Real luxury items left...

[papertiger]

Papertiger, have you ever seen any Moreau bags?
I have just seen a few! Pure luxury!

Of course Moreau hand sews all croc and hand finishes leather,

Let us not forget VBH precious skins too

...and then there was a Swiss man who'd worked for H and brought out a line of precious skin bags decorated only with 18ct and precious gems...Does anyone remember his name?

...and the lady who only took orders on bags she could make herself and used the bee as her logo/signature

No shortage of handmade beauties anytime soon

 

[tea4two]

Of course Moreau hand sews all croc and hand finishes leather,

Let us not forget VBH precious skins too

...and then there was a Swiss man who'd worked for H and brought out a line of precious skin bags decorated only with 18ct and precious gems...Does anyone remember his name?

...and the lady who only took orders on bags she could make herself and used the bee as her logo/signature

No shortage of handmade beauties anytime soon

The lady with the bee logo (formerly a leather craftsman at Hermes) is Beatrice Amblard of April in Paris out of San Francisco which was previously mentioned by jellyv. Thanks for your amazing knowledge of luxury leather goods; wow!

 

[papertiger]

The lady with the bee logo (formerly a leather craftsman at Hermes) is Beatrice Amblard of April in Paris out of San Francisco which was previously mentioned by jellyv. Thanks for your amazing knowledge of luxury leather goods; wow!

Ah, tank you, well remembered tea4two!!!

 

[jellyv]

...and then there was a Swiss man who'd worked for H and brought out a line of precious skin bags decorated only with 18ct and precious gems...Does anyone remember his name?

...and the lady who only took orders on bags she could make herself and used the bee as her logo/signature

That's Peter Nitz (actually American expat), as I linked below, along with Beatrice of April in Paris.

 

[MargaretofAnjou]

Perrin of Paris - once a glove maker, now do amazing bags too

Moynat, Delvaux and Valextra

Tanner Krolle (owned by the owners of Chanel) mostly made on application

Asprey, mostly limited of a kind pieces in precious skins

Launer, handcrafted, bespoke considered

Gucci have some amazing bags. They do 'made to order' on certain styles of bags (BTM, Stirrup, New Jackie) their women's loafers. They also do made to measure shoes and tailoring for men (but they'll make for women too if asked)

Pickett of London do bespoke and for a comparatively reasonable, their bags are handcrafted and finished, and all but a few have suede interiors

Vintage mid-century bags of long forgotten names like Bellstone and Korret, unbeatable value with often quality that can only be dreamed about

Ettinger London, handcrafted but plain limited styles

William and Son, off shoot of Aspreys,very limited quantity of handcrafted bags

Patey and similar for bespoke hats

Savile Row London is still choc a bloc with bespoke gentleman's outfitters and tailors

Amazing little one off botegas in Italy, especially around Florence, many do MTO and personalisation. There is a special market where artisans (including those that work for large companies) sell bags, and will make you bespoke versions. Just because something doesn't sell on the Net doesn't mean it doesn't exist

Thanks for the recs! I checked out Pickett of London and Perrin of Paris, and I liked what I saw, especially for the price! How does the quality compare to Delvaux and Valextra, for instance, or other premium designers?

Also looking at April in Paris. Hmm...

 

[papertiger]

That's Peter Nitz (actually American expat), as I linked below, along with Beatrice of April in Paris.

yay, immediate success, thanks jelly

Thanks for the recs! I checked out Pickett of London and Perrin of Paris, and I liked what I saw, especially for the price! How does the quality compare to Delvaux and Valextra, for instance, or other premium designers?

Also looking at April in Paris. Hmm...

