On Paris’s Rue de Richelieu, nothing marks the start of the day more clearly than the queue forming behind the Bibliothèque Nationale de France. These are not library-goers, however; they are shoppers waiting for the doors to open at French handbag brand Polène’s flagship boutique. By 10.00, the start of the shop’s business day, a considerable line has appeared, with more eager customers, mostly from the US and Japan, joining throughout the day. It’s a similar scene at the label’s New York flagship on Broadway and, judging by the number of shopping bags that people leave with, the company has fostered a committed client base worldwide.
在巴黎的裡希留街，沒有什麼比法國國家圖書館後面的排隊人潮更能清楚地標示一天的開始。然而，這些人可不是圖書館的讀者；他們是等待法國手袋品牌 Polène 旗艦精品店開門的顧客。到了早上 10 點，店鋪營業開始時，已經出現了相當長的隊伍，更多來自美國和日本的熱切顧客，整天陸續加入。紐約百老匯的旗艦店也呈現同樣的景象，從顧客離開時手上提著的購物袋數量來看，該公司在全球建立了忠實的客戶群。

The reason behind the insatiable customer appetite? Polène bags have all the hallmarks of luxury – artisan-made, produced in limited quantities and sold in sleek standalone boutiques across the globe – yet they retail at prices ranging from €330 to €520.
波琳包的魅力為何如此吸引顧客？這些包包兼具奢華的特色：手工製作、限量生產，並在全球各地的獨立精品店販售，但售價卻從 330 歐元到 520 歐元不等。

Polène was established in 2016 by siblings Elsa, Antoine and Mathieu Mothay, the great-grandchildren of the founders of the Normandy cult label Saint James. It is part of a wave of leather-goods brands filling a gap for competitively priced, high-quality bags with a designer sensibility. As the cost of luxury handbags by heritage brands has risen by up to 85 per cent in the past five years, these contemporary makers offer a compelling alternative, with production and sourcing standards that rival those of their premium counterparts.
波琳 (Polène) 是由 Elsa、Antoine 和 Mathieu Mothay 這三兄妹，在 2016 年創立的。他們是諾曼第知名品牌聖雅各 (Saint James) 創辦人的曾孫輩。波琳是近年來興起的一波高質感皮革品牌，填補了價格親民、品質優良、設計感兼具的精品包款的市場空缺。過去五年來，傳統精品包款的價格上漲高達 85%，這些新興品牌提供了一個具有競爭力的替代方案，其生產和採購標準與頂級品牌不相上下。

All of the leather used by Polène is Spanish or Italian calfskin, with a dedicated quality development team travelling to Italy every two weeks to ensure consistency. Every bag is then crafted in small batches in the Andalusian leatherworking town of Ubrique, where Loewe also makes a lot of its hide accessories. The meticulous process, from initial sketch to finished product, takes at least 18 months and involves a team of 2,000 artisans – a long way from the 10 that Polène started with less than a decade ago.
波琳所使用的所有皮革都是西班牙或義大利小牛皮，專屬的品質開發團隊每兩週前往義大利，以確保一致性。每款包包都在安達魯西亞的皮革工藝鎮烏布里克小批次製作，而洛伊威也大量在此製作皮革配件。從最初的草圖到成品，整個精細的製作過程至少需要 18 個月，並由 2,000 名工匠團隊完成 – 與波琳十幾年前僅有 10 名工匠的規模相去甚遠。

“At a time when luxury-goods prices have reached an all-time high, we’re seeing an increased demand for contemporary bags,” says Sourcewhere founder Erica Wright, whose platform is dedicated to finding rare fashion items and servicing high- end shoppers’ requests on a one-to-one basis. “Consumers are seeking classic designs that evoke a sense of heritage and longevity in what is now an oversaturated market. They invest in these pieces as they would in a vintage luxury bag.”
「在精品價格創下歷史新高之際，我們看到對現代包款的需求增加，」Sourcewhere 創辦人 Erica Wright 表示，她的平臺專注於尋找稀有時尚單品，並以一對一的服務方式滿足高階消費者的需求。「消費者正在尋找能喚起歷史感和永恆價值的經典設計，在如今琳瑯滿目的市場中，他們將這些單品視為投資，就像投資一件古董精品包一樣。」

