Hi, I’m Alice

I love handbags. It started when I was a teenager flipping through Vogue, Elle, Heat and Cosmopolitan Magazine. I would see Naomi Campbell, the Olsen twins, Sarah Jessica Parker, Gabrielle Union, Nicole Richie, Victoria Beckham, Sienna Miller, Kate Moss, (the cast of The Hills) Mischa Barton and Paris Hilton toting around the most gorgeous bags I had ever seen. They looked effortlessly stylish. I just remember, teenage me, thinking… I will never look like them; I will never be as thin or as effortlessly stylish, I cannot pull off the slip dress with spaghetti straps (bloody bra straps)…or a boho dress. I can’t afford endless designer clothes. BUT…I can and will.. carry the same bag as them. I said to my 14 year old self if I work hard enough and save up enough money, I can carry the same, gorgeous soft, buttery bag…and it will last me a lifetime. I don’t know what to say the ‘IT’ bag era got me.

Since then, I’ve come to appreciate everything that goes into one of these handbags. The craftsmanship involved in each piece is a testament to the artistry, dedication and skill of the masters who’ve often been working at these fashion houses for decades [let’s face it some are made better than others] - and honestly, I love sharing a piece of history with Princess Diana, Jackie Kennedy or Jane Birkin (to name just a few). I spent £80 just on a book about the Fendi Baguette. Literally pictures of Fendi Baguettes.

Designer fashion is stunning, but let’s face it—it’s way out of my budget. But that’s where the magical, wonderful world of preloved comes in. Thanks to eBay, Vestiaire Collective, The RealReal, Vinted, The Handbag Clinic, Designer Exchange, Sellier, Brand Alley, Reliked and Depop, I can finally grab those pieces I’ve been dreaming about—the ones I’ve seen in magazines or on TV—and not feel like I’ve sold my soul, remortgaged my flat, or gone into credit card debt to afford them.