In the Sept. 17 issue, we made a list of the top seven bags you'll find for the new season. You might have been wondering: why are some bags so expensive? By that same token, we'll break down one of high fashion's most prominent staples: The Designer Bag.
First off, forget the Harry Winston diamond and forget Jimmy Choo. Any fashionista knows the real way to reward herself and show off her fashionista charm is with the be-all and end-all of extraordinary designer purchases: The Designer Bag. They're everywhere - it's hard to even leave home without seeing the interlocking C's of Chanel, the equally recognizable Louis Vuitton monogram or the heavy Chlo? Paddington padlock.
But these bags are expensive and exclusive for a reason. They aren't popular just because someone decided Louis Vuitton was a cooler name than XOXO. Contrary to popular belief, you aren't just paying for the name. To prove it to you, we've collected the evidence.
Here's a small sampling of designer bag pricing: A regular size Louis Vuitton shoulder bag retails for about $600 to $800. The ever-popular Chlo? Paddington bag retails for $1,585. A Dior shoulder bag is $1,795. Moreover, a Hermes Birkin Bag will set you back nearly $10,000 and put you on a four-year waiting list.
If you think those prices are high, you haven't seen the purse that can put you in debt (unless you're buying it with your Black card): The Chanel Diamond Forever Classic Bag. With only 13 made in the world, this bag will be priced at almost $261,000 when it is released in December. For starters, the bag is adorned with 334 diamonds, totaling 3.56 carats, in addition to an 18-carat, white gold hardware and white alligator skin texture.
But the bag is an extreme case, and odds are the lucky 13 who purchase it will be highly protected by security when they take it out in public - if it ever leaves their homes.
So, back to the question at hand: why are designer bags like the Chanel Diamond bag so expensive?
Well, they are called luxury handbags for a reason. These bags are made with difficult-to-find materials, including, but not limited to crocodile skin, calf skin, alligator skin, lamb skin, leather, silver, gold, white gold, pearl and even precious stones.
While most handbags are manufactured in China, luxurious designer handbags are designed by teams of professionals in countries such as France and Italy. These handbags also are not mass-produced quickly, there are fewer made, which drives up prices.
Flipping through Vogue, it's hard not to notice the glamorous, full-page ads for fashion powerhouses Louis Vuitton, Dior and Burberry. These ads, used to convey an image of glitz and prestige for anyone who owns her products, drive up the costs of the products themselves. In addition, high fashion companies hire only the most talented and creative designers, and a lot of work goes into designing the bag in order to make it functional and beautiful. With less expensive bags - some of which are knockoffs or imitations of high fashion bags - a creative team is not necessary.
Before you dismiss designer bags as not worthy of their high price, think again. These bags are not only made of the finest materials and designed by the most creative minds in the fashion industry, but the designer bag can transform any outfit.
Simple sweats can look couture with the added oomph of a designer bag. Next time you're in Bloomingdales or Neiman Marcus, don't walk so fast through the designer bag aisle. Instead, take some time, and see which works.
