As Leonard Joel’s Head of Luxury, John D’Agata sees his fair share of beautiful luxury handbags. Here, he shares five reasons to love them.
1. A Personal Tool-Kit
Don’t leave home without it! Everything that you need must be at your fingertips. Looking for that credit card for that ‘must have’ purchase? Need a freshen up with your favourite fragrance, or in desperate need of some lip balm? Where are those car keys when you need them? Let’s add iphone cords, good luck charms, hand sanitizer and face masks to the list too. A bag is your personal carry case with your private little world chaotically contained inside.
2. Individuality
You’ve got to love it, don’t you? Designer bags reflect our personality and let others know how we see ourselves. Are you sporting a Vintage Kelly with a co-ordinating Hermès Twilly tied to the handle for effect? Or maybe it’s a chic Alexander McQueen, or a classic Chanel 2.55? Though you may not realise it, you are sending little messages about yourself out into the world. A signature piece says a lot about you.
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3. Prestige
You’ve made it! You deserve that bag. Walk into that fashionable restaurant and plonk that Birkin ‘So Black’ on the table. They will pretend that they are not looking, but you know they are! Meet your girlfriend for drinks at that trendy bar with your Chanel exotic leather skin clutch, and what would a shopping trip be without your Limited Edition Louis Vuitton monogram graffiti tote? It is a little materialistic, I know, but there’s something to be said for the instant gratification.
4. It’s worth it
Generally speaking, good designer bags are costly, however they are worth it. Even entry point designer pieces such as Louis Vuitton and Gucci monogram canvas bags are well made, and generally stand the test of time. They age gracefully and sometimes even look better than they did when they were brand new.
5. Can’t live without it!
The thrill and excitement of finding the perfect designer bag is like no other. It’s like looking for a new home, when you mentally place all of your furnishings in each room and imagine yourself living there. When buying a bag, you normally plan out where and how you will use it and think of all the places that you can go to show it off. In good times and in bad, this faithful companion will always be by your side. You will forget that you are carrying one and it almost becomes part of your body, yet you’ll always remember seeing the bag for the first time and the thrill it gave you.
JOHN D’AGATA / Head of Luxury
February 2021