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It's back to school month, and everyone has finally settled into work mode....London is slowly taking on its shades of autumn, with heating going on, traffic building up in Mayfair, and the streets filling again with shoppers. Beware, the Uber taxi company has just been banned from London!
With thousands of young commuters in London now left using public transport or expensive black taxis, look out for more designer backpacks as people walk to work....this is one of our favourites, a Blue Electric lambskin backpack from Chanel. Lilac Blue London's tip: pack a Hermes rain jacket......If you need one we always have spares available for clients!
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News from the Handbag World
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I've always thought of the UK fashion industry being led by quirky independent brands and the French by luxurious and established families, but sadly this image is wildly out of date. This week Michael Kors reached an agreement to buy British fashion house Jimmy Choo for £896m. Jimmy Choo had an extraordinary lead in the UK fashion market in the early 2000's. My wedding shoes were Jimmy Choo and while they were way beyond the shoe budget, the tottering gold heels and giant diamante were the talk of our celebrations. Sadly, Choo's position as the most luxurious UK shoe brand is no more, and its sale to Michael Kors is designed to allow the shoemaker to expand.
For Michael Kors, it has finally been realised that the KR logo is just too present - the handbags are everywhere - and it is hoped that Jimmy Choo will add some much needed luxury to the Michael Kors brand. What we are sadly more likely to see however, is the Jimmy Choo luxury image being extended to sell more affordable items. We would like to see it creating imaginative and limited edition leather goods, which we believe would extend the kudos and lifetime of the brand....But we expect the brand to turn more mainstream, to appeal to short term investors and possibly endanger its longevity. At a time when serious fashionistas are looking for new small luxury brands and clever niche products this is a shame.
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Hermes is the one house that has not given in to short term financial gain, and continues to show a profit, with a Hermes scarf being sold every second somewhere in the world. The scarves are made in such short supply you are unlikely to ever see yours being worn by someone else. We have been looking into how they are made, and speaking to the craftsmen and women, and will share our heartwarming findings next month.
The company has made very few limited edition handbag lines this year, so we are hugely excited about these new models.
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The crazy red and yellow creations have a playful angle: contrasting coloured piping on the edges of Birkins, and colour-blocking on Kellies. They are for the 2018 Resort Collection, due out in the Spring. They are likely to be more expensive than the one-colour bags, and will initially be offered only to their best clients. We will of course get our hands on a few, so let us know if you'd like to be offered one of the first that comes out.
Our verdict on the design: we love the Birkin Edge, it's lighthearted and joyful, for sunny days and for ladies who already have the classic etoupe, black or orange. But beware, you may not want to wear this bag every day, so do not make it your first Birkin.
Now look at the Kelly: the block design is an entirely different ballgame: while the bag offers eye-catching geometry, the colour combinations lack easy harmony and can be aesthetically challenging. Like a piece of modern art, you might need to spend time with it before you actually like it. What the creative team is emphasizing here is the casual nature of the Birkin, and the more conservative and sophisticated feel of the Kelly.
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So the Birkin Edge makes the wearer look carefree, happy and playful. Wear it to an upbeat lunch with girlfriends in Capri and to your ex-boyfriend's wedding. The Kelly Block will enhance your credibility in the boardroom, and at your mother-in-law's birthday party. What is for sure is that they will keep their value and carry an enormous premium at Christie's next year, if they can get their hands on one.
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Lilac Blue London is featured in this month's Vogue, with a listing for our vintage Hermes bags in the British Secret Address Book. So we thought it a good idea to mention one of our favourite vintage bags. This is a lizard 35cm Kelly, with a date stamp of E (it's over 20 years old). It was £15,000 but has been reduced to £12,000. Here it's been seen with one of our favourite Fendi straps. Man, how cool.
Lizard bags are highly prized in Asia, but are not well known in Europe, and at Hermes they are rarely produced. The skin gets its shine from the small size of the scales.
It is one of the most delicate skins, and can dry out if not looked after, but can also last for decades. This black lizard Kelly is 35cm which is unusually large for lizard, and one of the few remaining Kelly bags in this size. Click http://ow.ly/yG7l30flSFE for details.
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Louis Vuitton and Supreme
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Louis Vuitton's collaboration with the skater brand Supreme was a raging success this summer, with the limited edition menswear collection selling out in a few days. The brand Supreme is known for bold designs, and when a new one is unveiled, people have been camping in tents on the pavement outside its store in London's Soho district.
The idea of one of Paris' most luxurious houses collaborating with an urban street brand is not new, but is always risky, and this one has worked really well, largely because the products are fun and bold, which works well with lovers of the Louis Vuitton style.
We have a few pieces available, such as the phone cover and the hoodie.
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In the last 6 months we have seen very few classic coloured Birkin bags being released. Hermes has increased production but only in new seasonal colours. As a result, the classic colours are in high demand. If you can get one, do so, as this manufacturing pattern is likely to continue. The most sought after bag this month: black Birkin 30 with gold hardware. If you can wait to get this bag, do so! It will be more affordable soon.
Also, be aware of sizing: if you are looking for your first bag, you might want to go for the classic 35cm. The prices are attractive at the moment (and probably not for long), and big bags will be coming back into fashion soon. As we working women take on the world and get taller and stronger, the 35cm will be the long-term winner in Europe, the Americas, the Middle East and Africa.
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Next month: How Lilac Blue London can protect you from buying a fake bag....
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