Issues’ Fashion-week special continues with another French classic that never goes out of style. And today: Le sac.

Last time my mother came to visit I took her to a walk in the handbags district of Printemps. After observing the waiting line in front of Louis Vuitton and sneaking a careful peek in 3 of Jerome Dreyfuss’s price tags she raised her eyes at me, confused: ”Is this serious? Who buys these things?”.

“Ummmm… Quality is very important to French women”, I tried to explain with no luck. In my mom’s eyes, anyone who spends 500€ on a bag must be crazy, or very rich. I’m not saying as much but let’s face it – French do have weird relationships with their handbags. A local woman could wear rugs, but her bag has to be real leather, from a good label.

In this domain, two designs became myths:
The Kelly bag, Hermès.
First created in 1935, it became a hit only in the 50’s when Grace Kelly, actress/princess, took the habit of carrying it around with her. Today, Kelly bag prices start at 3,500€. That is after you get through the waiting list (3-12 months).

Lady Dior.
Apparently,  when it comes to handbags, French girls trust only royalty…. Created in 1995, the Lady Dior bag became legendary thanks to a certain Lady Di. She was seen wearing it in numerous occasions, making sales fly high. price: 1,200€ and up.

Of course, most people don’t belong in his majesty’s court and can’t invest this kind of money in accessories. And that’s where Louis Vuitton gets in the picture, with originals from 600€ and up, a sum many judge reasonable for a collective birthday / Christmas gift. Easily recognizable, hence, desirable by your friends, Louis Vuitton is a good compromise between luxury and the masses.

That’s it for today! I’ll be back tomorrow with a third French classic plus a surprise.