The "it" Bag

[lmonte1221]

What makes an "IT" bag "IT?? The way I see it all designers are knocked off and go on sale. So how is a designer going down the ranks and someone moving up? LV, Gucci, Marc Jacobs, Balenciaga, Prada, Fendi, Hermes, Luella, etc. You can find knockoffs right outside your door some great knockoffs and some poor. Does that kill the designers work?

So riddle me this, who dictates the handbag? and how does it rule according to you.

so and so has the bag?
hard to locate bag?
too expensive bag?
it's in vogue?

 

[AD042617]

in my definition

fendi baguette
gucci jackie / bamboo
prada bowling
dior saddle
marc stella
celine boogie
vuitton murakami
luella giselle
balenciaga le dix

were all so-called "IT" bags at one point of time..
(balenciaga seems to be going up..over.. and slightly down the hill )


than there are the "minor IT" bags..
chloe's bracelet - givenchy's pumpkin, bottega's hobo,
lolli - faithful sling - botkier - mulberry

chanel LV and Hermes would be classified as "classics" rather than "IT" bags..
they have been around for forever and it will never go out of style..!!
they have good resale value too B)

IT bags in my definition are something that get extremely trendy and popular...
very "of the moment"
talked about in magazines, style icons carring them etcetc.

but i dont think the media's definition of IT bags are nec same as a person's favorite or must-have bag. i would get a bag IT or not IT or SO over IT if i like it.. ya know?

 

[Taitai]

I think different factors make a bag an "it" bag.

And of course having the right celebrities or personalities wear the bag helps a lot. Like if Kate Moss wears it, that really helps a lot but if a less admired (fashionwise) personality wears it, doesn't make a difference. And I think having fashion editors or fashion insiders wear the bag helps too. And a Vogue endorsement means more than an Instyle endorsement.

Having knock offs can help or kill the design, again really depends on a lot of things. There are so much knock offs of the Balenciaga motos everywhere but it still seems to be a hot bag.

ETA: for me, Ebay is a good barometer of popularity. If something is selling for higher than retail (e.g. Balenciagas) then that is how I would personally define a hot bag.

 

[kiimihaana]

Well, according to Dooney and Bourke, they make the "it" bag.... which they're currently in litigation over with Louis Vuitton.

But I digress... According to me:

so and so has the bag?
For me its "so and so" HAD this bag 20/30/40 years ago. I'm only in the market for a classic.

hard to locate bag?
Meh. It can be vintage or a modern day hot-off-the-presses release, as long as the shape is simple, the lines are clean and it wears like a tank.

too expensive bag?
No such thing IMHO. Once I buy I buy for life.

it's in vogue?
It will probably drift in and out of vogue, but will be back in by the time my daughters get it.

 

[meowmix]

Originally posted by lmonte1221@Nov 28 2004, 10:32 PM
What makes an "IT" bag "IT?? The way I see it all designers are knocked off and go on sale. So how is a designer going down the ranks and someone moving up? LV, Gucci, Marc Jacobs, Balenciaga, Prada, Fendi, Hermes, Luella, etc. You can find knockoffs right outside your door some great knockoffs and some poor. Does that kill the designers work?

So riddle me this, who dictates the handbag? and how does it rule according to you.

so and so has the bag?
hard to locate bag?
too expensive bag?
it's in vogue?

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i thnk nowadays its really all about 'so and so' has it... esp when you look at luella, marc jacobs, mulberry, balenciaga and chloe.. celebs really help sell this stuff which is why they are given so much of it. celebs give it exposure and a certain desirability...
i certainly don't think its the 'too expensive' factor because a lot it is just kind of ridiculous... i have the gucci crocodile and velvet bag and i don't really think it's an "it" bag at all... sure it was in the ads and all but it doesn't seem like ppl are going nuts over it and no one in asia seems to be churning out the fakes by the dozens and it certainly was a very expensive bag. so i definitely agree with Taitai that ebay def shows how desirable a certain bag is, esp when you see prices for bags go for more than half their original value!
as for hard to locate, i think again if its too hard to locate it might give it less exposure so not that many ppl know about it....
and then vogue, well that orange metallic balenciaga was in vogue and i don't realy see them selling like hotcakes....

