I was gonna say price would be one of the main considerations in labelling premiere, wouldn't it? I was noticing ads popped up for bags that looked almost identical - one a Coach and one a Prada. These were preowned but there was a big difference in price. I'd rather have the Prada and I think the leather would be better but to the average person there wouldn't be much difference.
Did you stop buying/using contemporary bags once you go luxury?
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I’ve been reading the whole thread and at some point in the middle I felt I had to write down my thoughts, so here we are:
- to reply to the main question, yes and no, I do feel like buying premier designer bags kind of phased out my use of more cheap, contemporary bags, but it depends on the brand. Back in 2010s I used to have several Michael Kors bags, like Selma and so on, and at one point when Michael Kors has over flooded the market, I started to get bored of it and gave all my bags to my sister, my mother-in-law and other family members.
- I still have some contemporary designer bags I adore and love to wear, it has either to do with the bag itself, how it’s made and the colour it has, but I have to note these are the bags I use the most in summertime, so I don’t have to worry about wear and tear, I throw these bags in the front bucket of my bicycle or on the sand at the beach and they last me years despite being heavily used. I have one red bucket bag from Weekend MaxMara I got a couple years ago on sale and I still love it to bits and it’s my go-to summer bag. Another favorite of mine is a green DKNY bag on chain, that my sister gave to me a few years ago, and I just can’t part ways with it, it’s so easy to wear and style. Another great addition to my bag collection was Marc Jacobs Tote bag in blue fabric, it was a great beach bag last summer and I can’t wait to take it out this year again.
- I find that despite watching a lot of bag reviews on YouTube I’ve been turned off from the very popular bags everybody is talking about, both luxury and non. I don’t have any LV bag or any other trendy bag from luxury designers or any bag that is heavily logo-ed (aside my MJ Tote bag, but I think it isn’t as tacky and is made in a more fun and ironic way). I prefer to stay away from trendy pieces pushed by influencers. I buy what I like and usually these bags have very subtle logo, like Old Celine, or intricate design like Alaia laser cut bag or architectural Maxmara Whitney bag.
- Lately I’ve become quite intrigued by vintage luxury bags, they are more unique and many of them have more affordable prices rather than these newly released luxury bags that have constant price increases, I feel like most premier brands are reaching a point where a customer have to drop at least 3-4k € or $ to get a luxury bag in a simple design, it’s insane.
- I also like to see some new brands popping up like Senreve, Polene, Cuyana, but what kills the cool vibe for me of having these bags is that as soon as they start to heavily use influencer marketing, I’m getting turned off of wanting to get the bag, since it’s not something “unique, in the know”, but again trendy, popular pieces.
- As I grow older I start to look more into quiet luxury brands, like Valextra, Serapian and so on, that offer great quality, craftsmanship, very subtle branding and don’t heavily advertise like Dior, Chanel, LV and so on. I feel like some luxury brands became more like fast fashion, constant bag releases you can’t keep up with and it doesn’t feel like luxury to me anymore.
To close off, I feel like I touched a lot of points here, so coming back to the original question, to me contemporary brands are great alternative to luxury brands, especially when it comes to functionality, like many contemporary designers make bags that have great interior bag organization, many inner pockets, greater security (zip closure) and so, while many luxury bags lack these elements despite being much pricier. One of my favorite bags used to be Michael Kors Ava small bag, it was so functional, fit a lot despite a small size and the only thing that killed it for me was the ubiquity of Michael Kors brand, but the bag itself was amazing, and some similar styles from luxury brands like D&G Sicily bag didn’t offer as much functionality as the Ava bag did. So as long as luxury bags lack some functionality other bags offer, they can’t phase out completely contemporary designer bags for me.
- to reply to the main question, yes and no, I do feel like buying premier designer bags kind of phased out my use of more cheap, contemporary bags, but it depends on the brand. Back in 2010s I used to have several Michael Kors bags, like Selma and so on, and at one point when Michael Kors has over flooded the market, I started to get bored of it and gave all my bags to my sister, my mother-in-law and other family members.
- I still have some contemporary designer bags I adore and love to wear, it has either to do with the bag itself, how it’s made and the colour it has, but I have to note these are the bags I use the most in summertime, so I don’t have to worry about wear and tear, I throw these bags in the front bucket of my bicycle or on the sand at the beach and they last me years despite being heavily used. I have one red bucket bag from Weekend MaxMara I got a couple years ago on sale and I still love it to bits and it’s my go-to summer bag. Another favorite of mine is a green DKNY bag on chain, that my sister gave to me a few years ago, and I just can’t part ways with it, it’s so easy to wear and style. Another great addition to my bag collection was Marc Jacobs Tote bag in blue fabric, it was a great beach bag last summer and I can’t wait to take it out this year again.
- I find that despite watching a lot of bag reviews on YouTube I’ve been turned off from the very popular bags everybody is talking about, both luxury and non. I don’t have any LV bag or any other trendy bag from luxury designers or any bag that is heavily logo-ed (aside my MJ Tote bag, but I think it isn’t as tacky and is made in a more fun and ironic way). I prefer to stay away from trendy pieces pushed by influencers. I buy what I like and usually these bags have very subtle logo, like Old Celine, or intricate design like Alaia laser cut bag or architectural Maxmara Whitney bag.
- Lately I’ve become quite intrigued by vintage luxury bags, they are more unique and many of them have more affordable prices rather than these newly released luxury bags that have constant price increases, I feel like most premier brands are reaching a point where a customer have to drop at least 3-4k € or $ to get a luxury bag in a simple design, it’s insane.
