Louis Vuitton’s La Petite Malle, you know the trunk shaped minaudière, seems to have set a trend towards boxy little hand bags. For all those, who got a bit disappointed by preorder and waiting list policies as well the significant change between the runway piece and the style that finally became available, I somehow feel that there is a pretty little alternative!
Seeing pictures of British “It Girl” Alexa Chung its almost impossible not to notice that she is constantly carrying a pretty black slightly vintage looking bag. She started wearing it around August and continues to do so until today. Considering my Louis Vuitton disappointment I somehow felt that I had to dig a little deeper.
Although I initially thought the piece is vintage it actually was much easier to find the brand it comes from. The name is Mark Cross. Its a US east coast leather goods maker that dates back to 1845. It had been closed in 1997 and reopened in 2010.
- Mark Cross, Grace Box, matches fashion.com or markcross1845.com
While the Louis Vuitton La Petite Malle is EUR 3,500.00 within the European Union the Mark Cross Grace Box made from calf skin is $2,195.00. So looks like a real alternative?
Whats your general opinion? Do you prefer to save for the ultimate “It-Pieces” that are worn by your favourite celebrities or do you like to look around to find other pieces of equally great craftsmanship?