Does anybody think ....

naughtymanolo

FYI I am a guy
O.G.
Apr 20, 2006
3,044
10
this 'birkin phase' in fashion will die. Maybe its wishful thinking but i can't wait for the birkin (and kelly) to be out of the 'it' circle. They should be appreciated as classics and people whom have and interest is fashion and quality. I'm hoping it will die down soon, and with it slow the constantly soaring price of the bags. The day ill be ready to buy a bag they will be in the 20K region. *sigh* ok im starting to ramble. What are your thoughts?
 
Maybe it's a good idea to educate us masses so that everybody carries beautiful and quality bag?:yes:

I've always thought they were too good for me, but in the last few years, I've upped my personal ante and I wonder how many other people use a birkin as a holy grail or a benchmark for personal achievements in their lives?
What a great change for people in general, n'est pas?

I know I'm aiming higher for a lot of things and you may have learned more earlier than a lot of people, but can a world with more people recognizing and appreciating quality really be a bad place?

Just a different spin to help you see a brighter side. You said you work in the fashion industry yourself... maybe these educated people will be buying your designs one day, and wouldn't it be great that they appreciate your quality control and hard work and sense of style!

But yeah, they are expensive...:flowers:
 
Wish the hype would die down. Eventually all trends change, but when is the question?
I have fallen in love with the Bolide, as my alternative.
I feel like a "fashion victim" carrying a Birkin at certain places. Loved when they were under the radar in my area. Now I go to my shopping area and they are almost like standard equipment of those who can afford one.

Do not mean to offend anyone, Birkins are wonderful bags and I love them.
 
I think the hype already has died down. There is a cult following dominated by middle aged women (myself among them ) but the younger people I know in the fashion industry would probably pick any number of other things as the "it" bag.
On younger women, a birkin or kelly is kind of a funky "flip" - like wearing your grandmothers bag - the same idea Marc Jacobs' black quilted and gold hardware Chanel take offs is based on.
I think the fact they are so ubiquitous in Manhattan demonstrates this - despite popular perception, fashion-wise most New Yorkers are very careful, not particularly innovative, and somewhat "inside the box" - why else do you think that 80% or more of the clothing you see on the street is black?
As for the price, i think the resale market will cool off but the price at Hermes seems to be resistant to supply and demand - this is probably one of the problems with their business model and why they are not a more profitable company. They are reasonably profitable, but not making a killing, relatively speaking.
Before you flame me, let me make this disclaimer - I am a dyed in the wool birkin fan, and almost never carry anything else - but I am just saying, just because we like it doesnt mean its the height of fashion.
 
I have been waiting seemingly forever for Birkin fever to die...it's not dead enough yet for my tastes. As jedi is, I am a dyed-in-the-wool Birkin fan, and have been for a while. Birkin mania happened somewhere along the way and I keep hoping to wait it out. I was happier carrying mine when they were not as recognizable.
 
I was happier carrying mine when they were not as recognizable.

I think that's why I sold my 30cm and 35cm Birkins and hesitate to buy another one. They were too "out there" for me to carry. I used to carry the Coach Station bag for about ten years (yes the same one...black with gold hw)..anyway, when I saw tons of people carrying the same bag I stopped carrying mine. I feel fine, though, carrying my Kellys and Bolide.:girlsigh:
 
the birkin will always be an "it" bag.....and to be honest it has always been! I remeber that in 1993, my mum had problems getting ahold of a birkin....and that she was involved in a fight over a red birkin in the NYC store!
Of course, victoria b. and many any other celebrities hyped it up a bit as well, but after all it is an all time classic such as the chanel 2.55, the bottega cabas or the goyard st louis.......
 
I agree with what has been said. I was far more comfortable carrying my Birkins when they weren't as recognizable--the reason being is that along with the hype of the bag, the price tag has been flaunted about like an invisible logo. I think SATC and the Oprah publicity really popularized the Birkin to crazy levels. I'm hoping one day people will forget and it will go away, but the truth is, that even before these two incidents, anyone who loved fashion knew about the Birkin.

I don't think the hype will die down as long as Hermes maintains its current business model. I think with the increase in the number of craftspeople hired in recent years, Birkins are more available than in previous years (hence possibly creating a damper on the resellers' market unless they invest in older pieces in rare colors/skins), but the prices are enough of a deterrent to many that there is still a cache and allure to the bag itself.

I was reading a Reuters article where a private wealth manager was speaking about the rise of the middle-class millionaire and how this new group was influencing a lot of how luxury goods were being purchased and also affecting the spending habits of the uber-wealthy---he said, "When you're very wealthy you look for exclusive expressions of affluence and when these are more available to a larger number of people they lose their exclusivity so they want something new and innovative."

I realize this is a blanket statement, but I think there is some truth to it and that Hermes right now is at the pinnacle of the handbag food chain. Unless another brand surpasses their craftsmanship or Hermes goes the way of many luxury conglomerates and starts mass production (heaven forbid) I think the hype is here to stay.
 
I don't think it's going to die down anytime in the near future. I think that the constant publicity combined with the fact that they are somewhat hard to get adds constant fuel to the flame. I agree w/ Jedi that it's a more mature following probably due to the price tag to some degree. I wish it would subside a bit... I feel wierd sometimes when I carry mine.
 
I've been wanting a birkin for a while now, and DH agreed for Christmas. But most recently, I've been turned off by all the media and celebrity hype about them. I still really want one, but think I may hold off a little and go for one of the other gorgeous Hermes styles.