Today’s article is not about politics. It is a study on the Luxury economic status based on the color of your skin since 1441.

Here’s why…

The systematic trafficking and enslavement of Africans to Europe began in 1441 when European explorers kidnapped twelve Africans.

This was the beginning of the slave trade.

Now why am I bringing this up? As a luxury handbag artist, I recognize that systemic change starts from looking at imbalances in luxury market.

Today, Black-Owned Luxury does not exist in the same realm as the Luxury conglomerates.

Every time a Luxury Black-Owned Brand get to the heights- it didn’t make it.

Vigil Abloh’s Off-White. Sold.

Rihanna’s Fenty. Paused.

This article is a deep dive into why and what you can do today to make history.

Enjoy -💋LK

Black American Culture has an Un-Used Advantage on the Luxury Industry.

The Future of Luxury May Not Be European Anymore.

Entire sectors of luxury spending are being heavily fueled by a culturally influential group of discerning clientele at which the luxury industry has ignored as a leader in luxury spending.

I’m bring this up because, this is the real conversation

nobody in fashion wants to have.

Remember I mentioned in my youtube video here, that conglomerates due to their size, must appeal to the masses to stay large.

Because of this, they can no longer can rely on their 100 year old heritage alone.

For most conglomerate brands, it also now runs on the backs of black culture.

Black Culture.

Luxury fashion studies them.

Copies them.

Markets to them.

Profits from them.

But when it comes time to building a Black luxury handbag brand with the same price point as a Chanel, Hermès, or Louis Vuitton…

I come across a particular sentiment where

the room suddenly gets quiet.

At times I come across someone who gets very angry

that I dared to even try to price my made-to-order handbags that way.

Even when their conglomerate bag is not made to order, and instead produced in the thousands, stored away in a drawer or a shelf, still priced at or above a Liselle Kiss.

The idea of a Black Luxury, American Heirloom Handbag can exist at a level of a conglomerate can make a lady who loves luxury without meaning, spill her coffee.

I have a theory that if Black Luxury can exist as confidently with European luxury brands it can topple a worldwide structure of racism created since the colonial era.

Article pause area…

Ready to make history with me?

Subscribe now

Become a monthly Paid Subscriber at $30/month today as my official Designer Patron to help me continue to make Black Luxury History at Liselle Kiss®! Your monthly contribution can be used as store credit to get your own Liselle Kiss Heirloom Handbag anytime in the future, and you will receive a signed copy of my book, Thy Queendom Come, my personal mindset guide to help you make your dreams come true! Designer patrons like you help me keep my motivation and creativity necessary to stay on this American Designer journey without a venture capitalist or conglomerate collaboration. I’d rather collaborate with you in a Liselle Kiss Heirloom design experience to help you choose your own color and Liselle Kiss handbag art piece.

Thank you to my monthly designer patrons here at the Liselle Kiss & Fly Club!

Article continues…

The spending power that Black Americans have on not just in America , but the world is impossible to ignore.

You see, Black Americans currently hold over $1.8 trillion in buying power according to McKinsey Research.

By 2030, that number is projected to surpass $2 trillion.

That alone would make this “minority” one of the most financially powerful demographic groups in the world.

But it gets even more interesting. Something that a luxury conglomerate cannot ignore.

Black Americans are reportedly 31% more likely than the average American to spend $500 or more on a single handbag purchase.

Not sneakers.

Not fast fashion.

Luxury handbags.

The very category all fashion houses protect like crown jewels.

As I mentioned prior in my last article, Why High Luxury Women Are Leaving Big Brands for Designers and Artists, handbags are the nucleus of a fashion house. Think of it as the motherboard to a fashion brand.

And according to Wharton School research, Black and Hispanic patrons spend up to 30% more on visible luxury goods than others within similar income brackets.

Luxury watches.

Designer apparel.

Jewelry.

Handbags.

You get it.

Subscribe now

Now let’s look at both sides for a second.

HOW DID WE GET HERE?

Due to historical suppression, rappers used the aspirational identity of luxury to associate with a luxury brand as a way of “making it.”

