Chanel
The Chanel Classic Flap bag was designed by Coco Chanel in 1955. Her aim was to design a handbag that was both practical and beautiful.
Featuring the now iconic matelassé quilted leather and the equally iconic Mademoiselle turn-lock, the most important point-of-difference was the chain strap which allowed the bag to be worn over the shoulder – a novelty at the time. This design offered a certain freedom to the wearer, leaving both hands free, as opposed to the often cumbersome hand-held bags of the era. Coco Chanel also included a small, hidden zippered pocket secreted into the flap of the bag which, according to fashion legend, was added to conceal her clandestine love letters.
In the 1980s, Karl Lagerfeld introduced the CC turn-lock to replace the Mademoiselle lock. His tenure at Chanel also saw the introduction of new fabrications – patent leathers, velvet, exotic skins, canvas, PVC, and embellished fabrics, as well as a rainbow of new colour-ways, which revitalised the classic design.
Within the variations of the Chanel Flap Bag, there are a few standouts. The Classic Flap of course, the Double Flap (which, as the name implies, features an second internal flap), and the 2.55 Reissue. The 2.55 Reissue was launched in 2005 to commemorate the 50 year anniversary of the original bag, and is a faithful reproduction of the original design, love letter pocket and all.
As a collector's item or vintage piece, the flap bag is not only a luxury purchase that is a pleasure to own and wear, it's also an investment that continues to appreciate.
The Chanel 2.55 was first sold in 1955 for $220.
The price of the Classic Flap Bag has roughly doubled or more from $4,900 in 2016 – the same bag now sells for approximately $11,300, and the price continues to rise year-on-year.
Hermès
The birth of the Birkin was the result of a serendipitous meeting between Jane Birkin and Hermès CEO Jean-Louis Dumas on a flight from Paris to London. Birkin (Jane) shared with Dumas her frustration at not having a practical yet stylish bag that suited her busy, international lifestyle. Inspired, Dumas designed the Birkin bag for her, drawing influence from the Hermès Haut à Courroies (HAC) bag. The very first Birkin, the Birkin 40, featured a practical flap design, two rolled handles, “clou” feet, and a lock closure. The Birkin bag's enduring appeal is a testament to its marriage of practicality and design.
Jane's own Birkin recently sold at auction for $10.1 million USD.
According to Rebag, the Hermès Birkin bag is ranked #1 in bags that retained their value in 2024, with price increases from 32% to 46% from 2009-2019. Auction house Sotheby's explains that Birkin bags hold their value because of five factors: craftsmanship; limited supply; a quota system; market demand; and the secondary market premium. Secondhand retailers agree that time and time again, the Hermès Birkin lands back on the top of the list as a tried-and-true classic, and a never-fail secondhand or vintage purchase.
Things to keep in mind when considering a Birkin:
- Size – different sizes use different amounts of material, which varies the manufacturing cost. Currently, the 30 is the most popular size, followed closely by the "baby Birkin".
- Material/Leather – different materials have different costs based on perceived value and scarcity of the material. Canvas is not as luxurious nor as expensive as crocodile or lizard, for example.
When the Hermès Birkin bag made its debut in 1984, it was priced at $2,000 USD (can you imagine!). They now retail new for anywhere up to $2 million, if you are lucky enough to be offered one. Resale, you can pick one up from around $10,000 depending on the fabrication and the condition.
Long story short, if it’s within reach, an Hermès Birkin is always a good investment.
Gucci
Another bag named for its famous wearer, the Gucci Jackie was once called the Gucci Constance (not to be confused with the Hermès Constance!) until one day in 1964, three years after the inception of the Gucci Constance, as the story goes, one Jackie Kennedy Onassis wandered into a Gucci boutique and left with not one but six of the crescent-shaped bags.
During her life, Jackie O was considered to be the most photographed woman in the Western Hemisphere, largely due to the obsessive and often intrusive work of paparazzi like Ron Galella. Favourably for Gucci, she was rarely photographed without one of their bags tucked under her arm, popularising the style and prompting the house to change the Constance’s name to the 'Jackie'.
Now known as the Jackie 1961, the bag as gone through some subtle changes over the years, with the most dramatic being the replacement of the signature piston lock with a geometric buckle in 1999, during Tom Ford's reign as Gucci's creative director. Ten years later in 2009, Frida Giannini brought back the piston detail and introduced the New Jackie – a larger, softer version – and then the Jackie Soft in 2014; an even softer, slouchier version. Interestingly, the ad campaign features Kate Moss photographed as if she is being pursued by paparazzi, perhaps a nod to Jackie's experiences.
