You know, as much as I love a good handbag, I always say to myself that sometimes, the price of a (undoubtedly pretty) bag is completely over the top, thus making it outrageous for both my living principles and also for my budget.
Hence, whenever I think there are women (and men) out there walking around with $200,000 bags, it raises my eyebrows and then my elbows: what for? Do we really need to pay thousands for a piece of leather stitched together? The answer, biensur, is not in the bag (pun intended). The answer is in people’s head. In the social status they think a bag can offer.
Seriously? Did they even hear themselves saying that out loud: I’m somebody now because I own a six – figure bag? Geez?! That’s just as real and as valuable judgment like saying that owning a Spiderman costume will make the palms of your hands throw spider web all around! (besides, I already read countless headlines exposing this and that celebrity as wearing fake designer bags! So the social status? just as fake as the bag!)
Anyway, bag to the actual bags: at the opposite end of the $zzzzzz bag lies the simple brown paper bag I remember seeing in a picture and sharing it with you.
Do you remember the double C mock – quilted – Chanel bag from a while back (yep, this one at left)? Now that’s what I call the opposite of a 5 – 6 figure Hermes bag!
However, that comes with serious downsides – you can’t really expect a brown paper bag to pass the wear & tear test. You can’t even take it out in the rain!
So what do you we do now about Jil Sander’s Men Vasari bag? The $290 bag from the Fall Winter 2012 Jil Sander Menswear Collection is made of real brown paper! With visible seams on the sides and metal eyelets as well. But paying almost $300 for an ordinary – looking brown paper bag is ridiculous! I’ll even snatch a bag from my kids’ lunch brown paper bags stack, write Jil Sander on it and make pretend. I’ll be the laughing stock of whoever sees me, but hey! Jil Sander did it first!
Oh, and there are two versions to the paper bag – a small one with a $273 price tag and the medium, with the $290.67 price tag, as listed here. Also, abc noted that a leather version of the brown paper bag would retail for $370. Anyway, for rainy days, Jil Sander has reinvented the ordinary shopping plastic bag and it can be yours for just $140! How artsy – fancy is that?
3 comments
I might be pondering too much but maybe she is trying to say that (being a minimalist)she is back to her house to reassure the essence of things , stripping off all those elements that (we were told) define femininity? and chosing a non fashionable material is a criticism to the system ?
I loved it. Besides you can make a beautiful lamp with it.
sure! yes! I’m totally for that! (besides, I love a good diy lamp ;) ) but asking $290 for a brown paper bag with a designer name on and a couple of stitches here and there is borderline crazy.
Of course I can think of it as a brilliant design move and – like you said it – a return to the inspiration source. And still, I’m going through a “blue fashion period”. A certain sense of potential uselessness reigns over my stylish self these days ;) .
Haha,surely I wouldn´t pay for that! I can deconstruct myself my own stuff.
But when you consider that it is from an iconic house and it is almost “art” … I mean, they can not do an “affordable to the masses” product. It is meant to be elitist and to cause controversy.
Do you remember that vest from Margiela ( 90ies) that was entirely made of broken porcelain dishes and wire? I saw that very provocative and this bag reminded me of it.
look at : starsweare.com/2012/02/19/masters-of-deconstruction/
(not sure the link works)
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