In the early 2000s, I carried a trunk with me wherever I went Speedy of Louis Vuitton inherited from my mother. Ten years later I was traveling by train from Bologna to Milan to work with a large 1970s Céline handbag, crammed with all my belongings, dragged from station to station and, once we reached the office, ostentatiously abandoned on the desk.
The Céline also belonged to my mother, who still keeps her accessories with great care, and was given to me in perfect condition. Unfortunately rigor and diligence in the care of objects is not a dowry that I have inherited, and the two bags today show clear signs of wear, scratches and small spots. In my defense I could say that I loved them very much, used them every day for months, years, transforming them into a sort of fetish accessoryjust like the twins did Olsen.
The images they portray are from those same years Mary-Kate with the battered Birkin from Hermés, and the infamous Motorcylcle by Balenciagawhose original mint green color had taken on an unidentified shade of gray – shots recently resurrected by social networks and back in circulation in support of a new trend: we like luxury bags even if they are in bad condition, perhaps we like them better.
Recently on Tiktok Julia Fox showed his Birkin ruined, after having suffered the mysterious attack of a machete. And there are many Tiktokers, he notes The Coveteurwhich they claim a carefree approach to your luxury handbag. “It’s a missed opportunity not to use the same Birkin day after day and get that beautiful scruffy look», he claims @prettycritical in a recent video. “A lived-in Birkin is so chic because she suggests it’s not something so special that you have to keep it intact. Instead, it is a daily luxury».
After all, the same Jane Birkinfrom which the iconic bag takes its name, he never handled his Hermès with gloves. He seems to have owned five to date, all stra-used, filled up to their maximum capacity, deformed and worn and finally sold at auction for charity. Easy, one could argue, when the bags are a gift – as presumably is the case with Jane – and you don’t have to reach for your wallet to buy them.
On the other hand, those who cannot afford a luxury bag and, today, have a better chance than in the past of finding a used one at prices that are, if not affordable, still more contained, also benefit from the trend.
The bags now you buy them run down. Bags that were once not accepted by retailers of secondhand luxury, now, with their well documented signs of age and wear, are for sale on sites such as The RealReal.
«Now accepting more bags than ever», headlines a newsletter from The RealReal received these days from its subscribers. «Thanks to an unprecedented demand», explains the retailer, «you can now sell (and buy) selected bags in fair conditions».
During 2022, on The RealReal handbags in fair condition were in more demand than ever. To say it is the annual Luxury Delivery of the luxury goods resale platform, authenticated by a team of experts, and evaluated on a scale ranging from conditions Fairdiscrete, a pristineimmaculate, passing through good, very good and excellent.
To understand something more we asked for a comment from Noelle Sciacca, Senior Fashion Lead of The RealReal. «The bags in Fair conditions on The RealReal are those that show significant signs of wear, such as worn corners, fading or scratches,” he explains. « We accept bags Fair only in the case of luxury brands, such as Hermès, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Prada, to guarantee a positive experience for buyers, who can buy a used bag, with the certainty that it will not fall apart after months or years».
There Penelope by Chloé, the Let’s go of Bottega Veneta, the Moon by Prada… What they are called, how they are worn and how much they cost: everything you need to know about the season’s most desired bags.
To buy bags with obvious signs of wear are mainly the Millenials and belonging to Gen Zen, Sciacca explains again. «By offering scholarships in Fair conditionswe are enabling more buyers to engage with the luxury second-hand market as handbags in fair condition, on average, they cost 33% less than those in better condition. Those who buy Fair are slightly younger, 42% are Millenials and Gen Z».
But Hermès bags are not among the most sought after, too expensive even when used. “There Louis Vuitton Monogram Multiple-Cite is the most purchased bag in Fair conditions, with an average selling price of $545. Other popular designs purchased in fair condition include: Chanel’s Classic Medium Double Flap Bag, one of the few styles that consistently transcends demographics and time. The conditions Fair allow the price to be accessible to a greater number of customers. Prada Nylon bags (vintage and Re-Edition), whose shoulder strap and material are iconic symbols of the brand’s early years, an era of style that continues to excite our buyers and influence demand. The Gucci Horsebit Clutch, with which Gucci first introduced the horsebit motif in the 1950s and the symbol quickly became synonymous with the fashion house. The metal accent regained popularity when former creative director, Alessandro Michele revived it for his Cruise 2020 collection. Since then, the demand for horsebit designs has increased. This particular silhouette is no longer in production, so fans are eager to make it their own even when it shows signs of wear.”
And when I ask her if she thinks this is a growing trend, Sciacca replies: «Yes! Elements such as worn edges, faded colors… – think Mary-Kate Olsen and her notoriously worn Birkin bag – they offer a certain je ne sais quoi to a bag that becomes truly unique and special. »
«It explains my life», MK justified herself when she was asked to explain the pitiful state of her beloved purse. We could say the same, deciding not to fix that accessory that we ruined due to too much love.
Does sustainability play a role in this trend? Undoubtedly yes. In fact, if on the one hand greater care for objects, both luxury and non-luxury, would be questionable, sensitivity towards the environment and a less consumerist approach to fashion in general should make us prefer accessories with proven durability – resistant to abuse.
If, passed from hand to hand, used, even slightly damaged, an accessory maintains its charm (indeed it acquires it) then perhaps that object has an intrinsic value linked to its history, which is the history of that model ( think again of Birkin, born from a fortuitous encounter between Jane Birkin and the then president of Hermès Jean-Louis Dumas), is the story of that brand, but also the story of whoever wore and loved that object before us and, ultimately, it is our story.
Source: Vanity Fair
I’m Susan Karen, a professional writer and editor at World Stock Market. I specialize in Entertainment news, writing stories that keep readers informed on all the latest developments in the industry. With over five years of experience in creating engaging content and copywriting for various media outlets, I have grown to become an invaluable asset to any team.
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