This narrative started in the late 80s and 90s at the time when Black economic growth and equality started to become less restrictive after a few generations since the civil rights movement in the 1960s.

And even though Black culture has become the single most powerful engine of cultural relevance on the planet from sports, beauty, and streetwear, mainstream luxury spent decades pretending Black culture sat outside the gates of luxury… until recently, possibly due to the rise and popularity of hip hop acknowledging certain brand names, which then eventually increased their sales.

The moment hip-hop became the dominant cultural export in America, luxury conglomerates adapted almost immediately to its effect.

The difference is that as Black Wealth increased, so did the conglomerates wealth.

Similar to how sharks can sense blood in the water, certain luxury conglomerates understood something before most people did:

Cultural influence had become more valuable than their 100 year old heritage alone. If heritage is not enough, then why not also profit from another’s culture?

That’s why certain luxury brands aggressively pursued proximity to Black cultural influence over the last two decades.

Suddenly every runway wanted rappers in the front row.

Every campaign wanted their cultural credibility. So as I write this luxury economic study, the one thing that we know now is that a popular modern-day culture can triumph heritage. e.

Every brand wanted the “cool factor” Black American Culture naturally created. If you don’t believe me, Nielsen research discovered something fascinating: Black American shopping behavior creates what analysts call a “halo effect.” Meaning when Black American shoppers embrace a brand, other broader mainstream shoppers from different demographics and even other countries from around the world follow.

Translation?

Black luxury clients do not simply follow culture.

They move it.

Luxury conglomerates understand this better than most people realize. Black luxury clients often adopt trends earlier, wear them more boldly, and attach emotional identity to fashion in a way that transforms products into movements.

Traditional luxury etiquette was historically built around restraint, exclusivity, inherited wealth, and rigid social codes.

Black American luxury culture evolved differently.

It was shaped through aspiration, visibility, reinvention, individuality, and self-expression.

That distinction became commercially powerful.

Because authenticity now outperforms perfection in old world luxury.

People are no longer only attracted to polished heritage narratives and old European status symbols. They are drawn toward confidence, emotional honesty, cultural relevance, and identity.

And the most discerning Black luxury clients have historically influenced all four categories at an outsized level.

That is why luxury conglomerates study Black culture so aggressively it consistently predicts where culture moves as it is real people’s thoughts and feelings from the streets.

That’s why Virgil Abloh mattered far beyond fashion.

Before Off-White majority stake was sold to a luxury conglomerate, it became a cultural obsession.

Virgil built one of the most influential fashion brands in the world without waiting for traditional luxury institutions to validate him first.

The culture validated him.

Luxury followed afterward.

Then came the inevitable acquisition.

In July 2021, luxury conglomerate LVMH acquired a 60% majority stake in Off-White trademark and brand, leaving founder Virgil Abloh with the remaining 40%. Just a few months later, on November 28, 2021, Virgil Abloh passed away

Because that’s often how modern luxury works now:

Black creativity can create what’s cool and on beat.

However, popular rappers and singers today still mention a conglomerate handbag in their music for free and unpaid, they say…

Even if its free an unpaid, the conglomerates are profiting most.

Not the musician and not the culture.

European luxury houses were not built overnight.

They were protected for decades.

The wealthy and aspirational buyers invested in them repeatedly until they became symbols of permanence itself.

But Black luxury brands are often expected to prove legitimacy in comparison, immediately. That expectation creates an impossible standard.

And yet the opportunity to change this— is enormous.

According to McKinsey, Black consumers are 2.3x more likely to shift spending toward Black-owned brands.

Think about how massive that number actually is.

Americans account for 30% of the world’s luxury handbag spending on bags priced over $1,000, and Black Americans contribute nearly 30% of all luxury spending.

So what would happen when a demographic with the 3rd strongest spending power in the world, with a cultural advantage, decides to willingly redirect spending at that scale?

The future of luxury may not belong exclusively to Paris, Milan, or old European heritage houses anymore.

It may belong to the Americans, whose new luxury spending habits can dismantle the final and arguably most important systemic system in the world - Old World Luxury.

