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The Independent
17-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
13 best affordable designer bags, recommended by a fashion writer
With bags from the likes of Chanel, Hermes and Louis Vuitton consistently getting more expensive, many fashion fans are turning to mid-range brands to get their luxury fix. Owing to factors like rising production costs and inflation, iconic styles like the Birkin bag and Chanel flap now cost upwards of £10,000. The exclusivity of such high prices, status of the logo and investment value over time has always created an irresistible allure around luxury bags. But the tide is turning. 'As luxury prices have soared, we've found that customers are seeking quality and design over logos,' Rachel Bugg, accessories buyer at Selfridges, tells us. The mid-range bag industry is certainly booming – in Lyst's quarterly index of 2025's biggest brands, Coach sat at number four (behind Loewe, Miu Miu and Saint Laurent) with its Brooklyn bag crowned the hottest fashion buy of 2024. The New-York label has the It-girl seal-of-approval, too, with Bella Hadid stepping out with the empire carryall earlier this year. And it's not the only brand winning consumers over. Elsewhere, Longchamp's 30-year-old le pilage has built a loyal following thanks to its perennially chic look, while British brand DeMellier's handbags have been plumped for by the likes of Meghan Markle and Sofia Richie. Similarly, Parisian label Polene counts Kate Middleton and Lily Collins among its fans, with its minimalist leather bags starting from £160. In a climate of soaring bills and living costs, it's no surprise that fashion heads are questioning the value of heritage houses in favour of more relatively affordable brands. Costing anywhere between £120 to £500, mid-range labels easily rival the quality and craftsmanship of brands that are 10 times more expensive. Edinburgh-based label Strathberry, for example, crafts all its bags in a remote Andalusian village in Spain, where its factory brushes shoulders with the likes of Chanel, Lemaire and Dior. Bugg shares that there are a few mid-range brands currently dominating the style set's wardrobes. 'We've seen a high demand in Dragon Diffusion's 'Sante Croce' style with customers coming back to buy it in multiple styles and colours,' she says. 'DeMellier's 'New York' tote has been a standout this season, with an increased demand in suedes and faux croc fabrics over the classic black styles.' So, if you're looking for a new bag to add to your collection, save yourself a couple of thousand pounds by making it a mid-range style. To help you with your purchase, I've spent months testing the best affordable designer bags that deserve a spot in your rotation. How I tested Real-world testing: From small handbags for evenings out to summer styles for holidays, work-appropriate totes and capacious styles for travelling, I've taken these bags to the office, on city breaks and on days out. Comfort: Considering each bag's merits, I looked at comfort when carrying, as well as their day-to-day practicality thanks to the straps on offer, from shoulder to crossbody or clutch. Quality: I considered the durability and craftsmanship of each bag, to ascertain if the style is a worthwhile investment. Style: Not only did I assess how versatile the bags are when it comes to styling, but I also took note of trends and timeless design details. Why you can trust IndyBest reviews Daisy Lester is a senior shopping writer at The Independent. She specialises in reviewing fashion, so can identify what makes a great accessory, keeping an eye out for comfortable materials. She knows the brands to turn to for high-quality designs while still keeping budget and value for money in mind. The best affordable designer bags for 2025 are:
New York Times
30-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
The Birkin Inspires Yet Another Homage
Hop aboard a Hampton Jitney bus or a ferry to Nantucket this summer and you will probably see some L.L. Bean Boat and Totes, or maybe even an Hermès Birkin. You might also spot a new bag that looks like the child of those two: the Boatkin. Introduced in January by Hathaway Hutton, a brand in Philadelphia, Boatkins are made of canvas — some from old Boat and Totes — and have a shape and hardware similar to those of Birkins. 'Quiet luxury with a smirk' is how Hathaway Hutton's founder, Jen Risk, described the bag. 'I wanted to mess with the seriousness of it all and give it some personality.' Ms. Risk, 41, a self-taught sewer who started her brand in 2017, has positioned herself as a sort of Dr. Frankenstein of luxury goods: She has sold hand-painted Goyard totes and pool attire made of vintage Hermés beach towels. The Boatkin bag is her newest creation, and is among the latest accessories to borrow some of the Birkin's clout. See: Telfar's Shopping Bag, also known as the 'Bushwick Birkin'; the design collective MSCHF's 'Birkinstock' sandals; and Slow and Steady Wins the Race's four-sided Birkin replica. Each Boatkin is made in a work space at Ms. Risk's home, she said, a process that can take up to 10 hours. (A Birkin, by comparison, can take more than 18 hours to make, while a Boat and Tote can be stitched together in under 10 minutes.) Boatkins made from Boat and Totes provided by customers start at about $1,200; versions made with materials sourced by Ms. Risk, at about $1,600. She has sold more than 300 bags since introducing the style. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