Within a similar price range to Polène, Wright highlights Manu Atelier from Istanbul and Demellier from London – alongside the pricier Swedish label Toteme – as being particularly sought-after on her platform. Similarly, Kate Benson, the buying director at e-commerce giant Net-a-Porter, observes that these contemporary brands “have asserted themselves as wardrobe heroes”. The numbers speak for themselves: since August 2024 the website has seen a 300 per cent increase in searches for black Toteme bags and a 100 per cent increase in searches for pieces by Demellier.
在與 Polène 相近的價格範圍內，Wright 提到來自伊斯坦堡的 Manu Atelier 和倫敦的 Demellier（以及價格較高的瑞典品牌 Toteme）在她平臺上特別受歡迎。同樣地，網購巨頭 Net-a-Porter 的採購總監 Kate Benson 也觀察到，這些現代品牌「已確立自己在衣櫥中的英雄地位」。數字說明了一切：從 2024 年 8 月開始，該網站搜尋黑色 Toteme 包包的次數增加了 300%，搜尋 Demellier 的單品次數增加了 100%。

The resurgence in the contemporary handbag market has also caught the attention of major investors. This summer, Bernard Arnault’s private equity firm L Catterton – which also has shares in apc, Ganni and Birkenstock – acquired a minority stake in Polène. The investment comes at a pivotal moment as sister group lvmh, whose portfolio focuses on premium fashion and leather goods, reported a 5 per cent drop in revenues in the third quarter of 2024 – the first decrease in years. This affirms the market shift – and suggests that we will be seeing a lot more of affordably priced brands like Polène in the coming year.
當代手提包市場的復甦也吸引了主要投資者的目光。今年夏天，貝納爾·阿諾特的私募基金 L Catterton（也持有 apc、Ganni 和 Birkenstock 的股份）收購了 Polène 的少數股權。這項投資正值姊妹集團 LVMH（其投資組合著重於高級時尚和皮革製品）2024 年第三季營收下滑 5%的關鍵時刻——這是多年來首次下滑。這證實了市場的轉變，並暗示我們未來一年將看到更多像 Polène 這樣價格親民的品牌。

Though the company performs well online through its e-commerce platform, it has big plans for bricks-and-mortar retail in 2025: in addition to its existing locations in Paris, New York, Tokyo and Seoul, new Polène boutiques will also be opening in London, Copenhagen and Hamburg. An additional location on Paris’s Champs-Élyéees is also in the works.
雖然公司透過電子商務平臺在網路上表現良好，但它在 2025 年對實體零售有很大的規劃：除了現有的巴黎、紐約、東京和首爾據點外，新的 Polène 精品店也將在倫敦、哥本哈根和漢堡開設。巴黎香榭大道上也將新增一間分店。

This focus on directly operated retail has been a big part of its formula for success. Aside from its corner in lvmh-owned department store Le Bon Marché in Paris, Polène doesn’t work with other retailers – thus ensuring that its team has full control of the customer experience, including interior design and staff training. In fact, every element of the Polène shopping journey is thought out to feel as elevated as possible, from the architect-designed interiors by Valériane Lazard to the staff’s stylish, all-beige uniforms.
這家品牌將直接經營零售視為成功的關鍵因素。除了在路易威登集團旗下的巴黎春天百貨有專櫃外，波琳不與其他零售商合作，確保團隊能完全掌控顧客體驗，包含店內設計和員工訓練。事實上，從由瓦勒裡安·拉紮德設計的建築師風格內裝，到員工們穿著統一的米白色製服，波琳的購物體驗每個環節都力求達到最高級別。

What also sets these smaller brands apart is that they are less bound to the fashion calendar. Instead of producing seasonal collections, Polène releases new designs only when the team is fully satisfied with them. That’s why its line-up remains relatively concise, currently featuring 13 models available in various sizes and colours. Its debut design, the Numéro Un top-handle bag, remains among the bestsellers, along with the half-moon-shaped Numéro Dix and the Numéro Huit bucket bag.
這些小品牌與眾不同之處，在於它們較不受時尚日曆的約束。他們並非生產季節性系列，而是當團隊對設計完全滿意時才推出新設計。這就是為什麼其產品線相對簡潔，目前僅有 13 款不同尺寸和顏色的款式。其首發設計，Numéro Un 托特包，仍然是暢銷商品之一，與半月形的 Numéro Dix 和 Numéro Huit 水桶包齊名。

