Have you ever walked past someone with a Gucci bag slung nonchalantly across their arm and wondered how much they paid for it? And if they did shell out lakhs for the bag (as they usually do), just how much do they earn? Do they have Aladdin’s Genie on speed dial? Who’s their fairy godmother? How do they save, especially in this economy? Plagued by these questions, we reached out to six people across India, with diverse professions and incomes, all bound by a shared love for luxury handbags. Below, they reveal all, receipts included.
Namratha Narayanan, 27, operations manager in commercial real estate, Bengaluru
Monthly income: ₹50,000 to ₹1.5 lakh
“Right now, I live with my parents, so about 10 to 15 per cent of my annual income goes towards a handbag. My favourite buy so far is my Stella McCartney Falabella Mini Tote Bag. I bought it for ₹90,000 and still get compliments on how versatile it is. But my most recent and expensive buy is the Louis Vuitton Marignan, for ₹2,30,000. I haven’t seen many people wear it and I love it more for that reason.”
Yatin Srivastava, 30, lawyer, music producer, and stylist, New Delhi
Monthly income: ₹1.5 lakh to ₹3 lakh
“My most prized luxury buy is the Louis Vuitton tote that I got at a steal from Portobello Market in London. I also have The Row’s Margaux, which I got from PR seeding and a Goyard that I bought second-hand from Vestiaire Collective for about ₹70,000. At the moment, I’m saving up to buy The Speedy P9 from Louis Vuitton, I know it will become a lifetime keepsake. My most rash spending is usually on shoes and hoodies, so I am making a concerted effort to reduce that. I've even told my friends to stop me from buying things so I can save.”
Read on to see how six people across India, with diverse professions and incomes, budget for their luxury handbags.
