In the world of bags, the luxury buyer has many to choose from. I chose these two brands — Golden Goose and Celine — not for the cool factor, but to speak to their brand DNA. Reality is that when one is spending many hundreds or thousands of dollars for a bag or leather accessory, the 2022 customer is more eager than ever before to know the story behind the brand, the ethics and sustainability initiatives employed by the owners, and how the brand reflects us — the buyers.

There are plenty of people who continue to buy luxury products to be ‘transformed’ by them; to join the ‘club’ they represent. But much more today than 20 years ago, we want to wear brands that represent us, our values and public persona.

Price is certainly a consideration when the choice is a $500 bag or a $5,000 bag. But I know many creatives especially, who will buy the lower price bag, if they prefer that brand story. This person is the AOC reader.

If they are really cool creatives, they will do something filled with ubuntu with the money saved — for people or the planet, for artists or agriculture workers. Or they will save it for the next catastrophe. My point is that cool people today are not the sum of the clothes on their backs. They are cool people already, and they dress accordingly with their preferences and values.

For certain, the Anne of Carversville reader is not the sum of the clothes.

Golden Goose

The Golden Goose brand was created by Alessandro Gallo and Francesca Rinaldo in 2000. Let me say up front that NEVER have I met a brand with a 41-page Code of Ethics highly-visible in the footer of their website. As an example of what responsible brands with heart are trying to achieve, Golden Goose is an incredible read. It’s so much to read, that I must finish it later. But that’s the point. I WILL be back.

Golden Goose places a huge emphasis on “things that are lived in, distressed, and touched with life”. The brand emphasizes a lived-in vibe, but the products themselves have a cool, contemporary sensibility. The founders draw inspiration from art and their native city of Venice.

Anne in Venice

Venice remains the only city in the world where I slept until noon. When I jumped out of bed, thinking that I had passed — but no, my partner was right there sleeping soundly — my next surreal moment was swearing to the goddesses, that I was hearing ‘Pomp and Circumstance’, the graduation song played in American schools.

I ran to the the shuttered windows, flung them open and Venetians were everywhere waving and cheering the graduates of the American University of Rome’s campus in Venice. There they were, drifting by my window below in gondolas , waving wildly in their caps and gowns. A balloon floated into my waving hand from one of them, and the crowd roared with delight.

We can blame this Anne diversion on Golden Goose’s self-descriptor:

A dream that head off from Venice and went far as the skate parks of Los Angeles.

and Golden Goose’s mantra #4 that

‘Everyone Can Be a Star’

Compared with Celine, Golden Goose style is highly-affordable, especially if you’re already paying for the California lifestyle. It would be really easy for me to pit Golden Goose and Venice against Celine and Paris. But that is SO OBVIOUS!

Of greater import is the fact that Celine Homme is sponsoring Myles de Courcy, a Queer Black skateboarder growing up in Orange County, California. So before we jet off to Paris and the Celine we know and love, just remember to never judge a book by its cover. I’ll circle back another day on Myles de Courcy.

Celine

When Phoebe Philo left Celine in late 2017, only one other name was as influential, according to Vogue: Hedi Slimane. Since February 1, 2018, Slimane has been the creative, artistic and image director of Celine.

Under the France-born, Tunisian-Italian designer, the word used most-often to describe Celine -- including by Slimane himself -- is 'bourgeois' — meaning associated with the middle class. In Celine's agenda-setting fall 2019 collection, the designer returned to an innocuous fashion style that was Celine before LVMH acquired the label — but with one key difference.

If those knee-high boots, and tweed blazers made up the “uniform” of ’70s Parisiennes women, Hedi Slimane made the style newly-relevant for their Gen Z daughters.

In today’s highly-opinionated, pseudo-intellectual world, ‘bourgeois’ is not a word typically embraced with fervor.

Reality is that many a placard-carrying protester has come from bourgeois roots. Never forget that Miuccia Prada was a card-carrying communist, back in the day. And she still takes great pride in her heritage.

