【Bags: From "Carrying Tools" to "Personal Symbols"】
The Iconic Bag's Journey to Being Discussed in Terms of "Investment," "Ownership," and "Inheritance"
【1 From Tools to Accessories that Change Gestures】
The starting point of bags becoming symbols lies not in their capacity but in their design that alters "body movements."
The Chanel 2.55 appeared in February 1955, and it is understood that it symbolized the idea of freeing the hands through its shoulder strap.
Here, the bag shifted from a vessel for transportation to an accessory that defines urban life gestures. Once gestures are defined, the bag begins to speak of "the person's outline" before clothing does.
Similarly, the Hermès Birkin is widely believed to have originated from the meeting between Jane Birkin and Jean-Louis Dumas in 1984.
What is important is that, beyond function and material, "its very origin" becomes a story of ownership. When a bag bears the story of "who it was born for," its strength as a personal symbol increases, and ownership becomes more than just a purchase.
【2 From the late 1990s to 2000s: The Media-Driven Value Created by "It Bags"】
From the late 1990s to the 2000s, bags were amplified not only in their "marketable form" but also in their "narrative form."
The Fendi Baguette, attributed to Silvia Venturini Fendi in 1997, exemplified how bags became the subject of conversation through their connection with media and pop culture.
Here, bags moved away from rationality based on materials and capacity, connecting instead to stories of "who, where, and how they carry it."
The Dior Saddle Bag is similarly easy to interpret in this context. Designed during John Galliano's era in 1999, introduced in Spring/Summer 2000, and reported to have been reintroduced by Maria Grazia Chiuri in 2018.
The reintroduction is effective because bags are no longer just products but are already stored as cultural memories. Iconic bags, once remembered by society, become assets that are easier to re-meaning over time.
【3 The Maison's Strategy: Not "Increasing New Releases" but "Strengthening Icons"】
The reason icon bags are associated with "ownership" and "inheritance" lies in the accumulated management by the maison. There are three key points.
First is the centralization of icons.
Instead of competing with new models each season, a few core icons are repeatedly reinforced, fixing the lineup's focus. Here, value arises from continuity, not change.
As symbolized by the reintroduction of the Saddle Bag, icons "return" to re-embody history and are then restored to current value.
Second is designing supply and purchase experiences.
Limited colors and materials, waves of arrivals, and customer relationships turn purchases into events rather than mere transactions. This is not only to create rarity but also a practical operation to maintain the brand's pricing credibility.
Third is making after-sales service an "ownership experience."
For a bag to be spoken of as a language of inheritance, it must be physically sustainable. When the maison offers repairs and care as a system, it is not just a service but builds trust that "you can continue to own it."
This trust also works in secondary markets, supporting resale value.
【4 The Secondary Market Brings "Investment" from Metaphor to Reality】
The main reason "bags as investments" become convincing is that the secondary market has become visible, quantifiable, and institutionalized.
In terms of market size, Bain states that the second-hand luxury market is estimated to reach about 48 billion euros in 2024.
BCG suggests that the resale market is growing at about 10% annually and could reach up to 360 billion dollars by 2030. Furthermore, research mentions that handbags are a high-ratio area in secondary circulation.
The progress of price tracking is also significant. Reports like Rebag's Clair Report show value retention rates and trends by brand as indicators, linking ownership decisions not only to preferences but also to "resistance to depreciation."
An even more symbolic development is the visualization of highest prices through auctions. In 2025, a record-breaking sale of Jane Birkin's original Birkin was reported, establishing the phenomenon of bags being treated as cultural assets.
This kind of event reinforces the use of the word "investment" not as a metaphor but as a real market language.
【5 Ultimately, the "Individual Story" Remains】
The more words like investment, ownership, and inheritance are emphasized, paradoxically, the value reverts to the "individual."
Even the same model, depending on the year, specifications, hardware, materials, historical context, and condition, can vary greatly in value. As secondary markets mature, bags are evaluated less as "brands" and more as "individuals," making ownership more personal.
【A Pinch as a Mood】
While I do not deny the phenomenon of bags being discussed as investment objects, the more this language is used, the more there is a risk that the personal reasons for "why I carry this bag" become less apparent.
The value of icons is rooted not in market trends but in design, the background of the era, and the beauty of gestures. Therefore, MOOD aims to carefully reinterpret bags as symbols, including their birth stories, reintroductions, and the expressions created by individual differences, rather than focusing too much on numbers.