South China Morning Post
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
How Singapore brand Aupen took the fashion world by storm: founder Nicholas Tan explains the creation of instant ‘It' bag the Nirvana – which boasts fans including Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga and Beyoncé
It's nearly 8pm on a Saturday night when I suddenly realise what the hype surrounding Aupen – the viral Singaporean bag brand that counts Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo among its fans – is all about. Upstairs on the second floor of an intimate, albeit crowded, restaurant, I plop an Aupen purse down on a tiny dinner table, immediately taken aback by how it sits perfectly upright and looks so visually arresting in the process – built to stand up as much as it is built to stand out. Subtle but seductive – attracting attention without really asking for it. Early fan Taylor Swift carries Aupen's Nirvana bag as she and Travis Kelce depart an SNL party in New York City, in October 2023. Photo: GC Images That's exactly as Nicholas Tan, only recently revealed to be the brains behind the brand, would have it. When I first started seeing Aupen's arm candy on A-listers two years ago, no one even knew it was a Singaporean brand, let alone who its enigmatic founder might be. Since Aupen's official launch in late 2022, details surrounding both the brand and its founder's identity have been kept top secret. This is presumably to drum up interest in the bags themselves, but it also makes a point about what kind of brand Aupen is – in essence, one that generates buzz because it doesn't try to. Quiet marketing for quiet luxury, so to speak, operating solely on the basis of word of mouth, social media sleuths and the 'if you know, you know' mentality. Advertisement Just a few days prior I had the opportunity to meet with Tan in Hong Kong to find out more about the man behind the mystery and discuss Aupen's meteoric rise to 'It bag' brand status. 'We wanted to create a silhouette that would be timeless and not focused on having logos,' he tells me casually, looking as cool and effortless as the bags themselves. 'Something simple and sleek, such that if a girl was wearing a T-shirt and jeans, she could just pop this on and make the entire … outfit immediately stand out.' Nirvana bag in ash by Aupen. Photo: Handout You can't put someone like Tan in a box. The former national swimmer for Singapore is tall, strikingly handsome and could easily pass for a model – yet another vocation Tan has dabbled in over the years – but surprisingly has no formal design training. In other words, he's completely unlike what many people had in mind for a brand so low-key and reserved, and also not the first person who'd come to mind when thinking of a fashion brand founder. That's perfectly OK with Tan, who appears content with and even excited to be doing things differently, proving people wrong, and setting new expectations for what a bag brand – and a proudly Singaporean one, at that – should do. One of the golden charms that counterbalance the asymmetrical shape of the Nirvana bag. Photo: Handout 'When we design our bags, we want them to be sculptural,' he says, slinging Aupen's signature Nirvana bag – made in an asymmetrical shape with a golden, detachable charm acting as a counterweight on the slimmer end – over his shoulder. 'This is a little different from some bags that are crossbody, or just completely collapse. When you put it on the table, you can put it next to your coffee and take a photo.' It's this kind of storytelling through silhouettes that first gave the brand near-instant global recognition – Tan proudly claims that all of Aupen's celebrity endorsements are purely organic, not paid for – and has helped make it a success in a segment usually dominated by the Louis Vuittons and Chanels of the world. Tate McRae and Olivia Rodrigo, toting an Aupen bag, leave the Arena in Los Angeles after a Lakers game. Photo: Flash/Backgrid 'When I started I sent Aupen to everyone I knew,' Tan laughs, pointing out how Western countries and celebrities – not Singaporean or Asian KOLs – first made Aupen famous. 'I do think it has to do with the openness of the West – how they are more open to new ideas and brands.' Tan, who studied biology at Harvard, agrees that his time in the US allowed him to ponder and explore different career paths, fostering an ambitious mindset that led him to believe that anything and everything was possible.