Thanks to the consistency in their designs, many of these contemporary handbag brands now enjoy a level of recognition comparable to that of well-trodden luxury names. Among the best examples is apc, which has become just as renowned for its maroquinerie as for the clean-cut denim it has been crafting since 1987. Its leather offer took off in 2017 with the launch of the Demi‑Lune – a rounded, cross-body bag that quickly became one of the brand’s best-known pieces. Today the company generates 40 per cent of its revenue from handbags, compared with 25 per cent in 2017. Like Polène, apc keeps logos small and understated; yet many of its designs have achieved the icon status that its luxury competitors continuously strive for. “People want to buy less but go back to quality and durability,” says apc founder Jean Touitou. “They’re getting tired of fashion as a sign of social status and are no longer looking for big luxury labels that are branding themselves too much.”
由於設計的一致性，許多當代的包包品牌現在享有與知名精品品牌相當的知名度。其中最好的例子就是 APC，它以其皮具製作，以及自 1987 年以來一直製作的俐落牛仔褲一樣聞名。其皮革產品在 2017 年推出 Demi-Lune 後開始大受歡迎，這款圓形斜揹包迅速成為該品牌最知名的產品之一。如今，該公司 40% 的營收來自手提包，相較於 2017 年的 25%。就像 Polène 一樣，APC 的標誌都設計得小巧低調；然而，許多設計已達到其精品競爭對手不斷追求的指標性地位。「人們想少買一些，但卻回歸品質和耐用性」，APC 創辦人 Jean Touitou 表示。「他們已經厭倦了時尚作為社會地位的象徵，不再尋找過度自我標榜的大型精品品牌。」

There’s also more public awareness around the high mark-ups of luxury goods. In an industry where pricing is often decided by prestige over production costs, customers are increasingly unwilling to pay a premium for a name. This has sparked a growing desire among consumers to be part of something smaller. For brands such as Manu Atelier, this sense of intimacy is part of the appeal. Its founders, sisters Merve Manastir and Beste Manastir Bagdatli, were born into one of Turkey’s most prominent leatherworking families and wanted to bring their craft to the world when they started the brand in 2014. Though its items are sold by more than 90 retailers globally, including Net-a-Porter China, Merve and Beste’s company is a family business in the truest sense, with their father training the artisans they collaborate with.
奢侈品的高標價也越來越受到大眾關注。在一個價格常以名氣而非生產成本決定的產業裡，消費者越來越不願意為品牌名稱付高價。這也激發了消費者更渴望加入小型品牌。對像是 Manu Atelier 這樣的品牌來說，這種親密感正是吸引人的地方。創辦人，姐妹花 Merve Manastir 和 Beste Manastir Bagdatli，出生於土耳其最著名的皮革工匠住家，2014 年創立品牌時，希望能將他們的技藝推向世界。雖然其商品在全球超過 90 家零售商販售，包含 Net-a-Porter 中國，Merve 和 Beste 的公司卻是名符其實的家族企業，他們的老爸還親自指導合作的工匠。

The sisters favour hand-stitching over machine production. “Customers feel that they are investing in something meaningful, personal and less mass-produced,” says Merve. “This level of hands-on expertise is rare in a world where many brands are scaling up production and outsourcing craftsmanship.” The firm also aligns well with concerns around sustainability, using leftover material for bag linings or upcycled collections.
姊妹倆比較喜歡手工縫製，而不是機器生產。「顧客覺得他們在投資一件有意義、個人化且不那麼大量生產的東西，」梅芙說。「在許多品牌都在擴大生產規模並外包工藝的時代，這種程度的手工專業技能相當難得。」這家公司也與永續發展議題相符，利用剩餘材料製作包襯或推出回收再製系列。

