BAGS TO INVEST IN THIS CHRISTMAS!
Tis the season to be jolly and what better way to celebrate this season than to invest in a beautiful bag that can be your timeless arm candy for a life time. Owning the newest handbag straight off the runway can transform any lady into an instant fashionista. But truth be told, some things never go out of style. While handbags from designers like Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Fendi, Gucci, Chanel, Prada and Balenciaga are always setting trends and pushing fashion forward, you can really find their best pieces, if you look back as far as the 1800’s. All of the luxury bags that never go out of style are not only timeless, all of these bags are redesigned every season to compliment the latest collections, so ladies if you must splurge this
Christmas make sure you invest in one of these arm candies that will keep you looking fab now and in years to come. The Fendi Baguette
A modern classic, designed in 1997 by Silvia Venturini, the baguette was made to fit under the arm, like a French Baguette loaf. Ever since, there have been over a thousand different baguettes made of different materials from denim, to pony skin and crocodile. Perhaps the most famous Baguette belonged to fictional fashion icon Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and The City, when she was mugged for her purple sequin one. After the episode aired, fashionistas declared the Baguette, an It bag. A book was even published to commemorate the bag’s fifteenth anniversary. The most expensive Baguette was sold for N1, 617,200, but prices start N364, 000. Christian Dior Lady Bag
A new classic, Christian Dior’s Lady bag was given as a gift to Princess Diana from the first lady of France, Bernadette Chirac. After the chic Princess was photographed with it, the bag was immediately named after her and has graced the forearms of the elegant and sophisticated ladies ever since. Each bag is hand made and each carnage quilted square pattern is hand crafted and then fitted with either gold or silver hardware and a signature CD charm. While perhaps the most well known, the Lady bag materials are patent leather and calfskin, but you can buy a python one for N3, 068,000. However, non-leather mini Ladies starts at around N312, 000. Prada Saffiano Bag
The House of Prada was founded in 1913, but did not become a household name until after 1978, when Miuccia Prada took over the company. Saffiano is treated leather that is embossed with a cross hatch pattern, which makes the bag more durable and increases scratch resistance as well as water resistance. Saffiano bags come in a variety of shapes from totes to minis, currently costing from
N2, 511,600 to around N442, 000. Balenciaga Motorcycle Bag
Although the brand was established in 1915, Balenciaga saw resurgence in 2003, when Nicolas Ghesquière created the Motorcycle Bag exclusively for the fashion house’s runway show. Model Kate Moss fell in love with bag, Balenciaga then made it available for purchase and the rest is fashion history. Currently, the most expensive Motorcycle Bag is N531, 700, but there are minis available for around N338, 000. Louis Vuitton Speedy Bag
First available in the 1930’s, this classic Louis Vuitton bag might be called a Speedy, but it’s hardly fast fashion. It has cowhide leather handles that darken with age. While the most well known Speedy is probably the most classic model made of logo canvas, Louis Vuitton has created the bag in a variety of styles and colors, from graffiti to more traditional leathers and new ones come out every season. Bottega Veneta Intrecciato Bottega Veneta is the Italian leather brand you recognize for it’s style, not it’s logo. Known for their artisanal simplicity, Bottega Veneta simply means Venetian Shop. Established in 1966, the company’s founders Vittorio and Laura Moltedo, developed a leather weaving technique called intrecciato, which has defined their signature style ever since. Hermès Kelly Bag The Hermès Kelly Bag is the ultimate stays symbol. No other accessory has subtly screamed expensive quite the way the Kelly does. First introduced in 1892 as a saddlebag, the iconic accessory evolved and was ultimately named for princess Grace Kelly of Monaco, when it was given to her in 1954. It has been making women feel like princesses ever since. Handmade, these bags take between 18-25 hours to create. It is Hermès’ best selling bag of all time. The most expensive Kelly Bag ever sold was auctioned for N32, 500, 000 in December 2013. It was a one of a kind known as the Geranium Porosus. The Chanel Flap Bag
The Chanel flap bag is the epitome of a classic handbag. It is simply designed and crafted. First introduced in 1955 by Coco Chanel herself, who was tired of carrying her purse in her hands and wanted something chic for her shoulders. It was slightly re-designed in 1983 by Karl Lagerfeld, who added the iconic CC clasp. If you are considering purchasing one of these bags, do it sooner rather than later because the prices of these bags have been known to increase bi-annually. At any price, it is a worthwhile investment. The most expensive flap bag was sold for N67,860,000. Hermès Birkin Bag
Named for actress Jane Birkin, it was first created for her in 1984 when she sat next to Hermès executive Jean-Louis Dumas on an airplane and told him she was having trouble finding a good leather weekend bag. Dumas had the bag created for her based on a design from 1892. These bags, which are lined with goat skin leather and then made with a variety of leathers including calf skin, ostrich, lizard and crocodile, take approximately 48 hours to make by hand. The most expensive Birkin Bag cost N31, 200,000 and was made of crocodile with 18 carat gold hardware encrusted with diamonds. However, most Birkins start around N2, 860,000. The Gucci Jackie Bag
The Gucci Jackie Bag is another stunner than never goes out of style. Created in the late 1950’s for the bag’s namesake Jackie Kennedy Onassis, it has remained an accessory staple. It was even slightly redesigned and re-launched in 1999, but both the old and new Jackies are still available. The shoulder bag, which is actually quite comfortable, has the signature Gucci piston clasp. Handmade in Italy, it comes in many styles and materials. The most expensive Jackie Bag was sold for N5, 304,000, but there are classic GG initial logo styles available for onlyN362,500.