Both my mother and a friend have had their Alice bags for years. My friend for 14 years (a professional woman of some standing, running her own business), her black pigskin (tunstall) Alice is all she ever carries and looks new. My mother has a bespoke XL Ostrich Alice with her signature colour suede lining and another in grey tunstall, otherwise the same specs. Having borrowed my mother's, I'd say they are much better than average (certainly for the money, you can tell there is a lot of work that is hand done) but perhaps (how shall I say this) without the finesse and that striven-for perfection that you get with Valextra and Delvaux. That in itself is very British tbh, character and a certain individual quirkiness before perfection

 

[Encore Hermes]

Adding to the list LaContrie Paris
bespoke

Atelier is below the shop.

Peter Nitz is fantastic but he was never a craftsperson at Hermes. He learned from one.

 

[Vintage Leather]

I adore Peter Nitz. I really do; I'd rather have one of his diamond bags than a diamond Hermes. As a tribute to his level of detail, he used to (I'm assuming he still does, but I don't know anyone who has purchased from him in the last three years, so I won't swear to it) provide a custom storage box, accented with scraps of the exotic leather in your bag.

All of the bags are in exotic leathers

However - he is an American expat, and a former Sotheby's employee (jewelry auctions, specifically) He has hired former Hermes craftsmen, but he has never worked for Hermes.
http://peternitz.com/en/about/

 

[Vintage Leather]

How do you define luxury?

I changed industries a couple of years back - in my old job, a luxury was an item or experience which is exclusive, opulent, and precious. For example - I had a friend tell me that cartier love bracelet was not a luxury. It doesn't matter how nice the material is or what the price was, any item that can be purchased just by going to one of a hundred of cartier boutiques or concessions isn't a luxury; anything that once was sold by Avon will never move beyond that. A JAR piece, on the other hand, was definitely luxurious.

In my current industry - having enough money to pay the utility bills is a luxury; only working 40hrs a week is a luxury. A 20k handbags is an obscenity.

 

[JustAgUrL]

A bag that is bespoke but priced in the Etsy-to-Mulberry range isn't luxury shopping. Exclusivity in some sense, because of price and other features, has to be part of the luxury category.

Price was not really an indicator of Luxury…
that is a newer thing…

Louis Vuitton Speedy in the USA, in 1995 was only $335..
and it was still considered LUXURY…

Luxury is HOW and WHERE something is made…

How it makes the person wearing or using it FEEL…


It's NOT necessarily the price….


lux·u·ry

noun
1.
the state of great comfort and extravagant living.


"he lived a life of luxury"
synonyms: opulence, luxuriousness, sumptuousness, grandeur, magnificence, splendor, lavishness, the lap of luxury, a bed of roses, (the land of) milk and honey; informalthe life of Riley
"we'll live in luxury"

"luxuries like raspberry vinegar and state-of-the-art CD players"
synonyms: indulgence, extravagance, self-indulgence, nonessential, treat, extra, frill
"a TV is his only luxury"


I can buy HAND made shoes in Italy, made to order for my feet, for € 300..
That is considered a luxury…. Bespoke in the TRUE sense of the word…
NOT just ONE style where I get to pick the leather….


Men can buy Bespoke suits HANDMADE to their measurements in Hong Kong for $500…
and I mean with floating horsehair canvas, and the whole
9 yards…
Those suits are still LUXURY, even if the price is not out of this world..


a fabric tote bag made on somebody's sewing machine is NOT
bespoke luxury….
It's a hand craft….


a LEATHER handbag in Italy, HANDMADE and sewn by hand in a workshop
in the back of a boutique in Italy, that is luxury…
and again.. may only cost 500 €….

There are a lot of European Luxury Designers that are NOT priced
out of this world.. Yet, they are still considered Luxury…

 

[Ludmilla]

Pretty sure we've had this question before but anyway, I wouldn't dismiss items as being luxury just because they are from large leather goods companies. Hermes is as big as any other international fashion houses now, and lots of brands, even those that started as fashion houses have bags for connoisseurs, if you know what to look for in terms of quality you will find it.