- I also like to see some new brands popping up like Senreve, Polene, Cuyana, but what kills the cool vibe for me of having these bags is that as soon as they start to heavily use influencer marketing, I’m getting turned off of wanting to get the bag, since it’s not something “unique, in the know”, but again trendy, popular pieces.
- As I grow older I start to look more into quiet luxury brands, like Valextra, Serapian and so on, that offer great quality, craftsmanship, very subtle branding and don’t heavily advertise like Dior, Chanel, LV and so on. I feel like some luxury brands became more like fast fashion, constant bag releases you can’t keep up with and it doesn’t feel like luxury to me anymore.
To close off, I feel like I touched a lot of points here, so coming back to the original question, to me contemporary brands are great alternative to luxury brands, especially when it comes to functionality, like many contemporary designers make bags that have great interior bag organization, many inner pockets, greater security (zip closure) and so, while many luxury bags lack these elements despite being much pricier. One of my favorite bags used to be Michael Kors Ava small bag, it was so functional, fit a lot despite a small size and the only thing that killed it for me was the ubiquity of Michael Kors brand, but the bag itself was amazing, and some similar styles from luxury brands like D&G Sicily bag didn’t offer as much functionality as the Ava bag did. So as long as luxury bags lack some functionality other bags offer, they can’t phase out completely contemporary designer bags for me.
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I mostly carry my premier bags, but I do have several contemporary bags that I wear (just not as much). My favorite contemporary bags are a Polene Numero Uno in tangerine, See by Chloe Mini Joan bag in dark purple, Tory Burch camera bag in emerald green, Proenze Schuler PS1 in orange. Yes, lots of color. The vast majority of my collection is either neutral or colored bags (I rarely wear black bags). I am especially attracted to bags with color so a great color will always catch my eye regardless of who makes it. I definitely will bring out a contemporary bag (or sometimes a no-name cheapie) when the weather isn't great. If I am going campiing/hiking/biking/etc, I will carry a no-name cheapie bag as too much chance of the others getting dirty.
I just ordered a Polene Uno mini backpack and for $380 shipped for a full
Leather bag- I’m excited for its arrival. I used to love my designer bags… but then LV customer service and quality went downhill… so now I just want a comfortable bag I can where everywhere
Leather bag- I’m excited for its arrival. I used to love my designer bags… but then LV customer service and quality went downhill… so now I just want a comfortable bag I can where everywhere
I feel like I need to baby my high end bag more than my cheap ones which I think is silly since youd expect more with expensive bags. I mean they should be sturdy given the money youd spend on it. I think the last straw was when I got told that i was materialistic by my mom when she saw me moisturizing my neverfull straps and wrapping it with plastic bag when it rained. So i gave her the bag because I was really stressed of the possiblity of damaging it. So its nice to have midtier bags. Its less stress bags
I agree with you regarding mid tier bags. I have been carrying them all during the pandemic and I treat them carelessly and I like that. With luxury bags I tend to worry about doing something to them so they mostly sit in my closet which I know is dumb but I can't help it.
I don’t baby the bags when carrying them, but always put them in a dust bag after using them, and occasionally wipe them with a leather wipes and just make sure to store them properly. Never had an issue such a color transfer, or nails scratching my bag (I keep them relatively short and natural)… If a bag develops a dent or a scratch, I can feel a bit sad for a moment, but then I always remind myself that this is just means this bag receives a lot of love since I use it a lot
My collection is mainly premier, but I do have other bags that I wear and love. I try to think of the full length context: RTW, accessories. Do I like the way I look; am I comfortable; can I easily carry the weight (more of an issue now that I am older).
DH and I just spent three weeks away and among the bags used was a nylon NS oriented crossbody with zipped outer pocket. It fit the travel notebook which was crammed with stuff like print outs of Covid negative reports. I like classic design; I love fashion; that’s part of who I am. I do tend to shop when I feel thin and fit, so it’s a happy thing
DH and I just spent three weeks away and among the bags used was a nylon NS oriented crossbody with zipped outer pocket. It fit the travel notebook which was crammed with stuff like print outs of Covid negative reports. I like classic design; I love fashion; that’s part of who I am. I do tend to shop when I feel thin and fit, so it’s a happy thing
I mainly stick with my premier bags, but I only travel with Pacsafe and use Longchamp for anything messy. I've even covered my head with a large sized le Pliage when caught in a storm. I'm sure I looked lovely.
Way too many pretty bags from contemporary designers to be able to avoid acquiring and using them.
Double trouble!
Forget contemporary… I use my yellow book store bag every single day. That’s like 2.95$
I carry whatever works, and not strictly premier. Contemporary designers give you a bit more fun, a bit more edge, but also variety and isn’t that the spice of life? Works with my high-low personal style. And I rock the convenient canvas bag for no fuss outings.
I remember when my best friends and I were out Christmas shopping and we saw 4 women, maybe in their mid 30s/40s and all 4 were carrying a Chanel flap. Not the same colours but since they were all lined up to pay, it really affirms that luxury doesn’t necessarily mean all the time, especially in the company of same/same. If one of them was rocking a bombass McQueen bag, it would’ve stood out.
I remember when my best friends and I were out Christmas shopping and we saw 4 women, maybe in their mid 30s/40s and all 4 were carrying a Chanel flap. Not the same colours but since they were all lined up to pay, it really affirms that luxury doesn’t necessarily mean all the time, especially in the company of same/same. If one of them was rocking a bombass McQueen bag, it would’ve stood out.
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