What are the new 'gateway' bags every student and graduate in your life will be asking for?
Back in 2004, when I was 22, freshly graduated and a few months into my first job, I became the proud owner of a tan leather Mulberry Bayswater. It was my first ‘grown-up’ bag, and the must-have of its time, though what really sold me was that Mulberry had become known as “the designer brand for people who don’t do brands.”
While it was a major investment for me at the time, it was within reach at under ￡500 — cheaper than Louis Vuitton and Chanel, but still unquestionably a luxury item.
Today, Mulberry’s position in the market has shifted. The price of a Bayswater bag now starts at ￡1,095, its customer skews older, and its trademark Postman’s Lock is now so easily recognisable it can no longer get away with that “if you know, you know” status. This week, the brand has also warned that profits will be down thanks to its reliance upon its concessions at the troubled House of Fraser chain.
So now that graduations are in full swing, A-level and GCSE results are coming in and many will soon be starting their first jobs, what are the status 'gateway' bags of 2018? It is brands such as Staud, Wandler and Danse Lente which are coveted by today's style-conscious Gen Z (that's anyone born 1995). They’re not household names, and that’s OK — this is a new genre of understated leather goods brands that hit a sweet spot between luxury and affordability.
Charlotte, 23, who works in marketing, was browsing the Wicker Wings selection at Selfridges with her mother last Saturday. She has her eye on a black rattan-and-leather cross-body bag (￡320) for her birthday next month. “My friend who works in fashion tagged me on a post by [the brand] on Instagram because I’m obsessed with basket bags,” she said. “We came here to see them in real life… I’m trying to dress a bit less student-y — this [bag] is smart enough for me to use for work.”
The leader of this new-gen pack of brands is New York-based Mansur Gavriel. Launched in 2012 by Rachel Mansur and Floriana Gavriel, its leather bucket bag (from ￡370) is a modern classic. It quickly became the accessory of choice for celebrities and fashion editors (mine is five years old and still a favourite), plus a limited supply from its Italian factory kept demand high — at Net-a-Porter, every restock sold out within 24 hours.
Net-a-Porter’s retail fashion director Lisa Aiken describes the Mansur Gavriel bucket as “the first contemporary ‘It’ bag” and believes it carved a new niche in the market. “We’ve seen more and more brands offering amazing designs at accessible price points,” she says. “Since [Mansur Gavriel’s] success, there has been a great deal of momentum for brands like Simon Miller, Staud and Danse Lente, who are all fashioning fresh new approaches and are performing incredibly well.”
At Matches, Wandler has been a particular hit; the U-shaped Hortensia bag, which comes in an array of tasteful colour-block combinations, is a best seller. “The aesthetics are pared back and elegant, which appeals to a customer who is looking for a bag that is less identifiable and not overtly branded,” explains Natalie Kingham, fashion and buying director at Matchesfashion.com. “There’s lots of variety on colour, the sizes work well for the modern lifestyle and prices are good.”
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Wandler founder Elza Wandler believes the shift towards brands like her own is because this new generation of consumers is more interested in aesthetic than a designer logo. “I think women care more and more about the actual bag, colour and design instead of a recognised brand,” she says.
Charlotte admits there are plenty of designer styles she'd love, “but they are kind of everywhere,” she says. Certainly, there’s a degree of cool in eschewing big designer brands in favour of a less well-known marque. “Nowadays, the idea of having a bag from an under-the-radar brand shows off your fashion credentials more,” Aiken agrees.
While a Mansur Gavriel (though maybe branch out from a bucket) remains a sound buy, there are a number of other takes on the style that make for equally chic everyday bags. The structured shape of Staud’s Bissett (from ￡290, Matchesfashion.com) makes it a polished choice – we love the rainbow striped version (￡310). Danse Lente’s Johnny (￡360, Farfetch.com) has a decorative oversized strap, as well as a long, slender one so you can wear it as a crossbody, and we love the acrylic rings of Simon Miller’s nubuck Bonsai (from ￡575, Matchesfashion.com).
If you prefer to keep your hands free, Nico Giani’s Hoodia (￡290, Matchesfashion.com) is about as elegant as backpacks get, while a crossbody bag is both practical and youthful — no wonder the Duchess of Sussex loves the look. Wandler’s Hortensia is a favourite, though we also rate APC’s Demi-Lune (￡345, Net-a-Porter), PB 0110’s AB68 (a little more pricey at ￡620, Matchesfashion.com) and the Wicker Wings Kuai (￡320 at Selfridges and Net-a-Porter), which marries wicker and leather in a smart, work-appropriate package.
For the new graduates who have secured a well-paying entry-level job and are enjoying disposable income for the first time or students bagging a post-exams treat, the luxury industry is now delivering goods that are as covetable as they are affordable — and it’s working: sales at Net-a-Porter have doubled since last season. “The contemporary bag category for us is huge,” Aiken says. “We see no signs of this appetite slowing.”