Perrin of Paris - once a glove maker, now do amazing bags too

Moynat, Delvaux and Valextra

Tanner Krolle (owned by the owners of Chanel) mostly made on application

Asprey, mostly limited of a kind pieces in precious skins

Launer, handcrafted, bespoke considered

Gucci have some amazing bags. They do 'made to order' on certain styles of bags (BTM, Stirrup, New Jackie) their women's loafers. They also do made to measure shoes and tailoring for men (but they'll make for women too if asked)

Pickett of London do bespoke and for a comparatively reasonable, their bags are handcrafted and finished, and all but a few have suede interiors

Vintage mid-century bags of long forgotten names like Bellstone and Korret, unbeatable value with often quality that can only be dreamed about

Ettinger London, handcrafted but plain limited styles

William and Son, off shoot of Aspreys,very limited quantity of handcrafted bags

Patey and similar for bespoke hats

Savile Row London is still choc a bloc with bespoke gentleman's outfitters and tailors

Amazing little one off botegas in Italy, especially around Florence, many do MTO and personalisation. There is a special market where artisans (including those that work for large companies) sell bags, and will make you bespoke versions. Just because something doesn't sell on the Net doesn't mean it doesn't exist

Thanks for sharing all those infos, Papertiger. I enjoyed very much looking at all the brands you mentioned and they do amazing bags and other nice things.
Do own something from the brands you mentioned?

 

[Mariapia]

Adding to the list LaContrie Paris

bespoke

pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/465504659021385728/FY7rjQ_U.jpeg



Atelier is below the shop.



Peter Nitz is fantastic but he was never a craftsperson at Hermes. He learned from one.

I had never heard of that brand, EncoreHermes. I have just googled it and I am in awe!
Thanks for sharing![emoji7]

 

[jellyv]

Price was not really an indicator of Luxury…
that is a newer thing…

Louis Vuitton Speedy in the USA, in 1995 was only $335..


It's NOT necessarily the price….

In reference to consumption of products, it's always had the notion of notable expense, excess (originally it was linked with immorality), and extravagance. I won't be tedious and quote sources, but Merriam-Webster and etymology sources will confirm.

And your 1990s Speedy cost about $515 in today's money, surely not inexpensive--more than most of MK and a lot of Coach, just as LV continues to be today.

These definitions are beside the point in this context, though. For much of the world, clean, safe water is a luxury. We are definitely not using the term in this way about handbag purchases. We are instead using a market term, with specific notions about price and scarcity. Even the organization of TPF is under the sway of market ideas about luxury--see the grouping of brands as "premier" vs. otherwise vs. those that don't rise to a cluster of discussion threads.

Something readily available and relatively affordable may have a ton of great qualities, but it would not represent part of the luxury market.

 

[remainsilly]

How do you define luxury?

I changed industries a couple of years back - in my old job, a luxury was an item or experience which is exclusive, opulent, and precious. For example - I had a friend tell me that cartier love bracelet was not a luxury. It doesn't matter how nice the material is or what the price was, any item that can be purchased just by going to one of a hundred of cartier boutiques or concessions isn't a luxury; anything that once was sold by Avon will never move beyond that. A JAR piece, on the other hand, was definitely luxurious.

In my current industry - having enough money to pay the utility bills is a luxury; only working 40hrs a week is a luxury. A 20k handbags is an obscenity.

I so enjoy your posts. This one's no exception--great points.
I was thinking "luxury" even can change for same person/same industry/different day.
Sometimes, I'd trade a bespoke handbag for sleep & homegrown food. Or a custom cashmere shawl for 1 hour's uninterrupted conversation.
Then again, some days I'd choose the handbag or shawl instead.
My "luxuries" change with mood & need--or, maybe because I'm a difficult person.

 

[papertiger]

Adding to the list LaContrie Paris
bespoke

Atelier is below the shop.

Peter Nitz is fantastic but he was never a craftsperson at Hermes. He learned from one.

Thanks for filling me in on the info, and wow thanks so much for introducing me to LaCP, I'll have a closer look when home