that was their culture, and I bought what I liked and went on with my day despite despising my rude treatment. Luxury brands know how to sell desire. They sell an illusion of beauty and exclusivity behind a very high price tag and very clean, well-dressed glass windows, but behind the illusion is just that… an illusion, nothing more.
I used to believe I was buying into a legacy, but in reality, I was buying into an idea, not the legacy itself. If you look at the mass-produced quality of most luxury goods, designers like Coco Chanel and Christian Dior would never sell 90% of what gets passed quality control but yet here we are buying poorly made goods and calling them luxury. People like Bernard Arunult must laugh at the stupidity of his consumers, given the cost-cutting and lack of creativity that has gone on in the past 50 years. He must think we are beyond stupid and very easy to manipulate selling cheap shit and calling it luxury. The amount of wear and tear and imperfections I have seen and had in my luxury goods over the years has made me question my luxury purchases heavily. I recently bought a black mini Jackie with black crystals and a gold chain from Gucci and the chain feels more expensive than the bag itself… When the chain feels more luxurious than the overpriced satin mini bag, I think we have an issue with quality control… This cheaply made Jackie bag feels fake, which is concerning, given it was bought directly from Gucci. My point is these ‘luxury’ bags are not luxury they are just expensive, thats it…
It's unfortunate to realise that luxury fashion is not what it sells itself to be. Instead, it wears a mask, just like you and me. As a consumer, I see the mask, and it's a real turn-off, knowing I am being sold a lie, not a legacy anymore.
To me, luxury bags are a scam, not a luxury and something despite still, at times, consuming, I feel disappointed by. I used to believe and fantasise about luxury fashion, and now, as I consume, I feel disheartened and guilty knowing I overpaid on a mass-produced logos.
Luxury fashion used to mean something. It used to represent luxury; now it represents mass production, trends and corner-cutting. To walk into a store and be judged is one red flag. To walk into a store, be judged, overpay and realise you got scammed into believing an illusion of luxury fashion is something else. Despite semi-regularly consuming luxury goods, I tend to veer away from them unless they are vintage or really, really special. Luxury fashion is an illusion of luxury, not luxury itself.
I think it would be cool to see the death of the designer bag and the rise of start-up designer bags. I would rather support a living artist over the idea of a dead one. If you know any cool up-and-coming designers with cool bags, email me!! I love an edgy bag with studding, silver chains or even something classic or beaded. Let's kill the idea of luxury and get back to what luxury really is: self-expression, creativity and, most importantly, fun.
Love, Chiara x