Four o’clock in the morning is an alarming time to drop $5000 on a handbag. But that’s exactly what Bree did. “In my defence, it wasn’t exactly a spur of the moment decision,” she tells marie claire. “After a relentless four-month pursuit of my dream Chanel bag, a Google alert woke me up and with barely a nano-second of hesitation I added to cart and parted with a full pay packet. I might be eating beans and staying in for the next month, but at least I’ll have my pink tweed Chanel in my hot little hands. And, when you think about it, it’s a smart investment because it will increase in value.”
Bree is not alone, nor is she wrong. Courting a luxury handbag is akin to cultivating a new friendship, and we come to know the object of our affection intimately - on a first-name basis, of course: Kelly (Hermès), Jackie (Gucci) and Sofia (Louis Vuitton). We admire the way they present themselves, and are empowered by their presence at our side. We entrust them with our secrets and our most essential possessions, and as we become closer still, we begin to understand the depths of their value. And just like an enduring friendship, the value of a truly iconic luxury bag increases with time.
Indeed, the luxury handbag category is one of the fastest growing segments in the luxury resale market (valued at some $US33 billion in 2021 and growing four times faster than traditional retail), with luxury resale site The RealReal reporting its sales increasing by 22 per cent in 2020.
This story is from the May 2023 edition of Marie Claire Australia.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the May 2023 edition of Marie Claire Australia.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
WHY WOMEN SHOULDN'T BE DISCOUNTED
Four game-changing women share why they want economic empowerment included in the conversation this International Women’s Day
home HAVEN
Sophie Bell, founder of Peppa Hart, invites us into her calming quarters, writes Samantha Stewart
BEHIND THE SCENES with PETER PHILIPS
An intimate backstage moment with the legendary creative and image director for Dior Makeup
MIAH MADDEN
The Australian actor on her biggest fashion crime, party tricks and the women who have shaped her
TAYLOR SWIFT
As she hits our shores in February, music writer Cameron Adams charts the unbelievable career of the world’s biggest music artist, from her Nashville country music roots to her record-smashing Eras tour
The road to NIRVANA
Editor Georgie Abay lands in the remote Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan for the adventure of a lifetime
makes SUN sense
What if we saw a suntan for what it really is: a visible sign that skin has been damaged? Sherine Youssef looks behind the golden facade
RUNWAY to DEBT
Modelling agencies are ecruiting young people who have fled war-torn African countries and are living in extreme poverty. They are flown to Europe to take part n fashion castings, but some return within days or weeks, often laden with debt
CALLUM TURNER
The British actor shares tales from the front line, why you should play your heroes and his love for Free Willy
ALL ABOUT JESS
Chart-topping Australian singer Jessica Mauboy talks love, lonliness and music legend Whitney Houston on the eve of her new release, Yours Forever