The Evolution of The It Bag: Stuff for Status

181: What makes an "it bag"? I'm breaking down my thesis on "stuff for status," high-price overconsumption, through the lens of designer handbags. We go through the stories behind iconic designer handbags - Hermes Kelly and Birkin, the Gucci Jackie, and the Lady Dior - and spiral into the influence of pop culture on designer handbag purchases - how did Carrie Bradshaw effectively create a market for the Fendi Baguette? We brainstorm around perceived value and the impact of social media on re-issued bags, like the Dior Saddle Bag, and the democratization of luxury through inexpensive production inputs, like Prada's nylon collections.

Soundbites:

• Jane Birkin on CBS Sunday Morning, 2018
• Leah Black and Lisa Hochenstein on Real Housewives of Miami Season 3 (Bravo)
• Dana Thomas at Google Talks, 2007

More for you:

• Episode 140: How Luxury Lost Its Lustre | Book Club with Megan McSherry
• Vogue.com's It Bag Hall of Fame: A History of the Most Coveted Accessories
• Bloomberg: Dior Brought Back the Saddle Bag With a Global Instagram Blitz
• Racked: I Started Rewatching ‘Sex and the City’ and Now I Have to Have a Fendi Baguette
• Vogue: From Princess Diana to today: The history of the iconic Lady Dior bag
• Vanity Fair: Inside the Hermès Workshop That Makes Its Iconic Bags

Thanks to our sponsors!

• Nutrafol.com, promo code "ECOCHIC"
• TakeCareOf.com, promo code "ECOCHIC50"
• ecampus.OregonState.edu/EcoChic

Find me on: Instagram @ecochicpodcast + @lauraediez, on Facebook, Twitter, and now TikTok.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices