Designer Bag Customizations: Everything You Need to Know
You’ve probably spotted customized designer bags on the arms of your favorite celebrities and assumed those custom designer bags were something reserved for only the uber-wealthy. But don’t make that assumption too soon.
You don’t need to purchase a designer bag and then ship it off to some celebrity-approved artisan to get a one-of-a-kind look. You don’t need to trust a sketchy seller online who promises to deliver a hand-painted designer bag, either. You can find customized luxury wear from your favorite labels, if you know where to look.
Here are your options and everything you need to know about this trend, including whether it’s right for you.
6 Places to Buy Bespoke Luxury Bags
Gucci
If you want to customize one of your favorite Gucci bags, you’re in luck. The designer offers personalization options for its Ophidia GG Supreme large tote. You can choose to have the tote adorned with the letter of your choosing on the front and/or back, in a range of materials, from leather to felt to bedazzled felt.
Fendi
While Fendi’s customized bags aren’t as customized as Gucci’s (you won’t be adding any initials to the front of your bag here), the process of creating your own bespoke purse with the designer is simple. Via a partnership with Far Fetch, you can build a Fendi Kan I F bag from scratch, putting together your favorite materials and Fendi looks to create something that’s entirely yours. Choose the leather you want, the accents, the colors, the strap scarf and more.
Louis Vuitton
One of the most popular designer brands that fashionistas flock to for custom looks? Louis Vuitton. The designer’s Mon Monogram and Mon Damier Graphite bags are available with unique customization touches, such as hand-painted lettering.
Louis Vuitton also offers complimentary hot stamping on qualifying products, applying up to three, single-color letters to luggage tags or other small leather goods, or even the side of your Louis Vuitton luggage. The customization process can be done in-store, or you can request it at the time of purchase if you’re shopping online.
Do note that the hand-painting customization option, though, is not complimentary and can range in price, depending on the size of the customized item.
Burberry
Burberry also allows you to personalize its vintage check and letter continental wallets. If you’re looking for a new wallet or you just don’t want to personalize a purse that you already think is perfection, this might be a good pick for you. You can personalize the wallet with up to three initials in your choice of color.
Burberry also allows you to personalize the designer’s nylon backpacks and scarves, via a partnership between the company and an 18th-century British embroidery specialist. Each embroidered backpack is created using a traditional gold work technique. Better yet, this customization service costs less than $100.
Coach
While Coach may not be considered as desirable a designer as some of the other options on this list, the brand does really deliver when it comes to customization services. Complimentary monogramming is available with just about every purchase, making Coach a good pick if you’re interested in customizing a bag, but you’re not quite sure you want to customize one of your priciest purses just yet.
Valentino
Valentino currently only offers customization for one product, it’s My Own Code Clutch. The clutch can be customized with a series of initials or letters, hot stamped on the clutch’s hand strap. The personalization is complimentary if you add it on at the time of purchase, but it’s only available at Valentino flagship locations.
Other Options
Of course, there are other options for designer bag customizations, beyond purchasing a personalization service directly from the designer. You can customize just about any designer bag if you go through a third-party artist. These artists can often be found online or via social media, and they hand-paint, embroider or otherwise create a new work of art on the side of your purse.
The Pros and Cons of Customizing Designer Bags
So, are you wondering if a custom designer bag is right for you? Here are some of the pros and cons to consider as you make your decision.
Pros
The biggest and most obvious benefit of designing your own custom bag is, of course, that you get a totally unique-to-you designer bag. No one else in the world (most likely) will have the exact same thing. If you already love to monogram, personalize and DIY the rest of your wardrobe, a custom purse will fit right in.
Cons
The biggest con when purchasing a custom designer bag is the extra cost. You’re already paying potentially thousands of dollars for a designer bag and now you’re adding additional fees on top of that initial cost. While some designers do offer complimentary customization, those complimentary services are usually just the bare basics — maybe adding some heat stamping or a bit of extra embroidery to a small item. If you’re purchasing customization services from a third-party artist, you’ll likely see that the cost is even higher, up to the cost of the bag itself in some cases.
Additionally, if you ever intend to sell your bag, you may find the customization lowers the bag’s overall value. Very few pre-owned buyers are going to want a bag that features your initials or a hand-painted portrait of your puppy.
Also, you may find that you don’t quite care for your past customization choices several years down the line. While many designer bags remain in vogue for years or decades, you may find that bedazzling your Gucci or monogramming your entire wardrobe is not quite in fashion a few years after you make that customization decision.
The Most Obvious Choice?
If you want to customize your bag using a third-party service, one of the best ways to do so on a more restricted budget is by purchasing a pre-owned bag at the fraction of the original cost, and then letting your chosen artist work their magic on that piece. You get the exact, customized look you want, without paying an astronomical fee.
Don’t just buy your pre-owned bag from anyone, though. Go with someone you can trust.
Luxury in Reach offers fully vetted and authenticated luxury pieces in excellent condition, from your favorite designers. From Chanel to Hermes, Louis Vuitton to Yves Saint Laurent, you can find your top picks here. Check out what we have on offer right now.