Subscribe now

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Liselle Kiss is an American handbag artist and founder of Liselle Kiss® American Heirloom Handbags™. Her work has been carried by Nordstrom, Bergdorf Goodman, Bloomingdale’s, and Shopbop. Today, she creates functional handbag art outside the pressure of the global fashion calendar.

Liselle works through a patron-backed, made-to-order model. Each bag is designed and crafted from start to finish in New York City. She and her design concierges work directly with guests and patrons who value her story and handbag artistry.

Liselle writes about luxury economics, artistry, and personal growth. She questions the conglomerate handbag system and invites readers to think differently about what they carry, why they carry it, and where their capital goes.

Explore the Liselle Kiss® at www.lisellekiss.com to create your

Liselle Kiss® American Heirloom Handbag™

Email liselle@lisellekiss.com for business & collaboration inquiries.

Become a paid subscriber for this article’s luxury economic research links:

References & Research

• McKinsey & Company — “The Economic State of Black America: What is and what could be”
https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/sustainable-inclusive-growth/the-economic-state-of-black-america-what-is-and-what-could-be

• McKinsey & Company — “Black representation in the fashion industry”
https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/retail/our-insights/black-representation-in-the-fashion-industry

• NielsenIQ — Black consumer buying power and cultural influence reports
https://nielseniq.com/global/en/insights/analysis/2023/black-consumers-driving-cultural-and-economic-influence/

• Selig Center for Economic Growth — Multicultural Economy Reports
https://www.terry.uga.edu/selig/buying-power/

• Bain & Company Luxury Goods Worldwide Market Study
https://www.bain.com/insights/luxury-goods-worldwide-market-study/

• CultureBanx — Black buying power projected to surpass $2 trillion
https://culturebanx.com/culturebanx-report-black-buying-power-america/

• The Wharton School — Research on race and visible consumption spending
https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/how-race-shapes-american-consumer-spending/

• Business of Fashion — Virgil Abloh and the transformation of luxury fashion
https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/luxury/virgil-abloh-off-white-louis-vuitton-legacy/

• LVMH Official Press Release — Acquisition of Off-White stake
https://www.lvmh.com/news-documents/news/lvmh-acquires-majority-stake-in-off-white-llc/

• Vogue Business — Rihanna’s Fenty fashion house pause explained
https://www.voguebusiness.com/companies/what-happened-to-rihannas-fenty-fashion-brand

• Essence — Black buying power and luxury market influence
https://www.essence.com/news/money-career/black-buying-power/

• Statista — U.S. luxury goods market and consumer behavior data
https://www.statista.com/topics/1116/luxury-goods/

I couldn’t help but keep my eye out on the conversations for you this week that’s popping up all over social media. I’m seeing that many women are fed up of the lack of luxury alternatives in a world where the conglomerates rule.

In this article, I will do a deep dive on what I found high net worth women are saying and doing to take back control —

Of their wardrobe

Of their shopping habits

For their peace of mind…

Because who else can appreciate art and luxury

But the woman who experiences life to the fullest?

I hope you enjoy this week’s article— 💋LK

High Luxury Women Are Leaving Big Brands for Designers and Artists

Before fashion became an industry, it worked differently. Women didn’t shop brands. They worked directly with the local tailors, the artisans, the designers.

Designers crafted pieces specifically for them. Relationships formed that lasted years. It was a system built on artistry and trust. The word for it was patronage.

And quietly, it is returning again in the 21st century- after the fast-fashion boom of the early 80s.

There is a quiet, jagged rebellion happening in the upper echelons of the luxury world, and it isn’t starting on a Parisian runway.

Here are the 5 reasons… starting in the comment sections led by the wealthy.

Subscribe now

In the upper echelons of luxury, the conversation is changing. It is moving away from the “games” of the department store floor and toward the intimacy of the personal artist. This shift is driven by a simple but profound epiphany regarding what we are actually paying for. Because of this, we now have the…

The Return of the High Luxury Woman

If you look closely at the social media watercoolers where the “heavy hitters” hang out, the tone has shifted from admiration of a heritage brand to a sharp, worthy cynicism.

