Musings on the $1 million bag
The news of Pharrell William’s Louis Vuitton $1 million bag dubbed ‘Millionaire Speedy’ has gone viral.
Sold via a made-to-order basis, the newly released bag, replaces the generally used cotton canvas for crocodile leather, embellished with gold hardware and diamonds.
Pharrell was spotted at Paris Fashion Week recently donning a yellow version of the bag. Pharrell was appointed Creative Director in February 2023, and this direction nods to a louder trajectory than even the late Creative Director Virgil Abloh’s street influences for Louis Vuitton.
The press has been split since news of the bag surfaced, from excitement to criticism and offers an antithesis to ‘quiet luxury’, something which in fact might be labelled as ‘loud luxury’.
After all, the most classic of all handbags, arguably the 2.11 Chanel handbag created by the late Karl Lagerfeld upon his arrival at the house in 1983, which comes in a multitude of colours and gold metal chain, comes in at around £8,530. For a vegan alternative, Stella McCartney offers the Falabella Fold-Over Tote Bag with waxed GOTS-certified organic cotton lacing for £925. Or the trending half-moon The Row handbag can be found second-hand for £1,123.50 over at Vestiaire Collective.
From a social perspective, the kind of luxury denoted by the ‘Millionaire Speedy’ bag is by default prohibitive to the majority, but an elite 1%. In a cost-of-living crisis where many are choosing between food, heating and/or paying their rent or mortgages, is this bag in fact, very out of touch?
The other thread to this is the climate crisis. As many in the sector are preparing for COP28 later this month, how might a $1 million bag juxtapose the message that urgency is required for climate mitigation and how might this money have be spent in that regard?
There is also the ethical implications of using crocodile skin. PETA’s US Senior Vice President, Lisa Lange, sent an open letter to Pharrell, inviting the Creative Director to attend:
“We’d like to invite you on a less-than-luxurious tour of a filthy (for that’s what they are) crocodile factory farm with us to see the living origins of your “Millionaire” bag. […]. Killing wildlife for a bag isn’t cool—it’s cold. Are you up for this trip?”
Musing on this bag, has only created more questions. What do you think?
Suella Braverman’s exit marks the end of women in leadership roles in Parliament
Suella Braverman left her role as Home Secretary yesterday, amidst a reshuffle by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. This comes ahead of a general election which is likely to take place next year. Braverman’s position has been filled by ex-Prime Minister David Cameron.
In her time as Home Secretary, Braverman exploited some of the UK’s most extreme political perceptions. Her alarmist speech on migration, where she called for a human rights reform due to the “existential challenge” that illegal migration posed, caused a number of Tory MPs to distance themselves. Her recent comments on homelessness being a “lifestyle choice” caused further turmoil and showed a complete lack of empathy, particularly within a cost-of-living crisis. However, it was Braverman’s most recent remarks for further action against pro-Palestine marches, which appeared to end her current role.
Like her or not, Braverman was one of the last women in a leadership role within the Conservative party. The Global Gender Gap report published this year highlights the ‘Drop to the Top’ referring to the decline of women in C-suite and senior leadership roles and suggests that it will take 131 years to achieve gender parity. Perhaps more concerning the figures equate to 162 years to close the Political Empowerment gender gap and 169 years to close the Opportunity gender gap.
CMS Committee examine tax-free shopping removal
Today the Culture, Media and Sport (CMS) Committee are meeting to examine the ongoing impact of the Government’s decision to remove tax-free shopping.
The decision by the Government to withdraw from the VAT Retail Export Scheme after Brexit has made Europe far more appealing to tourists and has seen many luxury fashion houses such as Mulberry’s iconic Bond Street flagship close earlier this year.
This is a conversation that Fashion Roundtable have been having on an almost weekly basis with the sector and an issue which has continued to surface in roundtables. This was evident in our recent snap survey and in our policy manifesto which we have been discussing cross-party.
Dame Caroline Dinenage MP, Chair of the CMS Committee, said:
“We heard last year that Government policies have been discouraging visitors and making them less likely to spend, with the decision to remove tax-free shopping for tourists symptomatic of an approach that is making the post-pandemic recovery harder rather than easier.
Our session will be a chance to explore how such policies are affecting retailers and businesses twelve months on. It is important the Government listens to the sector and does everything possible to ensure British tourism and hospitality can attract visitors and showcase the best that Britain has to offer.”
New podcast episode: MEG PIRIE in conversation with VICTORIA JENKINS
This is an image of Victoria Jenkins, wearing a royal blue power suit, standing in the street, with a sparkly mobility aid. Credit: Deb Burrows.
Victoria Jenkins co-chairs our Representation and Inclusion Committee and is a garment technologist with 14 years of experience in the fashion industry who became Disabled in her 20s. She is behind the sustainable adaptive fashion brand Unhidden. The idea was born after a chance encounter with a woman with cancer that changed the course of her life. As she watched the woman during her own hospital stay, she realised that there were no adaptive clothes on the market and this is how Unhidden was born.
Now Victoria is listed as one of Vogue’s Top 25 Powerhouse Women, redefining Britain and co-presents and designs on Channel 4’s Unique Boutique. A must-watch where inclusive fashion lovers and designers create bespoke outfits for every-body in a custom-built shop.
Meg Pirie and Victoria about future plans for a not-for-profit arm of Unhidden, training people with disabilities and chronic health conditions how to sew adaptive alterations so they can then work as and when they choose making adaptive alterations for any one who doesn't sew. There are also plans for workshops that will cover how to adapt clothing you already own yourself so there is no barrier to accessing adaptive clothing and re-loving your existing wardrobes.
Finally, Victoria shares her key policy asks to ultimately make fashion more inclusive.
To learn more about Victoria’s amazing work:
Full transcript can be found here.
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