Bag it

From tiny clutches encrusted with gemstones,embellished with sequins,made of luxurious materials to Juicy Couture’s Choose Juicy Ruffle Tote,they have just got more enticing,owing to their brands,style quotient and in spite of the heavy price tags they flaunt.

“I am fond of high end bags like Chanel,Jimmy Choos and so on. The glam of a handbag on me brings out the style panache and class in me. One must possess it like a statement piece. There definitely is a shift in shopping them as an accessory since they are increasingly being associated with status,” says Riona Biyani of Nail spa Indulgence,who admits to be a bag freak.

The city is galore with stores offering some of the best designs from international labels to exclusive boutiques. The store More Mischief for instance offers an array of bags from a range of 1000 to 10000 rupees. Claiming to have customers from all sections and age,carry cases define your personality says Deepak Shah,international designer from More Mischief. Ritika Joshi,a fourth year law student at ILS Law College likes to flaunt her Chanel in the campus. “Brands these days are subtle indicators of class. They speak volumes about style and taste. I do own some branded bags and at times I am the envy of many students,” she adds.

“People go for both exclusive designs and those that have utility value and you get such combinations only in brands. In De Milano people get international designs for Rs 5000 which is quite reasonable as compared to some Indian brand ranges,” says Mukesh,store manager at De Milano.

However while most agree high end bags make the best buy some prefer to own them in different ranges. “I absolutely love bags. Among my favorite brands is Hidesign,as they are in and stylish. I cannot,however,buy as many as I should have liked. However,it’s not so important where you get them from,as it is to carry it. For instance,you can get a bag from Linking road in Bombay and yet make it look stylish,” says Shalu Lalji,a consumer.