This week, a look at the rise of luxury bag charms as customers seek personalized products. Plus, how NYFW brand Jonathan Cohen leverages retail partners to its advantage, and what it takes to be a luxury super-shopper.
The luxury bag accessories trend has gained significant momentum in recent years, as playful personalization has caught on, fueled by younger consumers.
This trend has roots in Asia, particularly in Japan, where the concept of “kawaii,” or cuteness, and playful fashion accessories have long been a staple.
Rachel Steed Middleton, founder of 4-year-old phone chains and accessories brand String Ting, said bag charms have added 63% on top of existing revenue for the brand. String Ting bag charms feature premium materials like Miyuki glass beads and Swarovski crystals. “Making things cute and fun is basically de rigueur at this point,” she said.
Bag charms began resonating outside of Asia with the K-Pop boom, soon popping up in runway collections before becoming more mainstream. For example, Miu Miu’s spring 2024 boxy purses were shown decked out with silk pouches and luggage tags. And Balenciaga’s spring 2024 Rodeo bags featured giant keys and locks chained to the handles. Coach’s oversized totes for fall 2024 were adorned with kitschy Big Apple and Statue of Liberty keychains jangling from the straps — most have sold out. And, at the Marvel film premiere in NYC, Gigi Hadid added a playful touch to her Miu Miu Arcadie bag with a “Deadpool” bag charm.
Gio Zaccariello, svp of global visual experience at Coach, said bag charms have become a tool for customization and self-expression. For spring 2025, as shown on its runway on Monday, Coach is also introducing shoe charms.
According to Zaccariello, personalization isn’t just a feature; it’s a way for consumers to connect emotionally with their items, making them feel unique.
The personalization of luxury bags has gained traction on social media. In May 2024, U..K influencer Amelia Liana, who has over 500,000 followers on TikTok, posted a video of herself personalizing her Hermès Birkin with bag charms. The video garnered over 7 million views.
“People who buy luxury bags are looking for a way to make them their own,” Steed Middleton said. “A Birkin is already a statement piece, but adding a charm is what gives it a personal touch. It’s a small way to say, ‘This is mine.'”
Luxury brands are taking note. Gucci, Prada and Loewe are currently selling bag charms. And the Hermès Rodeo Pegase charm, which came out about a year ago and is priced at £530 ($650), has quickly gained popularity. Reddit threads are dedicated to customers searching for unique colorways.
Jonathan Cohen’s strategic merchandising mix
New York Fashion Week regular Jonathan Cohen has diversified its distribution to enable close customer relationships, scale and evolution.
Since 2011, the brand’s namesake designer, Jonathan Cohen, and his co-founder and business partner, Sarah Leff, have focused on selling in nationwide specialty stores to maintain a close connection with their clients. Their specialty store partners include McMullen Boutique in San Francisco.
“We launched the brand with the intention of [selling in] specialty stores,” said Leff. “That was our marketing strategy: being hands-on with our clients and stores. We went after the best stores in the U.S. and built relationships to grow on a global scale.”
“We can walk into a specialty store, and we know who the client is and every piece they’ve bought. They’ve [often] been with us for 10 years,” Cohen said. “Specialty stores are smaller and their rack space is smaller, so they come to you for very specific pieces.”
In 2022, the Jonathan Cohen brand expanded into Neiman Marcus. “It opened up a different audience and allowed them to buy into the full story of our collection,” said Leff.
“We waited a while before launching with Neiman Marcus so we could nail down production and understand that aspect,” said Cohen. “I’m not sure it would have been successful if we launched with them on day one.”
The brand has also begun selling on Amazon. “We partnered with Amazon during the pandemic through Vogue’s Common Thread [initiative], which allowed us to sell excess inventory,” Leff said. Through the partnership, the brand was able to introduce size inclusivity, up to size 36. “Amazon invested in expanding our size range,” Cohen said, calling it a rare and valuable commitment.
At NYFW, Stella McCartney and PETA staged a naked protest against leather use
On September 10, Stella McCartney and animal rights non-profit PETA staged a protest at New York Fashion Week to promote her brand’s Winter 2024 campaign. Dubbed “IT’S ABOUT FUCKING TIME,” the campaign calls for an end to leather use in fashion.
The event featured nude activists, including actor Caylee Cowan, displaying signs reading “No Leather Ever.” Leather products have typically been a profit driver for brands, and as more brands turn to accessories, use of the hide is going up.
“We are proof that you can have a luxury fashion house without killing a single creature,” McCartney said. The “IT’S ABOUT FUCKING TIME” slogan was inspired by a custom tank top worn by the designer during Sir Paul McCartney’s 1999 inauguration into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
News to know
What it’s like to be wined and dined by luxury brands as a super-shopper.
The cult of the K-Pop star in fashion is growing, egged on by community fan bases.
Fashion marketing and LVMH are getting deeper into Hollywood.
The latest from Glossy
Designers at NYFW are using collaborations and gaming to expand their reach
Under Zac Posen, Old Navy releases the ‘94 Reissue collection playing to the nostalgia trend
Court Day: What the ruling on the Tapestry-Capri deal means for the future of fashion