One woman, a long-time devotee of the most storied orange-boxed house in France, recently admitted she hasn’t stepped foot in their boutiques for over eighteen months—not because she can’t afford it, but because she’s tired of “the games.”

Another was even more blunt: “These bags cost more than ever, yet the materials and craftsmanship feel cheaper.” To these women, what used to feel like a sacred piece to collect now feels fundamentally common.

The luxury bubble hasn’t just burst; it’s dissipating. Even Anna Wintour grew tired of the word ‘luxury’, as every market catapulted on creating luxury through the increased access to fast fashion via directly via manufacturers at the tip of a mouse button.

The art of luxury has been lost and the idea, oversold.

This is why the truly discerning are pivoting.

They aren’t looking for the next “It-bag” like in the early 2000s—they’re looking for something new at which they almost can’t put their finger on it, until they see it.

The high luxury woman used to do the same.

New drop.

New collection.

New “must-have.”

And so, the high luxury woman has begun moving differently.

You’ve seen her before. She walks into a room and something subtle happens. Other women begin studying what she’s carrying, what she’s wearing, how everything fits together so effortlessly.

You notice it immediately because something about her feels calm. Nothing about her looks frantic, trend-chasing, or overly styled.

Her bag doesn’t resemble the ones glowing behind glass on Madison Avenue.

It feels rarer than that.

Here’s Why: When heritage houses hop on the fast fashion trend in the mid 2010s

She noticed.

Now after a decade of trying to love what she used to love. She now sees that everything is the same. And the logos keep getting larger. Now she’s tired of it.

Luckily she has contacts to build her own Rolodex of renowned designers and artists to dress her and curate her lifestyle:

A handbag artist who bags graced the windows of Bergdorf Goodman

makes her next handbag.

A discreet shoe artist who has a patent on the most comfortable stiletto

creates her next heels.

A perfume artist who is from Harlem who has occasional pop ups with Nordstrom

orders her next perfume from.

(link to my contact for this perfume artist at bottom of article)

These artisans know her life well enough to design for it. They dress her the way painters immortalized their muse.

And once you see this, you begin to understand something important. The difference between her world and the one most women are still navigating.

Subscribe to read the following chapters:

1. The Price Secret No One Talks About

2. Personalization Is the New Luxury

3. The Quiet Fatigue with Conglomerates

4. What the High Luxury Woman Is Really Collecting

5. Why You Rarely See Her Custom Pieces on Resale Sites

and… The Return to Patronage

1. The Price Secret No One Talks About

There is a common misconception that working with a renowned designer or artist for wearable art is financially out of reach compared to the famous brands we all know. But consider the reality:

• A Conglomerate House Handbag: $4,000 – $12,000+

• A Personal Designer/Artist Commission: $4,000 – $12,000+

The price entry point is identical, but the allocation of your capital is worlds apart. On one hand, you have a piece produced at a scale that ensures thousands of women around the world own the exact same thing. On the other, you have an object that is one of perhaps five in existence—or perhaps the only one of its kind in the world.

When you work with a personal artist, every dollar is redirected into continuing the artistry itself—the superior materials, the singular focus, and independence necessary to keep the artist focused on the creation.

When the cost is the same, but the outcome is different, we have to ask:

Which path reflects true discernment?

If true luxury is defined by rarity and intention, then the choice becomes clear.

Why choose the common when you can initiate an organic relationship?

You no longer need a brand to signal your arrival. You have it all. You now need a piece that hardly exists anywhere else.

That shift alone changes everything.

2. Personalization Is the New Luxury

Studies show that 70% of luxury buyers say personalization increases the value of what they purchase.

The high luxury woman understands this instinctively.

At a certain point, buying something from a shelf feels strangely ordinary. Anyone can walk into a boutique and swipe a card.

But when something is created specifically for her, the experience becomes something else entirely. Even if the pieces are made in limited quantities, she can wait.

Eventually the finished piece arrives, carrying something far more powerful than branding. It carries her life inside it.

And when you watch how she lives, you realize she has quietly stepped out of the cycle most women are still stuck inside today.

