Leather-Pleather.

This is a lovely bag. Lovely shape and colour. You can either carry it as a shoulder bag or a clutch, if your fold the base at the markings. I appreciate the subtle detail that has gone into the design of the bag, its grey, gold hardware accents and a strap that’s it. Inside is pretty minimal too, just a zip compartment and not a lot else. Its simply adorable.

Stella McCartney is a principled designer who has stuck to her guns and never used leather or furs or any other animal products in her brand and its a commendable thing to have built a successful brand, with such principles, in an industry that is not typically known for it.

All of the above being said, it also a £715 faux leather bag.

That’s an average price for some main line brands, and the starting price for of a Bayswater, which is a classic and leather (you can actually get it cheaper in Bicester Village). As lovely as this bag is, in today’s consumer market, that’s a lot of money to pay for a handbag that will best serve as occasion wear. Let’s put it in context; this is not your typical everyday bag, you won’t get the use out of it that you would easily get from say the Bayswater or Phillip Lim 31 hour bag, or better still her iconic Falabella, which is still made of faux materials but is highly functional and durable and indispensable, hence worth the price. Furthermore, this is not a classic bag, its a trendy bag that’ll last a season or two tops. £715 is an amount you would expect to spend on something that will take you the distance, last the seasons and get you more bang for your buck.

In this day and age, function and lifestyle go hand in hand, and as lovely as this bag is, you won’t get a lot of use from it. For £715 you should be able to live in your bag…you know what I mean? £715 is rent money for some, a monthly paycheque for others, whilst this may not be the target audience, (in some cases it is, because I know women who spend months saving up just to buy that special purchase from their favourite designer. I am that woman) for that price there has to be something more than just folds; you have to give people a reason to part with that kind of money. And lovely won’t cut it in this instance.

Would you pay £715 for this bag?