In this week’s briefing, a look at how the Paris Fashion Week runways have brought a renewed focus on quality workmanship. Also, some news to know. If you have comments on this briefing or tips for future editions, please email me at zofia@glossy.co.
Luxury fashion has reached a turning point. After years of price hikes and declining product quality, brands are rethinking their value propositions as consumers become increasingly selective about where they spend.
At Paris Fashion Week, which wrapped on March 11, for example, Haider Ackermann for Tom Ford delivered a collection defined by precise tailoring and lush fabrics, while Julian Klausner’s debut at Dries Van Noten emphasized handcrafted detailing, evoking an era when luxury was synonymous with craftsmanship. A luxury insider who had worked at Tom Ford noted in an interview that the brand is bringing production of the Tom Ford womenswear collection back in-house through its owner, the Zegna Group. And, according to conversations with buyers and fashion insiders, the commanding conversation during Paris Fashion Week was about luxury returning to “quality” finishes, designs and materials.
A January 2025 Bain & Company report, produced with Altagamma, found that while luxury spending has remained stable in 2024, the industry has lost 50 million consumers over the past two years. Many left because they felt that the product — potentially due to its decline in quality — no longer justified the price.
Potentially as a result, a crop of niche luxury bag brands is quietly commanding attention by using high-quality materials and providing luxury-level customer service. Heritage maisons like French bag brand Moynat and Belgian brand Delvaux — the latter founded in the 19th century — are being lauded in social forums for delivering hand-stitched leatherwork on par with Hermès, but with far less fanfare. Others, including Valextra, a small Milan-based luxury bag brand, and Métier London epitomize the “quiet luxury” trend by emphasizing timeless design and impeccable build over conspicuous logos. Even Loro Piana, a long discreet supplier of ultra-luxe basics, has gained support for its minimalist Loom bag which debuted during September Paris Fashion Week. Loro Piana declined to share details of the item’s sales.
On Reddit, shoppers praise these brands’ commitment to quality and heritage — for example, noting that Delvaux and Métier London “value quality over large logos.”
Meanwhile, many established luxury houses are facing a backlash for letting quality falter even as prices hit stratospheric levels. Over the last decade, brands including Chanel and Louis Vuitton have implemented serial price hikes — Chanel’s iconic 2.55 flap bag now costs over $10,000, more than double its 2016 price. But customers online increasingly gripe that, “declining quality, fast fashion-esque practices, and a lack of innovative design is definitely killing luxury.”
On Reddit and PurseForum, a forum dedicated to handbags, discussions are rife with complaints from shoppers of popular luxury brands: Chanel has been called out for diminishing craftsmanship, while Louis Vuitton has been shamed for its thinner canvas and glazing issues. Even Gucci and Bottega Veneta haven’t been immune to quality scrutiny as their prices climbed.
This consumer sentiment has created an opportunity for smaller brands like Lalage London, a British handbag label that has remained committed to high-end production since its founding in 2004. The brand has seen growing demand from U.S. and Southeast Asian consumers, many of whom are seeking out craftsmanship that feels worth the investment, said the founder of Lalage London. The brand’s bag prices range from $1,000-$2,000. Brand representatives declined to share revenue.
“Our customers are incredibly fussy about quality,” said Lalage Beaumont, the founder of Lalage London, who has previously worked for Burberry, Aquascutum and Mulberry. “We sell our bags on being superb in quality, and we believe they are.”
The brand, which has three stores in London and also sells online, has become a favorite of the British royal family, who have been photographed carrying its bags. In 2024, Lalage’s online handbag sales surged by 121% year-over-year in the U.K. and 95% across the rest of the world. Notably, sales to the U.S. saw the largest increase, rising 168%. The brand is now expanding in the U.S. over the next year through high-end retailers, which have yet to be announced.
“People are becoming aware that the massive prices being charged by some of the major brands have nothing to do with the value of the product,” Beaumont said. “It’s purely their marketing — their label — that you’re paying for. We’re able to say: You’re getting the best product we can make, in terms of the leather, the components, the craftsmanship.”
She added, “We manufacture in Spain, where our bags are made alongside products from brands like Prada and Loewe. The quality is exactly the same, but our prices are much lower because we aren’t charging for a logo.”
The rise of the resale market is another factor in consumers’ changing preferences. According to Bain & Company’s report, the secondhand luxury market is now worth $48 billion and continues to grow, particularly among younger consumers. “Younger consumers still have an appetite for luxury,” said Federica Levato, a partner at Bain & Company. “But they are shifting their spending toward more value-oriented purchases and secondhand platforms.”
With aspirational shoppers increasingly walking away from overhyped, underdelivering brands, the message is clear: Luxury must return to its roots. “To secure future growth, brands need to rediscover their essence—desirability fueled by craftsmanship and creativity,” said Levato.
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Other news to know
- Simone Bellotti, Bally’s creative director, is joining Jil Sander following the departure of creative director duo Lucie and Luke Meier, as OTB looks to revitalize the brand amid declining sales. Bellotti was appointed alongside new CEO Serge Brunschwig.
- Bernard Squarcini, France’s former domestic intelligence chief, was sentenced to two years of house arrest, fined €200,000, and banned from intelligence-related work for five years for using security contacts for private gain, including obtaining confidential information for LVMH.
- Leviev, a global leader in high jewelry, has appointed Giovanni Mattera-Vairo as managing director to drive retail expansion and brand elevation under Chagit Leviev and Greg Sofiev’s leadership. His immediate plans include a new campaign and the launch of exclusive shop-in-shops and bespoke services to engage a new generation of luxury clients.
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