WHEN DID WE STOP BUYING THINGS WE LOVE?
An Autumn Reflection on Fashion, Value and Finding Your Own Style THE ARCHIVE JOURNAL | A FOUNDER’S PERSPECTIVESunday, 25 October
An Autumn Reflection on Fashion, Value and Finding Your Own Style THE ARCHIVE JOURNAL | A FOUNDER’S PERSPECTIVESunday, 25 October
ÉLAN ARCHIVE | SUNDAY 18 OCTOBER 2026 As billions disappear from the valuations of the world’s biggest luxury companies, something
Why the greatest handbags are recognisable without a logo, and what their silhouettes tell us about fashion, craftsmanship and the
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Luxury fashion has spent the last decade chasing perfection.
Structured silhouettes.
Smooth calfskin.
High-gloss finishes.
Sharp lines.
Today, something feels different.
The biggest fashion houses in the world are embracing materials that feel warmer, softer and more tactile. It’s no coincidence that as silhouettes become more relaxed, suede has quietly emerged as one of the defining materials of the season.
This isn’t simply a trend.
It’s a reflection of where luxury is heading.
When Chanel introduced its newest suede pieces—including the striking Suede Maxi Flap—it signalled something bigger than a seasonal colour change.
The silhouette remains unmistakably Chanel.
Yet the texture transforms the entire personality of the bag.
The familiar becomes softer.
Warmer.
More relaxed.
After seeing the latest collections in London, it’s one of the materials that stayed with me long after leaving the boutique.
If one house understands how material changes shape, it’s Loewe.
The Flamenco has always celebrated movement rather than structure.
In suede, it feels almost organic.
The leather doesn’t simply hold the design.
It becomes part of it.
There’s a confidence in allowing a bag to drape naturally rather than forcing rigid perfection.
Perhaps no brand represents modern quiet luxury better than The Row.
Their approach to suede isn’t dramatic.
It’s restrained.
Deep chocolate browns.
Muted taupes.
Perfect proportions.
Nothing feels designed to attract attention.
Ironically, that’s exactly why it does.
Where Chanel whispers and The Row refines…
Prada and Miu Miu play.
Rich espresso tones.
Burnt caramel.
Olive greens.
Oversized silhouettes.
Suede gives both houses permission to create bags that feel relaxed without ever losing sophistication.
They’re proving that luxury doesn’t have to feel formal.
It simply has to feel considered.
The shift hasn’t stayed on the runway.
It’s now appearing on the streets.
Style icons such as Dakota Johnson and Alexa Chung have long embraced suede, while recent fashion coverage has highlighted Bella Hadid, Jennie and A$AP Rocky carrying softer textures and relaxed silhouettes from houses including Loewe, Chanel and Coach.
The common thread isn’t status.
It’s confidence.
None of these bags demand attention.
They reward it.
One of the greatest privileges of running Élan Archive is spending time around these collections in London, Paris and New York.
When you handle hundreds of bags every year, you begin to notice something fascinating.
The biggest changes rarely arrive with fanfare.
They arrive quietly.
This season, I genuinely believe suede is one of those moments.
Some of the new suede pieces are among the most beautiful bags I’ve seen in years.
Not because they’re fashionable.
Because they feel timeless from the moment you pick them up.
There’s a warmth to suede that polished leather simply can’t replicate.
It makes luxury feel human again.
Perhaps the biggest surprise isn’t coming from Paris or Milan.
It’s coming from New York.
Under Stuart Vevers, Coach has quietly become one of the most exciting leather houses in fashion.
The Empire.
The Brooklyn.
The Empire Carryall.
These aren’t trying to imitate European luxury.
They’re creating an American design language of their own.
The latest suede collections perfectly capture that philosophy.
Beautiful proportions.
Rich colours.
Exceptional leather.
And prices that remind us style doesn’t have to cost several thousand pounds.
As someone who sources everything from Hermès Birkins to Coach Brooklyns, I honestly find that exciting.
Great design should be admired wherever it’s found.
One of the biggest misconceptions in luxury is that price equals style.
It doesn’t.
I’ve handled Hermès bags that are works of art.
I’ve handled Chanel pieces that stop conversations.
I’ve also picked up Coach bags recently that have genuinely made me smile.
Not because they’re trying to be something they’re not.
Because they’re beautifully designed in their own right.
That’s what this series is really about.
Understanding design.
Appreciating craftsmanship.
Recognising that inspiration flows through the entire fashion industry.
Whether it’s a suede Chanel Maxi, a Loewe Flamenco, a beautifully understated piece from The Row or a Coach Empire that costs a fraction of the price, they all tell the same story.
Great design doesn’t belong to one fashion house.
It belongs to the people who recognise it.
By Tony Hookings-Skinner, founder of Elan Archive