While most contemporary leather-goods brands are aimed at women, there are some men’s equivalents shaking up the industry. Bennett Winch has become a go-to for made-to-last weekender bags, briefcases and backpacks, guided by a simple ethos: buy well and you need only buy once. Its bag sales now stand at 8,000 a year, in part thanks to an impressive list of 49 worldwide stockists. The Savile Row-based brand has carved out its own niche: competitively priced bags (starting at less than €1,000 compared with the average €2,500 at which similar products by heritage brands start) designed to be kept for ever thanks to a free lifetime-repairs service.
雖然許多現代皮件品牌都鎖定女性客群，但也有幾家男性皮件品牌正在業界掀起波瀾。Bennett Winch 成為追求耐用休閒包、公事包和後揹包的最佳選擇，其理念簡潔明瞭：買得好，只需買一次。其年銷售量已達 8,000 個包，部份歸功於全球 49 家經銷商的強大陣容。這家位在 Savile Row 的品牌，成功開闢了自己的利基市場：價格競爭力高的包包（起價低於 1,000 歐元，遠低於同類型傳統品牌平均 2,500 歐元的價格），並提供終身免費維修服務，讓顧客能永久使用。

Yet the demand for independent bag brands is not simply about customers wanting to spend less for the same quality, according to the label’s co-founder Robin Winch. “They are looking for that value proposition beyond the price point,” he says. “Many of our customers could afford big names but their purchases are driven by their beliefs: they have become disconnected from conglomerates.” This new wave of accessories specialists are here to offer an alternative in a competitive market – and change handbag economics for the long term. — L
然而，根據品牌共同創辦人羅賓·溫奇（Robin Winch）的說法，獨立包款品牌的需求不單純只是顧客想以較低價格獲得相同品質。他說：「他們正在尋找超越價格點的價值主張。」「許多顧客負擔得起知名品牌，但他們的購買動機卻來自於他們的信念：他們已與大型企業脫鉤。」這股新的精品配件潮流，在競爭激烈的市場中提供替代方案，並長期改變手提包經濟學。
polene-paris.com; manuatelier.com; bennettwinch.com
波琳巴黎.com；曼努埃利爾.com；班奈特絞盤.com

Bags of style   時尚的包包

There are now no compromises with more affordable handbags. Add a pop of colour to your arsenal – without breaking the bank – with these picks.
現在不必再為平價的包包妥協了！用這些款式為你的穿搭增添色彩，卻不用傷荷包。

1. Toteme  1. 托特米
2. Savette  2. 薩維特
3. Demellier  3. 德梅利耶
4. APC  4. 友達電通
5. Manu Atelier  5. 滿宇工坊
6. Fane  6. 攤位
7. Neous  7. 紐斯
8. Bennett Winch  8. 班奈特絞盤

The future of the department store has been repeatedly questioned over the past decade as luxury brands invest in their own shops and consumer behaviour evolves. But while relationships between brands and department stores might be forever changed – brands are seeking more control and now operate their own concessions within these institutions – department stores will continue to play a critical role in the luxury ecosystem.
過去十年來，百貨公司的前途一直備受質疑，因為精品品牌積極開設自家店鋪，而消費行為也跟著演變。雖然品牌與百貨公司的關係可能永遠改變，品牌們想要更多掌控權，現在在百貨公司內經營自己的專櫃，但百貨公司仍將在精品生態系中扮演關鍵角色。

Since 2011, Central Department Store Group, which is based in Thailand, has been buying up the best department stores across Europe, from Rinascente in Italy and Illum in Denmark to Selfridges in the UK. While these blockbuster deals have been making international headlines, the retail giant with a magic touch for turning around legacy retailers has also been quietly transforming its own crown jewel, Bangkok’s Central Chidlom. After an extensive renovation led by British architect John Pawson – the largest since it opened in 1973 – the store is due to reopen in December 2024. It will operate mostly on a concession model while acting as a social gathering space, and will focus on servicing the vip customer’s every need. Central Chidlom is now also home to 60 restaurants and cafés.
從 2011 年開始，總部位於泰國的中央百貨集團，陸續收購了歐洲各地的頂級百貨公司，從義大利的裡納申特百貨到丹麥的伊隆百貨，再到英國的瑟夫裡奇百貨。這些轟動一時的併購案，雖然登上國際媒體頭條，但這家擅長改造老牌零售商的零售巨頭，也悄悄地改造了自家旗艦店—曼穀的中央芝羅姆百貨。在英國建築師約翰·帕森的領導下，進行了自 1973 年開幕以來最大規模的翻修，預計於 2024 年 12 月重新開幕。未來將主要以特許經營範式運作，並營造社交聚會空間，專注於滿足 VIP 顧客的所有需求。現在，中央芝羅姆百貨內也擁有 60 家餐廳和咖啡廳。