The endless loop of buying what everyone else is buying. Wondering what everyone else is wearing.

Hoping that you fit in.

When it comes to creating your own independent style, finding legacy pieces that you decided to cherish and collect— it doesn’t matter what was in last season.

Your style mindset is archival and timeless.

Subscribe now

3. The Quiet Fatigue with Conglomerates

Luxury boutiques remain beautiful. The lighting is perfect. The displays are flawless. But the high luxury woman has started noticing something.

The same handbag silhouettes appear across cities. The shopping experience is the same from Paris to New York. Even research confirms the feeling.

Nearly 80% of luxury buyers say impersonal retail environments leave them feeling disconnected.

If you’ve ever walked into one of those boutiques and felt strangely underwhelmed, you’ve already felt the beginning of that realization.

The high luxury woman simply was tired and acted on it sooner.

She doesn’t want another boutique appointment to build a relationship with the same sales associate to get a handbag handed to her with a style she didn’t ask for.

She wants something rarer.

She wants to immerse herself into culture and art more than reminiscing about the heritage of a bigger brand. She wants to discover art a new luxury wardrobe for herself.

Handbags. (Link to my favorite handbag, I believe that will be a 21st centry icon at bottom of article)

Shoes.

Coats. - (Link to my contact who does beautiful bespoke jackets at bottom of article)

In those studios, the work still feels alive.

4. What the High Luxury Woman Is Really Collecting

Women who live at the highest level of luxury eventually realize something important. They are not collecting objects. They are collecting stories.

The handbag created for the high luxury woman carries the memory of the conversation that began it. She remembers the designer who sculpted her leather handbag.

She remembers the moment the finished piece arrived. Every time she carries it, the story she tells to her friends, family, and colleagues returns. She comes across well connected and knowledgeable, creating her own independent style, without any effort.

And if you pay attention to the way she moves, you notice something else.

Her wardrobe feels cohesive.

Almost like it was created by people who truly understand her.

Because it they do.

5. Why You Rarely See Her Custom Pieces on Resale Sites

Browse luxury resale websites long enough and you’ll notice something quickly. Thousands of the same exact bag appear every day. We know them already.

The same silhouettes repeat over and over. Your neighbor wears them. You might even have a closet full of them- which you still absolutely love and adore.

You are proud of your collection, however from this point nothing that is coming up from the big brands feel new anymore. That is simply the nature of scale.

When tens of thousands of pieces exist because a big brand has produced atleast 5000 pieces over the course of 30 years, you can do the math and see why now many well loved pieces are circulate through resale markets.

You can’t even get through all the pages on Ebay to view all the Birkins available on resale.

And if you’re not the one to buy a bag on Ebay— I would recommend purchasing directly on Sotheby’s auction house website.

Currently there are 7 pages worth, vs the 26+ pages of possibly authentic guarantees on Ebay. —But I digress. Here’s my final question :

SO.. WHAT IS NEXT FOR THE HIGH LUXURY WOMAN?

The Return to Patronage

to collect and create for her heirs and curate her legacy.

If you’re ready to take that next step inside the Liselle Club you can start by taking your custom assessment here.

The high luxury woman is no longer simply a buyer. She is a patron of the artists she believes in. This is what makes life more interesting for her. Her own self discovery.

Not only does she care about what she wears and who she’s buying her pieces to pass down later for. If she’s not already sitting on the board of her local charity, this is her way to allow herself to be that inner philanthropist she’s always dreamed.

Sure she might go back to her the brands to used to shop for occasionally now and then, mainly for convenience and diving into the world that the bigger brands have created for her. However there is also that sweet feeling of creating something special and unique. It’s not something she can compare to.

Your Independent Style Mindset

Action Step:

Ask, “Who are the designers and artists I want to enter into my life?”

The moment you ask that question your entire luxury landscape begins to look different.

Because once you start choosing artists, you start to curate a lifestyle that is worth talking about.

-Liselle Kiss, American Designer

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Liselle Kiss is an American handbag artist and founder of Liselle Kiss® Heirloom Handbags. Her work has been carried by Nordstrom, Bergdorf Goodman, Bloomingdale’s, and Shopbop. Today, she creates functional handbag art outside the pressure of the global fashion calendar.

