Why "newstalgia" is a term worth paying attention to.

In the past 20 years, the word "It bag" reminds me of a specific type of handbag, namely handbags from European luxury brands, which sell for up to four digits and require a special relationship with a sales assistant to purchase. This concept has been dissected and declared dead many times, but it has been resurrected year after year and declared that this time is true, "It bag is back again."

But what defines It bag, especially in 2021? Telfar handbag? Perhaps the Jodie tramp woven by Bottega Veneta can be seen everywhere in the Instagram photos of many influential people. Maybe it is a classic, such as Hermès Birkin or Chanel flap bag. Or, will it be a revival of early 00s fashion styles like Balenciaga Moto or Marc Jacobs Stam? Paradoxically, the answer is all of the above.

"We think'It bag' is the moment or peak of fashion. Celebrities, influencers and [other fashion leaders] are all attracted to them," Charles Go, founder and CEO of luxury handbag dealer Rebag Said Charles Gorra. According to this definition, it is easy to understand why people are now confused about what is qualified. Depending on which corner of social media you occupy, what you see "everyone" carrying is very different.

As early as the early 00s, celebrity tabloids such as fashion magazines and American Weekly determined the status of handbags. Celebrity style occupies the supreme position, as do pop culture moments such as SATC. In this era, handbags are famous by their names: Fendi Baguette, Balenciaga Moto, Marc Jacobs Stam, Dior Saddle, Louis Vuitton Pochette, etc. They are flashy, covered with logos, prints, or sequins, recognizable at a glance from a mile away, and demonstrate their luxurious status. They inspire consumers' desire to learn more about them, whether in fashion spots, fashion obsessive forums, or by visiting blogs such as Bag Snob or Purse Blog.

Contrary to intuition, Bag Snob is actually anti-hype. Tina Chen Craig, who founded a blog in 2005, said: "In the first few years I joined Bag Snob, certain bags were obviously more popular than others and used as content materials. But if there is one, we are absolutely against it. . We did not instigate more heated discussions about the "present bag", but focused on teaching people how to store smartly and make smart purchases."

After 2008, this more cautious desire became more urgent: the economy plummeted, the Occupy Wall Street movement came into being, and the excessive display of wealth was no longer welcome. Logomania was defeated, and the pendulum turned to a minimalist style.

Phoebe Philo is also blamed for this change. During Chloé's tenure, after creating popular handbags such as Paddington (with a huge padlock shell), she became Céline's new creative director in 2008. Her minimalist styles such as Luggage Tote and Box bags have become new status symbols. They feature sleek, solid colors, and golden hardware, symbolizing a quiet luxury, considered socially suitable in the post-collapse economy.

But it wasn't until Mansur Gavriel that he really thought of the expensive It package. Founded in 2013 by Rachel Mansur and Floriana Gavriel, the duo created unisex handbags and bucket bags, which feature bright linings in shades of lipstick red or cobalt blue. At less than $500, they offer the same minimal appeal as the Céline bag, and the price is only a small part of it.

"We made what we wanted that was not on the market at the time: simplicity, practicality, artistic inspiration, high quality, beautiful colors and materials, and the price is not surprising. The customer responded to all these principles," founding People said in an email statement.

Not only did customers respond, but the fashion crowd also responded to articles from Fashionista and Racked, which detailed how to do it. "Fashion Business" called it "the first IT package after the 2008 recession." Before Jacquemus launched his small Le Chiquito bag in 2018, the Mansur Gavriel bag was also the last bag to inspire this craze in the next few years. This is a cross-body tote bag with a top handle that only fits a mobile phone. For the fashion world, the pendulum swings again, from spacious handbags and bucket bags to these very impractical small bags. But soon, practicality became a necessity again-in the context of the past year and a half, shopping habits have become more thoughtful.

WGSN footwear and accessories senior editor Jane Collins said: "After experiencing a difficult period of sharp decline in handbag sales, considering the importance of long-term attractiveness and practicality, the handbag category is currently undergoing reshaping." Trend forecasting agency.

Luxury brands such as Hermès and Chanel experienced declining sales during the peak of home orders, when the blockade took effect, but rebounded after the blockade was lifted. The handbags of these brands tend to run counter to the It bag label in some respects because they have always been popular and only add value over time. Shoppers think that styles such as Chanel 2.55 or Hermès Birkin are reasonable investments, and the more fashionable options are often less valuable once they are no longer popular. In uncertain times, packages that maintain their resale value are easier to justify.

For some handbag brands, the past 18 months represent a different shift in consumer shopping habits. In May 2020, George Floyd, Ahmad Arbery, and Breonna Taylor were murdered, leading to "black life is also life" social justice The revival of the movement.

The wave of protests has sounded the alarm for many shoppers. If you post on social media to support Black Lives Matter, is it verbal? How do you actually support the black community? Shoppers are forced to review their own habits and diversify their spending to support BIPOC designers.

It also represents a shift in the psychology of shoppers. In order to truly support the BIPOC designer for ethical reasons, consumers carefully checked the other labels in their wardrobe. Fast fashion, with its ethical standards and its impact on the climate, suddenly felt unpopular and turned to support sustainable practices such as upcycling and buying antiques or frugality.