Natira Boonsri, the ceo of Central Department Store Group and a member of the mighty Chirathivat family that controls Central Group, has spent almost her entire career in department stores. She is currently overseeing 76 locations and has big ambitions for Chidlom, reflecting Thailand’s ever-increasing strength as a luxury market. Here, she tells monocle what’s new and explains how the flow of expertise and information between the group’s Asian and European businesses is positioning Central Group’s retail arm as a global market leader. — L

How does Chidlom in Bangkok compare to the Central Group’s department stores in Europe?
When we discuss our group’s luxury portfolio, we say that Rinascente is the store of Milan and Selfridges is the store of London. We want Chidlom to be the store of Bangkok. Each one has a different positioning but we want them all to cater to premium customers and be social gathering places.

How has your overseas business influenced the strategy behind the Chidlom renovation?
Some of the businesses are very good at activating the store – what we call retail as media. Rinascente often changes the shop’s façade and lets brands take over the inside to advertise or communicate to customers. We want to do that at Central Chidlom. We have also doubled the space of the Chidlom beauty floor. Selfridges has a very strong beauty offering and it always has new-to-market exclusive launches to create excitement for customers.

How important are VIP customers?
They are instrumental to Chidlom’s success. We have about 7,000 top customers and on average they come almost twice a month and spend 600,000 baht [€16,000] a year, which is very high. That’s why I created the Cenfinity loyalty programme last year. We want to step up a few notches and go beyond expectations. In the past we didn’t have all of the luxury brands that these customers were looking for, so they would have to go elsewhere.

What kind of conversations did you need to have with the luxury brands to convince them to partner with you?
During the coronavirus pandemic we saw a huge spike in luxury consumption in Thailand and we couldn’t ignore it. We shared our vision and renovation project with the luxury brands and they were interested. Most of the fashion brands on the luxury floor are new to Chidlom, including Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Prada. Usually they are in shopping malls where they have large boutiques. This is the first time that they have joined a department store in Thailand.

How do you see the overall department-store concept faring in the future?This year we will have medium, single-digit growth, which is considered quite good. Our recently renovated stores are outperforming the others by a long way. When we renovate, we introduce new programmes and lifestyle elements that encourage customers to visit, have a coffee and stay longer. We renew the brand line-up and introduce new ones to the market. We also see an uplift in sales when we redesign the floor layout and make our stores easier to navigate. The department-store model will continue to grow as long as it adapts to the changes in customer behaviour.

How do you see technology affecting the customer experience?
Social commerce has become very successful during the pandemic. Our sales associates would contact our customers using the Line messaging app and send them pictures and videos of new products that they could buy. This remains popular and we want to push it even more – alongside live commerce, where China is very strong. It’s still the start of this journey and we will be slowly growing the digital part of the business.

Will bricks-and-mortar shopping stay at the core of the business?
It’s very important and it will always be there. Customers of every nationality long to have a community hub where they can mingle and hang out with friends.

Are you optimistic for 2025?
The global economy is volatile but Thailand’s gdp is forecast to grow about 3.5 per cent next year. We think we will continue to achieve our targets and see a big growth opportunity in international shoppers. Tourist spending in our stores has already exceeded pre-pandemic levels, even though the number of visitors to Thailand is still below the 40 million who came before the pandemic.

How else do you foresee the Thai retail landscape changing?
There will be about 500,000 square metres of new retail space in Bangkok by 2026 or 2027. Competition is intensifying but that’s good. The more there is, the more everyone wants to transform themselves. That’s better for customers and ultimately it makes Thailand stronger because we’ll be able to attract more tourists.