In 2020, inspired by a vintage Jackie from his personal archive, Alessandro Michele (Gucci’s creative director from 2015 - 2022) re-issued the bag in a form closest to the 1961 original and renamed it to highlight the bag's significant heritage. The Jackie 1961 is a moderately structured (depending on the specific fabrication) half-moon shaped bag that has a hobo-bag shape but that is still more timeless than some of its more boho-hobo counterparts.
The Jackie is probably Gucci's most timeless style and is often only subtly branded, which means that it retains that IYKYK mystique.
The Row
The Row released the Margaux bag in 2018. The bag is a signature style from the brand, and continues to command a top spot on the resale value list. Founded in 2006, according to an interview with British Vogue, Mary Kate and Ashley's "quiet luxury" brand was an "exercise ... to see whether, if something was made beautifully, in great fabric, with a good fit, ... would sell without a logo or a name on it."
Clearly, the answer is yes.
At first, the Margaux had an underground, cult following, made up of The Row's most dedicated clients. But then word got out – fast. The bag was photographed on celebrities, notably Harry Styles (FYI, he's also a fan of the Gucci Jackie), Kendall Jenner and Jennifer Lawrence.
Then, Lyst, the leading fashion search engine, crowned the Margaux bag "a new status symbol and heirloom in the making" and the overall "hottest item" of Q4 2023 (Margaux bag searches increased 63% that quarter). Since then, the brand as a whole has seen a 93% increase in searches in 2024/2025, with the Margaux bag specifically seeing a 198% rise year-on-year. There are also whispers that the bag will either be discontinued or become a smaller release and therefore harder to get, which no doubt will make the style even more popular.
Compared to the micro It bags that hold little more than a credit card, a single key and your hopes and dreams, the Margaux is more reminiscent of the original Birkin 40 – big enough for your laptop, phone, a spare cardigan, your makeup bag, a water bottle and the whole kitchen sink. It's no wonder that it has become such a beloved style for the busy modern woman.
Fendi
"Oh, this isn't a bag. It's a Baguette." In 2021, the Fendi Baguette was the #1 most searched for bag on American luxury resale site Rebag.
And it makes sense: after all, what is more of a millennial icon than Fendi’s signature Baguette bag? Maybe Carrie Bradshaw herself, who, over the course of six seasons – and two feature films – had at least 13 distinct Fendi Baguette bags (although some sources say she owned 19 or more.) Each bag was a unique design, and they became a fashion icon in their own right, with a purple sequinned number becoming particularly famous. Thanks to Patricia Field, Bradshaw, and actress Sarah Jessica Parker (who favours the Baguette in her real life, too) the bag has become a symbol of fashion, style, and frivolity.
Named because of its petite size and short strap, and subsequently the way it is carried under the arm like a Parisian baguette, the Baguette bag is defined not only by its recognisable shape but also by its FF logo clasp. Now, with a dizzying range of sizes, colour-ways, styles and embellishments, there is a perfect Baguette bag for everyone. It also means that there are plenty of rare, highly sought after styles (which, investment wise, are more likely to appeal to a Fendi collector).
Honorable Mentions:
Hermès Kelly Bag
Arguably as beloved as the Birkin, the Kelly bag was originally a 1930s design named the "Sac à Dépêches," which was renamed after Princess Grace Kelly famously used it to conceal her pregnancy.
Hermès Constance Bag
Considered the third in the brand’s “holy trinity,” after the Kelly and the Birkin, the Hermès Constance consistently appreciates in value, by up to 105%.
Chanel 22
The Chanel 22 was introduced in 2022, so there is not an extensive track record to evaluate. However, it has already distinguished itself as a bag that is in high demand.
Chanel Boy Bag
Edgier than the feminine Flap bag, the Chanel Boy bag remains enormously popular on the resale market. Interestingly, the small and the large sizes outperform the medium.
Goyard St. Louis Tote
The Goyard St. Louis Tote is the epitome of understated elegance. It is lightweight, chic, durable, and reversible. It can resale at about 112% of its retail price.
Louis Vuitton Neverfull
Designed in response to the Goyard St. Louis, the Louis Vuitton Neverfull has a waitlist and holds its value well.
Louis Vuitton Speedy
Considered an investment bag because of its strong resale value and timeless design, with some limited-edition or vintage models even increasing in value.
Shop the Investment Bag Edit here.