At the time he is born, everyone thinks he is without interest. Today, trendy fashion brands have taken hold of this universal bag that no one can ignore it. Could it be the great trend of the century? Without hesitation.
Sophie Fontanel was already wondering a few months ago. Our colleagues from France Info soon followed suit. Since then, this bag has aroused a kind of little debate in us. Fashion trend or not? You have to believe that opinions on the issue are divided even in the sacrosanct planet of fashionistas. However, whether we agree with this postulate or not, everyone has it with their arms.
Often made of canvas, it comes in all possible and imaginable colors, adorns itself with prints do you want it here, is adorned with illustrations when it suits him. Beyond its stylistic versatility, a constancy remains: its simplistic, rectangular form, with two fine and long handles on the top. Little thick and not rigid, it bends to envy to the point of being able to be flat, in a pocket, a bag … This apparent banality is often sublimated by a flocking proudly displaying a logo, a slogan or a message like the brand. However, originally, this bag is worn for everything (sup) carry, without the need to be stylish.
Fatés smart, fashionistas have diverted the initial use to make it a fashionable desirability object. Because since it is visible, you might as well make it a fashion accessory, a symbol that allows you to express your stylistic identity in the same way as a t-shirt or shoes. This passout bag, which everyone carries without thinking about it, is none other than the tote bag.
And that’s the whole subject: his universality makes him essential, hyper trendy unwittingly. An omnipresence impossible to ignore for trendy fashion brands. The tote bags thus become a real boon to extend their influence, strengthen their brand image in the collective imagination, increase their sympathy capital and develop their sales … without providing too much effort: “It takes 15 seconds” And “Between 1 and 3 euros” To make one. In a sense, they fulfill the same role as licensed products – sunglasses, perfumes, cosmetics: that of giving access to luxury to individuals whose budget is rikiki. A kind of “luxury at low prices”. In addition to its essential side, there is also its eco-responsible side which seduces: a fight more than ever current in our societies, therefore become “fashion” despite itself (cuckoo greenwashing).
But if some compare it to a merchandising product more than an IT-BAG, fashion houses like Courrèges also seize it and give it this so disputed fashion legitimacy. All (or almost) offer their own upgraded iteration of the canvas bag, with logo displayed in large format and without embarrassment. Some even make them collaborations; History to create an exclusivity that would make it even more desirable. Rabanne and Harper’s Bazaar recently offered the ideal tote bag during this summer period.
