By Shirley Lei

The luxury handbags women covet most

Today’s post provides a brief overview of the luxury handbags in the world, and the fascinating stories behind them. Not only is this generally useful information, it is also handy for next time when you are deciding which handbag to splurge on! 

CHANEL Handbags

Wearing a CHANEL handbag represents style and class, and pays tribute to Coco Chanel's timeless elegance. The classic, quilted 2.55 flap CHANEL handbag is now almost a symbol of luxury in itself, and a reminder of the vision of a remarkable woman with impeccable style.

In 1910, Madame Chanel opened “Chanel Modes” on the famous 21 Rue Cambon in Paris, and launched her inaugural collection of hats. By 1913, she introduced jersey wear for women, which transformed not just the style women wore, but also society’s general view on women - gone were the restrictions of corsets and the social norm to wear them.

After Europe's recession following World War II, Chanel came back strong with the creation of the 2.55 handbag in February of 1955, which took freedom to the next level as women are now unfettered by the need to hand-hold their bags when they attend social gatherings or get on with their day-to-day lives. Today, a CHANEL purse is a classic and versatile essential. 

Shop our current CHANEL collection: 

CELINE BAGS

From the trending Luggage Tote to the Trapeze and to the Class Box, the House of Céline defines chic with its handbags. The brand was founded by Céline Vipiana in Paris in 1945, originally as a children’s shoe store. During the post-war period, the rise in lust for luxury gave success to Céline’s expansion into women’s clothes, shoes, and handbags. Today, Céline handbags are adored by fashion bloggers and celebrities alike. 

Shop our current collection of Celine handbags: 

Chloé Handbags

Chloé was founded by Gaby Aghion in 1952. In the 1950s, Aghion rejected the rigidity of the fashion at the time, and therefore aspired to create soft and feminine pieces with silhouettes that work with women’s bodies. She put forward the “luxury prêt-à-porter” idea of clothes that filled the gap between tailored haute couture and limited ready-made clothes. Fast forward to the present, from the “It Bag” of the 2005, the coveted Paddington, Chloé handbags have definitely evolved, but still keeps their original edge.

Shop Chloé here: 

Louis Vuitton Handbags

Founded in 1854, Louis Vuitton is undoubtedly one of the most well-know brands today. Louis Vuitton was born to a working-class family - his father was a farmer, and his mother a miller who had passed away in Vuitton’s childhood. After moving to Paris, Vuitton apprenticed as a “box-maker and packer”, and eventually became Napoleon’s wife’s personal box-maker and packer. This job was basically to pack goods, such as clothes, in boxes in tasteful boxes; it helped Vuitton in his later designer career as he had this opportunity to interact with the upper-class - his future clients. Today, the luxurious brand is widely recognized for its logo and monogram/damier prints, and is sought by women and men worldwide.

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