ahh i'd love to work on the LV vs dooney case!! it's like when tmobile sued intel over that fuschia color, except so much more interesting

 

[MJCouture]

It has probably the most to do with what celebs wear the bag. In New York it bags sometimes are born just with it girls and fashion people, not just celebs, but for it to get the type of exposure that Balenciaga has gotten it really has to be a celeb fav. There are also different levels of IT bags. The Chloe snakeskin will not be as popular as the Balenciaga because plainly it is just to expesive and too hard to find for average fashion followers. If it is under $1000 it is going to be ten times as popular than if it is over that threshold.

 

[brian]

if a famous celebrity carries it, then it's immediately a must-have, coveted, IT-BAG... at least that's how it is in america

 

[Luna]

To be an it bag, it only takes advertising. Dooney and Bourke advertised their bags the "it" bags... and they're gross.

Sad.

 

[lmonte1221]

I have never heard of D&B being an "it" bag and I have never seen anyone famous carry it or written about in a fashion magazine, it must be "it" with the teens!

 

[meowmix]

Originally posted by lmonte1221@Nov 29 2004, 08:52 PM
I have never heard of D&B being an "it" bag and I have never seen anyone famous carry it or written about in a fashion magazine, it must be "it" with the teens!

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yeah i see tons of preteens and teens carrying it as if it were an hermes birkin or something i really don't think its an "it" bag cuz i see it as more of a "training" it bag...and therefore i guess not an it bag? bleh, more like ICK bag

 

[Luna]

the actual DB bags are called "it" bags... like the company named them that.

 

[vintage_princess]

Originally posted by brian@Nov 29 2004, 01:28 AM
if a famous celebrity carries it, then it's immediately a must-have, coveted, IT-BAG... at least that's how it is in america

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I agree.

 

[buggy]

I'd have to say you're right. The US sure loves it's celebrties. I'm an Ebay addict and that's how alot of items are identified... so and so bag as seen on so and so... and they'll even post a picture of said actor/singer with the bag or shoes. Free advertising for companies, that's for sure.

 

[Balenciaga Queen]

I think it becomes an IT bag when you see it on someone..celeb or not..and it looks fantastic that you have to do a double take on that bag and then you are on the search to find out what that bag is because you love it so much !!!

I actually saw the large Luella Bartley by Mulberry bag when it was modelled on the runway by an unknown model and I fell in love with it then. Though I could not find it anywhere and not even on a global search on ebay. Then bang..I found them and in all the different colours. I loved it and continued to search for it . Months and months down the track did they get launched as the gisele bag. They were initially a bag by Luella Bartley for Mulberry.

Now it is an IT bag ! The Balenciaga Le dix bag I first fell in love with when I saw Kylie minogue carrying it on some TV special about her concerts and behind the scenes look at her life. Didn't know what bag it was but I must say..as soon as I saw it I thought ...wow I like that black motorcycle style bag. The Motorcycle name describes the style to a T. Then thereafter I saw Christy Turlington carrying it in some magazine . I still had no idea what the bag was.

I do agree it helps when a celeb carries it so that us mere mortals can see them carrying it in magazines and then if we love the bag or the style of bag,,we buy it I guess. Celebs do help the bag have the IT factor but i think it's when the public find out about the bag and want to buy it and demand exceeds supply ..that's when it really becomes the IT bag.

I also loved the Roxy/Roxanne Mulberry bag before it had this IT status because I used to search Mulberry website when I was searching for the Luella one. Great bags on that website....actually very very gorgeous.

I read in UK Vogue Dec. issue that Sienna Miller was given her Chloe Silverado in Python for free . She is free marketing for Chloe and now the bag is sold out everywhere. SO yeah...celebs help to give the bag the IT factor.

My prediction for the next IT bag will be the Black small Paddington bag. Gosh that bag is gorrrrgeous !! I read HB magazine , Aussie issue, and there was a feature on the fashion shows and they showed the Chloe models carrying it. It's just beautiful !!!