Liselle works through a patron-backed, made-to-order model. Each bag is designed and crafted from start to finish in New York City. She and her design concierges work directly with guests and patrons who value her story and handbag artistry.

Liselle writes about luxury economics, artistry, and personal growth. She questions the conglomerate handbag system and invites readers to think differently about what they carry, why they carry it, and where their capital goes.

Explore the Liselle Kiss® at www.lisellekiss.com to request a private Liselle Kiss ® heirloom handbag commissions email liselle@lisellekiss.com and business collaboration inquiries.

Here is my personal contacts to the local artist links below as promised to build your own Rolodex of artisans.

For the eyes only of our future patron subscribers…

Subscribe now

Harlem Perfume Artist: Lisa Polite

Her Made in France at 82% concentration

fragrance set here

My take: it is a divine scent, unique, fresh and feminine.

In her words: “This set was created as a full sensory ritual. Each piece is crafted to layer together the body wash prepares the skin, the fragrance becomes the signature, and the candle fills the room with the same mood. Rather than wearing the perfume, the full ritual instead surrounds you. Because each piece, the shower gel, candle, and Phoenix 22 perfume is produced in small, carefully crafted batches, we open preorders to ensure every set is prepared with the same level of care and quality our clients expect. Receive yours in 2 weeks after preordering.”

This Coat by Janelle Funari , located in NYC, handmade in USA

My take: I’ve known Janelle for years, her contemporary sportswear collections have been worn by Kim Kardashian and seen in Nordstrom.

Her take: “This jacket is a showstopper and is very Regal with unexpected edgy details.”

This Handbag by Liselle Kiss, made in New York.

My take: This was the handbag that was discovered by British Vogue that got me on the map. I hope that it also gets you on the map for whatever dreams you wish to come true too.

Here’s what happened years ago, before I wrote this.

1. The slow realization

I knew my corporate fashion marriage was over when I started designing for a season I hadn’t even lived through yet. Summer bags in January. Fall colors in April. I was sketching for a woman who didn’t exist yet, in a moment that hadn’t arrived, for a trend report that clashed with my creativity. That’s when I realized — this wasn’t a creative partnership. It was an arranged marriage.

2. The dinner table moment

Have you ever sat at a dinner table pretending everything is fine while internally drafting your exit plan? That was me with the fashion calendar. Smiling at “Resort drops.” Nodding at “Pre-Fall capsules.” Meanwhile, I was exhausted. Not from designing — from keeping up with "what’s in.”

I could care less, as I saw myself as a human being

who so happen to wear what she wants at any time.

3. The corporate wake-up call

The moment I knew I wanted out was when someone asked me, “What’s your Q3 launch strategy?” I’m an artist. Not a quarterly earnings report. That question told me everything. I wasn’t building legacy pieces. I was feeding a fashion giant.

4. The closet test

I opened my own closet one day and saw last season’s “trends” sitting there like a ghost of a corporate stylist’s past. That’s when I knew — the calendar wasn’t serving anyone. It was consuming me and those who I was creating it for.

AND NOW— LET’S GET TO TODAY’S ARTICLE- LK💋

Subscribe now

Why I’m Divorcing the Fashion Calendar

Americans spent $12B on luxury handbags. 90% went overseas to conglomerates.

There’s a certain kind of silence that falls over a room when you hear someone say they lost $8 Billion dollars. Even if it’s not your money, it still hits.

Then comes that quiet tickle, the one that makes you want to start asking questions.

I get tickled as an American Designer when I’m compared to Hermès and Chanel — and writing this now — because I’m done being compared as an artist to conglomerates.

Here are three reasons why I’m burning the furniture of my arranged marriage to the fashion calendar — even after I already walked down the aisle as an American Designer.

1) We were fooled.

Last year, Americans retained their ‘status’ as the world’s #1 consumption of luxury handbags over $1000. No surprise. When I found this out at first- I was extremely proud. We were taking home the American Gold Medal.

