The fashion accessories that have elevated a person to trendsetter status throughout time have constantly been changing. Marabou feathers were the pinnacle of sartorial sophistication in the Roaring Twenties, and go-go boots were the height of fashion in the Swinging Sixties. But the renowned It bag is the one item sought by individuals in the fashion industry that hasn’t altered much since the ’00s.
Designer carryalls, such as the Baguette by Fendi, the Birkin by Hermes, and the Dionysus by Gucci, have long been recognised for their exclusivity, exorbitant prices, and stylish accents. And although there are several alternatives for those looking to indulge in the frivolous excess of a luxury handbag, Michael Kors has a tight grip on the popularity of ostentatious arm candy.
Our week, Michael Kors, perhaps one of the most well-known American designers of this century, turns 60 while in charge of a vast fashion business. One influenced partly by the New Yorker pursues its extreme popularity.
There are probably many of Kors’ bags hanging from the arms of regular women if you glance around any workplace, eatery, or subway vehicle. Each of the designer’s bags, whether it be the Mercer Tote, Whitney Shoulder Bag, or Cece Crossbody, is immediately recognisable due to its instantaneous elegance and, of course, the designer’s name spelt out in glittering gold letters for everyone to see.
The phrase “investment item” is never more appropriate than when referring to a luxury handbag. A good suitcase may last you a lifetime, after all. But which one you should choose remains the issue.
The Selma Medium Saffiano Satchel is one of the greatest Kors bags to buy, says fashion expert Rebecca Lockwood. Because of its rigid shape and stylish, straightforward style, this bag is ideal for the workplace, according to Lockwood. It’s a well-liked design.
She does, however, add that the Nouveau Hamilton Pebbled Leather Satchel in Terracotta from the brand’s most recent collection is her particular favourite.
It is the ideal statement item for your wardrobe and comes in a deep orange tone, says Lockwood. “I like the actual gold-tone hardware in particular. Bella Hadid is shown clutching this purse in the current advertising campaign while wearing a studded leather jacket, leopard-print shoes, and vintage-wash mom jeans. Exactly how I would dress in this.
What precisely makes the brand’s bags so well-liked, then?
In luxury, the Michael Kors brand is unique because it aspires to be democratic. Unlike many designer handbags with four-figure price tags, Kors’ are rather affordable. The most popular Medium Selma bag costs just £345, while the Maddie Tote is now available for as low as £108 on the brand’s website.
With a significant presence in retail malls throughout North America and Europe, Kors is aware that there is money to be earned in the mid-market. It wasn’t simple, however. Kors has had to put in a lot of effort to ensure that his success in the inexpensive market doesn’t lower the value of his brand, as Rebecca Arnold, senior professor in the history of clothing and textiles at The Courtauld Institute of Art, points out.
Arnold claims that Michael Kors has been skilled at incorporating premium and mass market lines with the easy-to-wear, short, and cohesive pieces that define American design. Although his methods and brand identification may have benefited from this grandeur, the fact that his label can be seen on many items may have dimmed its sheen.
“His bags may be seen all over the world being carried by ladies on buses and trains. Although this is the obvious result of affordable luxury, can the brand’s appeal be sustained at any price range if its name is ubiquitous?
Kors ensures that his brand stays in style by enlisting a host of well-known figures to support the label’s glitzy image via celebrity endorsements and clever advertising.
Many famous people have flocked to the designer’s handbags throughout the years, including Kate Hudson, Dakota Johnson, Taylor Swift, and Gigi Hadid. Amal Clooney is known to like the brand’s Bancroft design, while Kendall Jenner most recently carried her Kors Gracie purse to a Yeezy event.
The Michael Kors brand’s success is evidence that high-end clothing companies can lower the cost of luxury. The Michael Kors brand has 870 shops worldwide, including flagship locations in several of the most affluent cities, including New York, London, Paris, and Milan.
Additionally, the designer has won various accolades from the business, including The Council of Fashion Designers of America Womenswear Designer of the Year in 1999 and Menswear Designer of the Year in 2003.
While photos of fashionable ladies are important to the brand’s appeal, it also seems that Kors’ personality plays a role in the brand’s success, with renowned stylist Alex Longmore claiming that Kors is “the nicest guy in fashion.”
According to Longmore, who has met him several times, “he is dependably warm with a fantastic sense of humour, extremely talented, and very much the real thing.” “He is the most gifted designer of a generation. He creates exclusively for them and understands precisely who his customer is. He embraces the female form, clothes real women, and makes getting dressed simple, enjoyable, and useful.
“He is the driving force behind US fashion. Michael would be the president of the United States of Fashion if there were such a position.
The 60-year-old is assisting in chipping away the stigma many designers and the fashion industry have acquired over the years for being cold-hearted with his endearing personality.
In the business, Kors has a reputation for doing good deeds. He has been an ardent supporter of God’s Love We Deliver, a non-profit organisation in New York that has prepared and distributed nourishing meals to patients with critical illnesses in and around New York City for over 25 years.
And as the Michael Kors name has grown worldwide, so have its charitable endeavours. To combat global poverty, the designer started the “Watch Hunger Stop” campaign in 2013 in collaboration with the World Food Programme (WFP).
Kors has aided WFP in providing more than 15 million meals to children in need. The WFP appointed the designer its worldwide ambassador against hunger in 2015.
The designer’s fashion line, inspired by the all-American jet-set image, has made him a household brand, yet each year brings new achievements in both his business and personal lives.
Kors defies sartorial elitism by demonstrating that decent men don’t necessarily come in last place.