Gone are the days when an IT bag is the apex of luxury – these days – something a little more discreet is in order. An IT bag has always held a sense of frenzy. Waiting lists, thick gilded leather straps and pockets, laden with logos, padlocks and zips at the most absurd prices. Named after icons, they were trophies, totems and symbols of wealth, prestige and luxury.
Not anymore. These days, there’s more of a chance the IT bag in question is not the real deal – making the credibility of its owner questionable or simply the market is flooded with options, giving each IT bag (or its owner) less of a chance of being unique. And who wouldn’t want to be unique? Simplicity is key in 2017. Women want one handbag that’s beautifully crafted, unique and personal to them. Not something on the arms and shoulders of many. This has become the ultimate luxury in handbags.
Net a Porter’s former buying director, (now Browns CEO) Holli Rogers is quoted in an article by Lucia Van Der Post (written for How to Spend It) on how the simple designs – less fanfare and statement logos are becoming covetable. In reference to Victoria Beckham’s Shopper Tote, she says: “They are exquisitely simple, [made] not in large numbers, and the luxury lies in the detail – the pockets, the lining, the stitching, the zips. It’s these things that give women the emotional punch they want from their handbags.” In the same feature Anya Hindmarch says on the trend, it’s not about price anymore, its about beautiful, handcrafted, artisanal old-fashioned quality. She also says, “Simple can be the most difficult thing to do.”
Simple can be difficult yes, but not impossible. Perhaps the secret is in choosing the handmade, handcrafted or personalised? Luxury South African magazine Wanted’s editor Jacquie Myburgh exclaimed in her editor’s letter for the magazine’s 2016 Handcrafted issue: “In this age of mass manufacture, the lifestyle Holy Grail has become that which is unique, bespoke, and – wherever possible – the product of manmade craftsmanship.”
Overall, when it comes to choosing a handbag – or anything else that adds to your wardrobe – pick your own. The One that resonates with you, the one that gives you that emotional punch.