We have the appetite, the capital, and the “eye” even if everyone besides us is shouting in our ear about how bad the economy is. It doesn’t matter.

We will spend because we work hard and deserve it— that’s why.

But here is the truth no one will tell you:

90% that same $8 Billion spent on luxury handbags over $1000 by Americans, was wired overseas to “heritage” luxury conglomerates.

Ok… so we like heritage that much— right?

90% is quite significant to give to someone’s heritage.

What got me here, when I found out this statistic is that— this heritage didn’t go to European artists, shops, small businesses.

It was instead a sacrificial offering to show our ‘status’ to the Conglomerates.

So therefore, Americans, are effectively paying a $8,000,000,000, 90% annual alimony to mass market luxury chains that have penetrated the American market in the same fashion that Mcdonald’s has around every corner.

Surprisingly, 90% of faithful logo wearers, and most others who do not care about logos, like me, didn’t realize that the American luxury market never gave itself a chance to not be the world’s luxury ATM.

So… how did we get here?

Well. Here’s what happened. They sell us the “trendy” pieces in new colors every fashion week. We send them the GDP of a small nation.

Even if it’s labeled as luxury, it’s still fast fashion the moment pieces are made in a factory before a client even asks for them. Production comes first. Demand comes with $100 million mass advertising campaigns to re-convince the masses of the status and beauty that they are lacking. The cycle repeats itself every three months when “New Arrivals” hit the shiny floors of the local mall, right next to the same McDonald’s. The lights are bright. The displays feel fresh. Everything looks exclusive.

But nothing is truly new.

Because just as quickly, the “Old Arrivals” disappear. No announcement. The inventory that collects dust on the shelves or in the drawers are boxed up, lost in the back rooms where the conglomerates board meeting inventory projections go to die.

What was once presented as rare and refined becomes excess overnight. The price tag may say luxury, but the system behind it is pure fast fashion — just dressed in better branding.

Fast-food. Fast-fashion. Is it for American convenience or status?

I’m done with it.

I’m officially granting myself a divorce from the traditional fashion calendar.

2) The Tyranny of the Season

The fashion calendar is a vestige of a world that no longer exists. It was designed for a time when editors needed lead times for print magazines and department stores needed “Spring/Summer” to tell people when to buy linen. Today, it serves only one purpose: planned obsolescence.

When a conglomerate tells you a bag is “this season,” what they are actually saying is that it will be “out” in six months. They are selling you a fashion time bomb, not a treasure.

As a Parsons-graduated designer, I was taught the architecture of the stitch and the soul of the leather. Nowhere in that education did it say that art has an expiration date. That is why I have pivoted the House of Liselle Kiss toward Seasonless Functional Handbag Art.

If a piece is truly a masterpiece, why does it matter if it was finished in April or October? By dismissing seasons, I am reclaiming the right to slow down.

3) Reclaiming the Patron

Here’s the next problem. The industry calls you a “consumer.” I find that word offensive. A consumer is someone who uses something up until it’s gone.

Is this all we are?

You don’t “use up” a $10,000 crocodile bag. You own it. You pass it down.

At my House, we have replaced the “Consumer” with celebrating the future impact of the American Luxury Patron.

A Patron is not a passive recipient of a marketing campaign. They are an active participant in the reclamation of American luxury.

When we look at that $8 billion leaving our economy, we’re not just seeing lost revenue — we’re watching our own craft, art, and cultural momentum slowly erode.

We fall back again simply for the love of the art of the handbag, not the franchised campaigns of the conglomerates.

Subscribe now

Here’s how I fixed this…

Remember that Americans love to bring home Gold Medals, because they don’t like to lose?

Forget the “heritage” story the conglomerates told you was important.

Americans are the highest spenders. We are the actual winners.

If you had to choose between Simone Biles and another gymnast to win the gold medal, would you likely choose the one with a proven history of winning at the highest level?

For the American luxury handbag market— I’ll be your Simone Biles.

To do this- I had to change how a real handbag is made— not for hype or “ethics.”

This new model is efficient for me. Even better, my luxury patrons receive something truly made for them, directly from an American designer—that’s it.