Hedi Slimane’s Celine is very in touch with the world of edgy music, art, and activism. This minute Slimane’s new portraits of Jack White at home in LA, wearing Celine Homme, are featured on born-again and subscribed to by AOC Rolling Stone Magazine.

In April, 2020 not only was COVID rising; Venice was under water. Everything was going wrong simultaneously. In a collab between V Magazine and mixed-media, collage artist Karin Bar [IG], the talents produced these images in a Celine-directed project featured on Anne of Carversville.

Before we get to the $4000 handbags, I trust you see why AOC put these two brands together.

Celine is launching a line of made-to-order crocodile leather handbags, expected to debut this October 2022. The Maison is taking ‘artisanal’ to the next level.

The iconic Teen Triomphe style bag — above with dog — and available now in non-crocodile skins— will be released as one of two important Celine handbags.

The 16, also introduced by Slmane with his arrival at Celine, will also become available in crocodile skins.

Celine’s Crocodile 16

In 2019, LVMH updated animal welfare standards for the leather tanneries used to make its products. In 2022, the LVMH brand Louis Vuitton — and LVMH corporate have doubled down on exotic skins like crocodile.

The fashion monolith is unyielding in its refusal to defer to PETA on the subject of animal skins. Reality is that too many younger customers want these exclusive bags, but they want the bags made as humanely to the planet, artisans, and animals as possible.

At Celine — and throughout the LVMH organization — the treatment of workers and artisan makers, and the procurement and preparation of skins has become a top-level priority. I study this issue 2-3 days a week.

AOC isn’t saying that mistakes are never made, but LVMH corporate is totally committed to sustainable practices, and that includes Celine handbags.

Maroquinerie Collection

The 16, Slimane's first bag design for Celine, has a classic structured frame and top flap creating an overall 1960s vibe. In the Maroquinerie collection, it requires 17 hours of craftsmanship, created from Niloticus crocodile, and complete with hand-stitched handles and an interior mirror. The Triomphe (another one of Slimane's first creations for the maison and discussed above) is a larger style that takes 12 hours to create.

Available in 14 hues, including shades of black, grey, beige, purple, mauve, petrol blue, chestnut, and emerald green, the Maroquinerie Collection color range is inspired by the history of France, French artists, architecture, and the decorative arts.

Hardware is available in 18K white or yellow gold, and if none of this sounds nearly luxe enough, uber-discriminating customers can add pavé or solitaire settings to the closure of each bag.

Celine bags have basic designs but also have vital elements like the Luggage Phantom Tote. The Phantom Tote is a large bag with a long strap and an elongated shape, making it easy to carry. It also has a detachable shoulder strap. The signature style is very modern but still has that old-world feel.

If you remain more Phoebe than Hedi, Phoebe Philo - The Classic and Phoebe Philo - the Luggage are excellent choices for the Celine buyer.

As to the cost of a Celine bag, Slimane’s artisan-made approach — one very much in sync with LVMH luxury brands overall — will insure that they only escalate in value. Consider, also, that with sustainability taking greater hold on the minds of young luxury buyers, the resale markets in these bags becomes stronger every quarter.

Venice vs Paris

While both Golden Goose and Celine make the highest-quality bags and accessories, employing the highest-quality European artisans, the brands have distinctly-different DNA. And Celine is moving into the rarified air of truly exclusive handbag brands.

However, Celine bags aren’t as expensive as the Hermès Birkin. Like most luxury products in life, pricing is relative. What’s new is the ubuntu factor — the Nelson Mandela philosophy that says we’re all in this life journey together.

Just think of all the hospitals Kanye West could build in Africa for the cost of the multiple Birkins he gives to every woman he dates. Of course, the woman could say “One will do, Ye. Let’s build a health clinic in Ethiopia. I’m having an ubuntu moment.”

To such a woman, AOC says “Bravo!”. To Golden Goose, AOC says “Hello. Nice to meet you. LOVE your branding.” To Celine, AOC says “I admit you got me on the skateboarding, Hedi. Nice touch.” ~ Anne