At the height of the Black Lives Matter protests, Brandon Blackwood released his End Systemic Racism handbag. He made 500 and sold out in two hours. In March 2021, he discontinued this bag. "I don't think my ESR handbag is an'It bag'. This is a necessary statement about what is happening in the world. Although it is very popular, I will never allow it to be just a hot item. It bag is made by As a result of trends, systemic racism is not and will never become a trend," he said.

This is not to say that he opposed the term. "As far as It bag is concerned, I think our Kendrick suitcase is one piece. It is our best-selling product, loved by many people with different aesthetics-suitable for everyone," he said.

Designer Telfar Clemens also expressed the same view. He prominently displayed "Not For You – For Everyone" on the website of his brand Telfar. The brand owned by Black can be said to be one of the most popular handbags at the moment, and there has been a surge in 2020. Lyst announced that Teflar's iconic handbags are the most popular items this year. Known as "Bushwick Birkin", this is the favor of the Brooklyn creative crowd, fans set up multiple alarm clocks in order to get a drop. The resale market is so active that the brand had to develop a bag safety plan to ensure that customers pay retail prices rather than markups.

Both Blackwood and Telfar sell their bags for less than $500, a price tag that is acceptable to their customers. Other brands cultivate loyal followers by offering styles at a much lower average cost than traditional luxury handbags such as Chanel or Louis Vuitton, and both brands are steadily increasing prices.

For Elza Wandler, its brand Wandler handbags sell for about $1,000, so success is the result of a combination of many factors. "The ideal bag strikes a good balance between quality, design, style, color and practicality. This is my goal, and I hope my customers will feel luxurious and unique when you carry them. Feel," she said.

Paulina Liffner von Sydow, founder and creative director of Little Liffner, expressed her desire to create unique bags at an approachable price. Her designs-ranging from under $200 to under $1,000-are intended to be anti-It packages. "This concept is closely related to conspicuous consumption and handbags as status symbols. I think our women are not driven by these values. I like to think that I have created some strong silhouettes and these bags will stay in many seasons in the future. Our customers' wardrobe, not as the taste of the day," she said.

Blackwood agreed, "I make my bags affordable because I want to do this. I want people who look like me and come from a background like me to have something of quality, fashion and utility. Carry expensive bags as an identity The symbolic generation is older and has other priorities in life. Millennials and Gen Z have no impression of the $5,000 bag on their favorite celebrity."

However, while millennials and Gen Z may not use expensive luxury bags as social signs, these more affordable brands have the same function. It establishes an "in" group, and the people who own a group are members of this community. If you see someone holding a Telfar bag and you are holding one, then you are likely to have similar interests and worldviews. This is also the case if you bring Wandler or Little Liffner.

Of course, fashion is cyclical in nature, and those early bags are back. "Vogue" senior fashion writer Liana Satenstein is a strong supporter of their return. "[Last year], I spent a lot of time in the archives, especially in the 00s. Growing up during that time, I didn't have the money to buy the bags I would see at The Fashion Spot. Now I can really afford them Now, it turns those nostalgia into reality," she said. At the top of her list is the Balenciaga motorcycle bag, which she thinks is very popular, as well as Marc Jacobs Stam and YSL Mombasa.

Satenstein is not the only one who likes these bags. “According to Rebag’s 2021 Clair report, which investigated the resale trend of luxury goods, the early It bags are definitely undergoing a revival. One of our most questioned styles is the medium-sized Balenciaga City Classic Studs Bag, which is the best of the era. One of the most popular styles," Gorra said.

"I am a fan of Balenciaga bags, and I fully see the appeal to the younger generation," Craig responded, although she did not expect new designer styles to enter the field of It bags. "My friend BryanBoy and I are fascinated by Gucci x Balenciaga's Hourglass bags. We have been texting until late at night, trying to figure out how to get one because we forgot to make a reservation."

If the current state of It Bag is driven by customers who also care about social justice, sustainability in the form of thrift or purchase designer resale, and affordable price points, what will the future look like?

According to Collins, fashion will be combined with function, noting that “more and more styles will use clip-on accessories to create work and casual looks, so you will see mini bags or pockets that match larger handbags. ." Given that many people will eventually return to the office, at least for part of the week, this is not surprising.

But no matter what the designer says, Collins believes that It bag will return with the biggest and smallest ideals. "We are creating minimalism, which means that we will see minimalist designs updated with minimalist details, such as hardware, decoration, shapes, colors, and branding," she said. An interchange between Fendi and Versace, or a mashup between Gucci and Balenciaga? It heralds a wave of mashups combining classic, more restrained brands with more quirky labels.

Collins added, don't expect to see nostalgia for the 90s and 00s everywhere. "Millennials and Gen Z have driven the demand for these two decades of reinvention of classics. Looking forward to seeing the'Newstalgia' shapes, including rectangular, barrel, banana and half-moon designs, provide familiarity and peace of mind during the change." The safety of returning to the childhood trend complements the rejuvenating fun of dressing up.

Welcome to the era of Newstalgia.