Spotlight: Noteworthy Bags of 2007

Evidently, the year 2007 is once again another banner year for bags. And although bag designers and brands did not come up with one true icon of a bag for 2007, bags were still what women *and men too* wanted– and that’s what matters. And despite that lack of an “it” bag, what dominated the bag landscape remained the Lord of Monograms, Louis Vuitton. Vuitton continued converting newbie baghags into hardcore fans of the brand with its pandora’s bag, the Monogram Speedy 30.(Photo credit: eluxury.com)

Of course there were also the 2 Mirage Speedy bags which took all of Asia by storm because the handles were made of stain-repellant patent leather (as opposed to vachetta which acquires a patina over time).

And oh yeah, while we’re on the topic of the Speedy being a constant favorite, the more jaded baghags can already expect to line up for the Aquarelle Speedy– March 2008 baghags! (Photo credit: style.com)

Back to our 2007 report, an LV newcomer which quickly became the favorite (perhaps even surpassing the Speedy), is the Neverfull. Another bag hit of Vuitton which got Mr.Arnault et co. happily skipping to the bank 😀 The Neverfull as it happens, is an open tote patterned to the likeness of the Goyard St Louis. (Whether they patterned it after Goyard or some other designer brand, remains a question only the folks at LV can answer. It’s really quite a basic design of a tote, but then someone had to figure out that this bag style will sell. And so it was tweaked a bit and manufactured en masse. Bottom line, the bag sold like hotcakes.)

Goyard too, became quite mainstream in the local metro. Strange how that happened, especially since Goyard still has no brand presence in the Philippines! But given any day of a walk at the mall (esp at Rockwell), you will espy Goyard bags (Photo: Goyard powder blue croisiere 35) being toted by one or two ladies. This is so perfectly exemplifies how baghags find ways to get the bags they want– whether they pay a premium for it or not. Diehard baghags have no emotional quotient (EQ) and I must confess, I am such a baghag 😀

Year 2007 is also the year where exotics reigned supreme. You see the more seasoned and jaded baghags upping the ante, preferring something more exotic than the regular leather bags that they have been schlepping on a daily basis. They want to be different from everyone else, looking for something that’s off the beaten path (well, not yet quite off the beaten path actually). Exotics extend from ostrich leathers to the most coveted, porosus crocodile. (Photo: Hermes JPG Shoulder birkin in bleu roi porosus crocodile) . We’re talking the friggin’ GDP of a small country already in exchange for this bag (hehehe tsk talk about *wolfwhistle* expensivo!)

One of the hotter colors of 2007 was purple– different shades of it, from the more violet- grape one,(Photo: Chanel plum large 2.55 lambskin) to the pinkish- purple Barney dinosaur color(Photo: Hermes 30cm cyclamen epsom birkin). We’re talking Chanel bags, Hermes birkins, kelly bags. The color purple even put old guard Mulberry on the bag map with its patent purple Bayswater, a very popular bag fancied and carried by none other than Kate Moss and footballer Wayne Rooney’s fiancee, Coleen Mc Loughlin.

Then over at Hermes, is an ode to the most basic and uncomplicated bag. The Victoria was quickly snapped up by Hermes baghags because of its simplicity, no-frills design. It’s much more affordable than a Lindy (because the Victoria’s lining is made of fabric), and is perfectly constructed with its dual zippers. As a baghag, if you get past the “is- this- bag- a- ‘signature’- style- of- Hermes– and- will- people- recognize- it- as- Hermes” syndrome, count yourself a bag-for-status graduate, and award yourself that title of “true Hermes afficionado”. It’s not just about the status anymore if you decide to go for a bag other than either a birkin or a kelly if you are at Hermes. It’s validation that you are indeed someone who appreciates quality and all things luxurious *cough expensive*. It’s also validation that you are already a jaded baghag, sans pretention– no more logos and all (of course I am the true exception here because I will always be pretentious hahaha).

Ooh and who could forget the spillover hits from 2006, the Chanel coco cabas,
and of course the different permutations of Balenciaga’s motorcycle bag, style names which I can’t even remember anymore, what with the many times they renamed it 😀

A perennial mainstay in the bag collection of Chanel, which is also likened to a pandora’s bag, is the classic 2.55 in black caviar– and this bag is undeniably the most requested bag at Chanel.

Exotics and degrade patent (Prada antik bowler at neimanmarcus.com) were not the only memorable materials used on bags this year. Fabric like satin, canvas were also used on bags like the Dior cannage (priced at US$990 at neimanmarcus.com),

Fendi turquoise metallic monogram baulotto (Priced at US$1,450 at neimanmarcus.com), and

Chanel crocodile quilt 226 bags which also come in bright jewel tones as well as the classic black.

And of course one of this year’s commemorative bags, the Dior Samourai 1947. This bag is truly a work of art. It’s priced at US$3,600 and is the very definition of eye candy. It is over the top, hence my baptizing the bag as a work of art. For a more wearable version, you can opt for the slightly more understated black.

And last but definitely not the least, THE bag that ends the bag year of 2007: the Anya Hindmarch “I’m Not a Plastic Bag” tote which pretty much jump- started the environmental consciousness revolution among baghags. Who could forget that $15 bag– which escalated to US$100 for resale? It’s really an amazing phenomenon, one that led Youtube members to record the very looooooooooooooooooooong lines of people who waited up for that bag. Eco-friendly bags were totally in too, for the year 2007. It’s tres chic to refuse plastic bags from stores. And that $15 bag became THE bag that everyone wanted– many wanted it for the eco-awareness message it conveyed, but many, many more wanted the bag because it was quite possibly the cheapest designer bag around (cheap designer bag that’s authentic? WHO wouldn’t want it, right?). Marc Jacobs followed suit, and so did others. Now there are countless designers with these “eco-friendly” bags. (The question is, do people really refuse plastic bags now???)

Ahhhh…. A good 2007 it definitely has been for bags.

Here’s to MORE AWESOME, JAWDROPPING, HEARTSTOPPING BAGS IN THE YEAR 2008.

xx
Mrs.T