Introducing Mansur Gavriel, the fledgling handbag brand that's making designer style and quality more affordable.
BY Bibby Sowray[1] | 05 September 2013
With the cost of many It bags spilling over the four-figure mark, designer arm candy has never been farther out of reach.
Nowhere is this truer than when it comes to the more sizeable of handbags, the ones that actually fit the plethora of paraphernalia that we feel necessary to cart around each day (you know, tissues, painkillers, emergency make-up…).
Proenza Schouler's lustworthy large PS1 satchel will set you back £1,440; Saint Laurent's roomy Classic Sac De Jour £1,950 and, similarly, Céline's medium Luggage tote will give you little change from £2,000. Even Mulberry's classic Bayswater has abandoned its almost-manageable initial price tag of £495 for one closer to £800.
It's depressing reading for the majority who rightly feel that sort of money is better spent on rent, food and bills. After all, a handbag won't keep you warm and dry or your tummy full.
MICRO TREND: Transparent bags [2]
Thankfully, the mid-priced void that's been left by escalating prices is being filled by new, exciting brands like Sophie Hulme and Mansur Gavriel[3] .
The latter is a mere fledgling. Founded just last year, the New York-based label is the namesake of Rachel Mansur and Floriana Gavriel and offers beautifully simple but undeniably practical leather bags. Though as chic as any Céline bag, they don't have the aforementioned eye-watering price tag to match and will debut on Net-A-Porter in the coming weeks with a reasonable £345 -£395 range.
The pair met in the lobby of Los Angeles's Wiltern Theatre just before a The XX concert in 2010. A trip to the city's flower market the following day confirmed that they were soul sisters in style who both wanted to develop a brand from the ground up. Though Floriana returned to her home in Germany the next day, the two started a long-distance design relationship.
"We shared a private Tumblr and began to collect images, slowly editing down the essence of what we were interested in," explains Rachel. "I went to Berlin for six weeks in the winter of 2010, and we worked intensely together there, further developing the concept. Floriana came back to Los Angeles for six weeks the following spring, and we made our first prototypes in a small factory in East LA."
They relocated to New York in 2012 to officially start the company.
The bucket bag. Photo: Mansur Gavriel
There's no weighty hardware, instead the fun is in the lining. Available with tan and black leather outers, the small and large totes come with different coloured resin-coated linings - pink, cobalt, yellow, white and navy are just a few - which "represent a wide range of style and emotion", say the duo. An understated gold embossed 'Mansur Gavriel' is the only branding you'll find.
IN PICTURES: Mini me designer handbags [4]
"Both Floriana and I felt we couldn't find a beautiful, classic bag below the designer price point range," explains Rachel. "When designing the collection we decided to emphasize cost in the quality of leather and craftsmanship, and minimize cost in areas such as lining and hardware. We simplified in order to accentuate quality and keep the price point manageable."
All of their bags - the debut range also consists of their signature 'bucket' bag and on-trend pouches - are produced in Italy using Tuscan leather. Their aim, as the price point suggests, is to produce something for 'real women' that can be dressed both up and down.
The small tote. Photo: Mansur Gavriel
"We're interested in beauty, quality, acknowledgement of what is classic and has longevity, but also always incorporating an element of fun."
Mansur and Gavriel, who both have design degrees and have between them worked for fashion houses such as Lanvin, are hoping to brand will grow gradually over time.
"We love the idea of slowly building a three dimensional world with interesting products, graphic design, and photography," they explain. "We admire brands that have created a deep, rich world - Louis Vuitton, Hermès, Acne, Prada."
Though that may sound ambitious, it's looking possible. Already stocked in 23 bricks-and-mortar stores in the US and internationally on Net-A-Porter soon, they're showing signs of rapid growth for a brand that's barely one year old.
So, what next? "We have so many ideas! Our main focus is to add more classic shapes in new, interesting colours and material - canvas, nylon, more leather qualities. We love the idea of incorporating prints."
Whatever they do, it looks set to be a hit.
The four styles that will be available on Net-A-Porter. Clockwise from top left: Leather bucket bag, £395.00; Large leather tote (tan), £385.00; Small leather tote, £345.00; Large leather tote (black), £385.00.
References
- ^ Bibby Sowray (fashion.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ MICRO TREND: Transparent bags (fashion.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ Mansur Gavriel (mansurgavriel.com)
- ^ IN PICTURES: Mini me designer handbags (fashion.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ mansurgavriel.com (mansurgavriel.com)
0 comments:
Post a Comment