Handbags have had it hard of late. With our social lives put on hold for the best part of a year, an accessory that’s really only useful when you leave the house became superfluous. As fashion rapidly centred around comfort and convenience, our desire to buy handbags, particularly those of the luxury variety, plummeted. According to Lyst, handbag sales fell by 25% in the UK in 2020. But thankfully, as we start to allow ourselves to dream about dinners out and drinking wine with friends once more, bags are back on our shopping agenda, and there’s one brand we can’t stop thinking about.
You might not have heard of Savette yet, but trust us when we say it is, unequivocally, the handbag brand to watch this year. Amy Zurek started working on Savette two years ago—though she is certainly no stranger to designing cult bags. Having worked with Coach, The Row and, most recently, Khaite, Zurek’s ability to create covetable arm candy is imitable. Now, she’s channelling her energy and apparent Midas touch into her own label. Although the pandemic may have presented its share of problems for anyone starting their own business, Savette’s recent launch arguably came at the best possible time—after a year of sartorial bleakness and just as the luxury market is starting to ramp back up.
Sharing its moniker with her mother’s maiden name, Zurek’s vision for Savette was simple: to create handbags that stand the test of time and have appeal well beyond a season or movement—something to be passed on from generation to generation. The collection, which currently comprises three styles, certainly realises this vision. The handbags are quiet but far from unassuming. Their sculptural silhouettes are sleek beyond measure, but the addition of shoulder straps gives them practical flair. Unlike untouchable pieces housed in art galleries, Savette handbags are art in motion, designed to be used day-to-day.
As the bags touched down on Net-a-Porter last week, senior market editor Libby Page has this to say about the shopping behemoth’s latest recruit: “New York brand Savette debuted their luxury handbag collection this season, and we envisage they will be a highlight for us this spring. All Savette pieces are produced in Italy, bringing together the traditional artisanal leathercraft and modernist sculptural forms. A year in the making, the first collection has an overall refined aesthetic. Our favourite is the multifunctional box bag in tan—she has modernised this classic handbag shape and made it suitable for any occasion.”
Page’s last words (“for any occasion”) resonate with us. If the last year has taught us anything, it’s to not save our best for best. With a Savette bag on your arm—a bag that’s both functional and beautiful—you needn’t sacrifice on either. Commit the name to memory, then scroll below to see the full Savette handbag collection.
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