World Dream Day: Which clothes and accessories are most coveted?
Data, thoughts and reflections on the most coveted luxury goods of all
G-Club
September 25th, 2023
September 25th, 2023
We are used to seeing the fashion system when we look at luxury items from shop windows, far away but not out of reach. Since we were teenagers, the films that have shaped our personalities have shown women working in luxury, wearing brand new shoes, buying what they want and then wearing it and looking beautiful.
"The Devil Wears Prada" was the cultural reset for millions of girls, a cult film in which outfits signed by the best designers appeared and still inspire them to recreate timeless looks to feel a bit like Andy Sachs or Miranda Priestly, as did "30 Years in a Second." in which the very young 15-year-old protagonist, played by Jennifer Garner, dreams of becoming a 30-year-old businesswoman in the prime of her career, editor of a fashion magazine, with an enviable flat with an equally large and opulent walk-in wardrobe. It's certainly not our fault if we dream big and hope to achieve them, perhaps walking around in Louboutins and wearing a Birkin by Hermès.
So which luxurious possessions do we covet the most?
Birkin Bag by Hermès
When 'investing in the bag' takes on a different meaning, we're talking about the iconic Birkin. The year is 1984 and the historic maison has created the quintessential It bag. What makes it so special is that it came about through a chance encounter: on a flight from Paristo London, British actress Jane Birkin, a new mother, complains to her travelling companion about the size of her handbag: the combination of roominess and elegance does not yet exist. Jean Louis Dumas, CEO of Hermès, has the inspiration at that moment that will change the history of fashion. The basic versions are sold from 7000 euros. In 2022, the average annual return of a Birkin was 14.2%, compared to the S&P average of 8.7% per year and gold's -1.5%. Hermès Birkins in particular will continue to be in high demand and sell at high prices. They are extremely popular with collectors and these bags almost always sell for a huge price, even in a lower market economy.
(Source: Madison Avenue Couture)
In 2022, the average price of an Hermès bag has increased by 200% compared to 2021, Vestiaire Collective announced. In fact, the platform was the venue for the sale of one of the most expensive bags ever seen, an extremely rare Faubourg, which sold for a record €158,000 in May 2022.
Cartier love bracelet
Born in New York in the 1970s, it is a timeless piece of jewellery with its striking clasp and graphic screws. The Love Bracelet by Cartier has been considered one of the greatest luxury items for many years. It was created by designer Aldo Cipullo and is said to be modelled on mediaeval chastity belts.
In the Tumblr era of King Kylie, which we remember nostalgically, the bracelet became even more popular with young women who had not yet come to terms with the more classic and less fashionable luxury world. The $5,000 piece has always been considered a symbol of love and status, but after careful research, the Huffington Post estimated Kylie's bracelets at around $40,000.
The Cartier Love bracelet, one of Cartier's most coveted pieces, has seen a price increase in both the US and European markets. In the US, the increase is between 6.5% and 15.4%, while in Europe it is between 6.45% and 7%.
(Source: Opulent)
Manolo Blahnik shoes
"You can take my Fendi baguette, you can take my ring and my watch, but please don't take my Manolo Blahniks". Do you recognise this quote? Manolos are Carrie Bradshaw's favourite shoes in Sex & The City. Through this series, the Spanish shoe designer, previously one of the best-kept secrets in the fashion industry, became a household name and suddenly in demand by everyone: from celebrities to housewives, all women wanted their own pair of Manolo Blahniks.
Shoes with rhinestones have become a huge trend and have caught the attention of it-girls, especially after the surge due to Margot Robbie's many press looks for Barbie. In fact, Google reports a 55% increase in searches for boots and shoes with rhinestones.
(Source: Starlight)
Besides Sex & The City, there is, as is often the case, the hand of the renowned US magazine headed by Anna Wintour, Vogue: it was previous director Diana Vreeland who introduced Manolo Blahnik as a designer more than 50 years ago. "I was completely terrified, I knew Diana Vreeland was a legend and an authority," Manolo Blahnik recalls to wwd.com. - But I wouldn't be where I am today without her."
A Chanel boss
Chanel has a romantic and dreamlike appeal and is perhaps the first luxury brand that comes to mind for most women, young and old, even if they are not into fashion.
To understand the history of Chanel handbags, one must begin with the origins of the bag itself. For the women of 18th century Western European society, handbags were actually as small as bags, detached from clothing and worn with a sash around the waist under layers of skirts. Towards the end of the century, however, the narrow silhouettes of the garments could no longer conceal a bag, so it became a visible handbag: a clutch bag with loop handles. This went on for about a century and a half until Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel came up with the idea of constructing a handbag where the hands were kept free by a chain.
Not to mention her very famous outerwear: although she is best known for her bouclé jackets, she started making accessories - hats to be precise - in a milliner's shop on Rue Cambon in Paris. Inspired by men's tailoring, the jackets featured contrasting linings, a boxy fit and logo buttons and are still must-haves in fashion's hall of fame.
Speaking of dreams and movies, there is another iconic scene that has shaped our thinking since 1990: Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman - ring a bell? An unlimited budget with which we can stock up on anything we want in a luxury boutique is a dream that needs no explanation; so on this day, we wish all of you in the G-Club community to have one of your dreams in your drawer.