Move over diamonds! A handbag is truly a girl's best friend. Luxury handbags combine fashion with utility. Here we'll go into detail about some top purse brands, their history, and their best handbag creations.
1. Céline
Established: 1945 by Céline Vipiana | Founded in: Paris, France
What began as a children's shoe boutique quickly grew into an international luxury handbag manufacturer. These handbags are best known for their minimalist look, combining sporty with flirty. The designs show a quiet elegance — perfect for someone looking for luxury without standing out in a crowd.
2. Chanel
Established: 1910 by Coco Chanel | Founded in: Paris, France
The name Coco Chanel will go down in history as one of the most famous fashion designers. Chanel handbags are known for their quilted look and the iconic double C logo. Before the 1900s, there were no shoulder purses for women — Chanel's 2.55 Flap Bag design made it socially acceptable for women to carry a handbag on their shoulder.
3. Dior
Established: 1947 by Christian Dior | Founded in: Paris, France
Dior's fashion designs helped Paris recover after WWII, reestablishing it as the hub for luxury fashion. The most famous Dior bag, the Lady Dior, pays tribute to the late Princess Diana of Wales. Each bag is a meticulous work of art with history behind it.
4. Coach
Established: 1941 by Lillian and Miles Cahn | Founded in: New York City
The original designs were inspired by baseball gloves! Coach found their niche in affordable luxury handbags with simple, clean, and lightweight designs.
5. Gucci
Established: 1921 by Guccio Gucci | Founded in: Florence, Italy
Italian leather meets exceptional craftsmanship. Gucci's original handbag designs were based on horse saddles, inspiring the iconic bamboo handle on classic Gucci bags.
6. J.W. Anderson
Established: 2008 by Jonathan Anderson | Founded in: London, England
A modern take on femininity, combining traits from menswear and womenswear. These luxury handbags are ideal for anyone looking for something different.
7. Louis Vuitton
Established: 1854 by Louis Vuitton Malletier | Founded in: Paris, France
Originally a luggage manufacturer, Louis Vuitton created their first handbag in 1930. Their iconic LV Monogram Canvas still stands out today as unique to the brand.
8. Prada
Established: 1913 by Mario Prada | Founded in: Milan, Italy
Prada began as an elite luggage company. In 1985, they revealed their revolutionary line of black nylon handbags with subtle logos — a brand made by women for women.
9. Yves Saint Laurent
Established: 1966 by Yves Saint Laurent | Founded in: Paris, France
YSL handbags are both fashionable and have high utility, with a modern edge that's unafraid to try new things.
10. Valentino
Established: 1952 by Mario Valentino | Founded in: Naples, Italy
Every Valentino bag is handmade in Italy by master artisans. Each artisan is specially trained in only two ways of crafting, making their creations perfect.
Have a Luxury Handbag?
Elite Jewelry and Loan accepts collateral loans on designer purses of any brand. Bring your bag into our Tempe location to have it appraised, or give us a call at (480) 699-6639.
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