From Hermès to Chanel, restorations and repairs are being embraced by luxury brands – here’s why

Brands have always worked to the idea that people want to update their accessories regularly. This is no longer the case – and companies are cottoning on
Many fashion houses now offer repairs on leather goods, which is not only great in terms of longevity but is ‘incredible’ when it comes to building brand value

Fashion

Melissa Twigg

Published: 7:15am, 12 Dec 2022

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Watches and jewellery are handed down from mother to daughter, while tights and stockings are chucked away after two or three wears.

We have wildly different expectations about the longevity of various fashion purchases – and while handbags are among the more enduring, brands have always worked to the idea that people want to update their accessories on a semi-regular basis.

Over the past decade, however, this outlook has had to change. In the noughties, there was relentless pressure to have the latest It bag; today, many of the most stylish women in the world carry vintage – or recent, but not current – models. The focus on sustainability and, to an extent, the current cost-of-living crisis makes this not only acceptable but downright fashionable.

A steep rise in prices, even allowing for inflation, has also made it essential for many women: a Chanel Medium Classic Flap bag, for example, has increased in price from US$1,150 in 1990 to US$7,800 in 2021.

A Chanel bag from the cruise 2023 collection. Chanel offers a restoration service for goods one year after purchasing.

As a result, brands have started offering repairs on their leather goods. A few weeks ago, Bottega Veneta’s chief executive, Bartolomeo Rongone, said that certain handbag models can now be brought in for a lifetime complimentary refresh and repair.

Called “Certificate of Craft”, the venture goes so far as to loan handbags to customers in cases where repairs will take a significant period of time to complete. “We believe that true luxury is connected to the concept of time,” Rongone said in an interview at the time.

A Bottega Veneta bag from the pre-spring 2023 collection. Certain handbag models from the brand can now be brought in for a lifetime complimentary refresh and repair.

The Italian brand is following in the footsteps of Hermès, which has offered a restoration service for nearly a decade. Celine, too, will repair all purchases made at official Celine boutiques, as will Mulberry and Chanel (although only for one year after purchasing).

The Chanel et Moi programme offers a five-year guarantee on bags and some leather goods, and is meant to “deepen the relationship between the client and the house” by focusing on “restoration and repairs”.

And then there are the younger fashion lovers who are deliberately buying second-hand designer bags with stains or tears and trying to restore them themselves.

“When I started this business 12 years ago, second-hand was a dirty little secret – women would beg me not to mention they hadn’t bought their bag new,” says Antonia Johnstone, founder of Sign of the Times, a luxury resale platform. “Now, getting the bag of your dreams for less – maybe one that has a lot of wear and tear – and restoring it is something to be proud of.”

A Bottega Veneta bag. The brand is offering a complimentary lifetime repair and refresh service on some of its models.

Prices vary, but in a very expensive industry, cheaper offerings – if they have been authenticated – can be a great entry point, as marks or holes can be repaired quite affordably.

Companies are cottoning onto this. High-end repair platform The Restory has raised £4.2 million (about US$5.1 million) to date. “Repair is a really fantastic and untapped opportunity,” said Josephine Philips, founder and chief executive of tailoring and repairs app Sojo, in an interview with trade publication Business of Fashion.

“Building a repair programme is not only great in terms of longevity of the items that you create, but it’s actually incredible when it comes to building brand value as well.”

A Celine handbag. The brand repairs all purchases made at official Celine boutiques.

This is the key: while repairs mean that, yes, certain clients may buy fewer models, the brand will also be appealing to a far bigger demographic – so, financially, it should not lose out.

“One of the most genuine connections with sustainability is to use the product for longer, not replacing it. This level is way more impactful,” explained Rongone. “We all want to be successful in our lives. But do you want to be remembered for being the largest? Or the most impactful?”

Bottega Veneta bags have been carried by some of the most famous women in the world – but there is one woman whose devotion to her handbags was particularly memorable.

A Bottega Veneta bag from the pre-spring 2023 collection.

She did not need a bag, of course, and yet Britain’s late Queen Elizabeth always carried a black Launer model in the crook of her arm at state dinners, on royal tours, on rainy Monday morning engagements, even – according to Netflix show The Crown, at any rate – as she moved around the rooms of Buckingham Palace.

“The queen told me once that she didn’t feel dressed without her handbag,” says Gerald Bodmer, the chief executive of Launer. “I think it’s a very common sentiment for people of our generation. And people of our age also didn’t buy new designs every day of the week.

“The queen was like that: she was very happy carrying the same model for years.”

Now, of course, Launer has lost its greatest client but, because of the queen’s loyalty, the brand has also found huge global popularity with other women who want to buy a bag that will endure for decades to come.

Britain’s late Queen Elizabeth with broadcaster Sir David Attenborough. The queen always carried a black Launer handbag in the crook of her arm. Photo: @launerlondonofficial/Instagram

How to care for your leather handbag

Avoid overfilling handbags if you want to keep the original silhouette – and consider leaving them empty overnight.
Wipe away dust and spots with a soft cloth or brush.
Avoid contact with heavily embellished clothes, sharp surfaces or chunky jewellery.
Try not to let it get too wet, as it can stretch.
Stand it on its base rather than hanging it up, as this can damage the handles.
Store it in a dust bag (or an old pillowcase) away from direct sunlight.

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