From Hermès to Chanel, restorations and repairs are being embraced by luxury brands – here’s why

Brands have always worked to the idea that people want to update their accessories regularly. This is no longer the case – and companies are cottoning on

Many fashion houses now offer repairs on leather goods, which is not only great in terms of longevity but is ‘incredible’ when it comes to building brand value

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An employee working on a handbag at an Hermès leather goods workshop. The luxury goods manufacturer was the first to offer a restoration service. Photo: AFP

Published: 7:15am, 12 Dec 2022Updated: 7:56am, 12 Dec 2022

Watches and jewellery are handed down from mother to daughter, while tights and stockings are chucked away after two or three wears.

We have wildly different expectations about the longevity of various fashion purchases – and while handbags are among the more enduring, brands have always worked to the idea that people want to update their accessories on a semi-regular basis.

Over the past decade, however, this outlook has had to change. In the noughties, there was relentless pressure to have the latest It bag; today, many of the most stylish women in the world carry vintage – or recent, but not current – models. The focus on sustainability and, to an extent, the current cost-of-living crisis makes this not only acceptable but downright fashionable.

A steep rise in prices, even allowing for inflation, has also made it essential for many women: a Chanel Medium Classic Flap bag, for example, has increased in price from US$1,150 in 1990 to US$7,800 in 2021.

A Chanel bag from the cruise 2023 collection. Chanel offers a restoration service for goods one year after purchasing.

As a result, brands have started offering repairs on their leather goods. A few weeks ago, Bottega Veneta’s chief executive, Bartolomeo Rongone, said that certain handbag models can now be brought in for a lifetime complimentary refresh and repair.