This new patron-to-designer relationship is what I call the Heirloom Handbag Design Experience. It is by invitation only.

As a handbag artist, both grateful and a little nostalgic, I now work without the pressure of corporate retail. I can focus fully on my craft instead of keeping up with the conglomerate-driven fashion calendar placed on all of us.

My commitment to you is the art. Art you can wear.

I can’t stand simple, rectangle bags with no vision at high prices.

I won’t make a brown, flimsy rectangle bag,

even if you want it for a high price tag.

Go to the Row or Balenciaga for that. Balenciaga for the paper bag version.

Because I am deeply passionate about handbag design—and formally trained in it—when you commission a handbag artwork piece through me, you are receiving something created for you, not something that has been sitting on a store shelf collecting dust for months.

With me, you choose a Liselle Kiss® from a sustainable selection of leathers and colors that I source for you.

If I have to find the leather in Italy- I will fly there.

I do this because you decided a handbag should exist in the real world, something to keep and cherish forever. An Heirloom. Your legacy.

That is how one of my Liselle Kiss heirloom handbags becomes seasonless functional handbag art.

It doesn’t exist because a creative director in Paris guessed what you might want six months ago.

It exists because you asked for it.

the new american economy

Reclaiming our portion of that $8 billion is not about waving a “buy American” flag.

It’s about getting back the gold medal in luxury.

It’s about treating handbags as life long artifacts.

We are building a registry of Heirloom Handbags™ — pieces with provenance.

Long after the current “it-bag” is sitting on a resale site.

The conglomerates had their run.

They enjoyed our $8 billion.

They gave us their fashion trends in return.

But the American Luxury Patron is waking up.

We are no longer looking for the trend dictated by a conglomerate.

We are looking for artists, real craftsmanship. A masterpiece.

Something no one told us we should get.

And we are keeping our artists— and our capital — at home.

Welcome to the House.

The conglomerates season is over.

Your legacy starts now.

-Liselle Kiss, American Designer

Liselle Kiss is an American handbag artist and founder of Liselle Kiss® Heirloom Handbags. Her work has been carried by Nordstrom, Bergdorf Goodman, Bloomingdale’s, and Shopbop. Today, she creates functional handbag art outside the pressure of the global fashion calendar.

Liselle works through a patron-backed, made-to-order model. Each bag is designed and crafted from start to finish in New York City. She and her design concierges work directly with guests and patrons who value her story and handbag artistry.

Liselle writes about luxury economics, artistry, and personal growth. She questions the conglomerate handbag system and invites readers to think differently about what they carry, why they carry it, and where their capital goes.

Explore the Liselle Kiss® at www.lisellekiss.com or email liselle@lisellekiss.com for private custom handbag commissions and business collaboration inquiries.

After slowing down, having made it as a designer in New York, nothing—and I mean nothing—feels more couture than family.

Not the handbags, not the ateliers, not the craftsmanship… not even that addictive new-car scent of a custom Liselle bag—it was family.

It took me a while to realize after pursuing my dreams after a decade, that that’s the real luxury.

This is the rare piece. The limited edition. The one collectible you guard with your whole life.

And now, as I’m stepping into a new designer role—

I’m going to become a mother.

Yes, loves. After years of gallivanting and millennial-ing, we’re here.

Now—I heard that balancing these two worlds can collapse if I’m not careful: my dream of becoming a top American designer and starting a family. This was, well, an epiphanous challenge.

So I’ll share with you my top 5 invisible stitches that has been holding me together these last fashion seasons…

1) the most luxurious gift is presence- not presents.

People often ask me why I love the art of handbags.
Not “holiday-alert” giving… but the real kind—the nudge that says:

“I saw this, it reminded me of you. I hope when you carry this, you think of me.”

In my Liselle Kiss life, gifts have always been a love language. When I create a bespoke handbag for a client, it isn’t just a handbag; it’s a moment. A carefully chosen place in time that says:

I see who you are. And I love you for it.

But motherhood—this new luxury—has taken that philosophy and elevated it.

Because the truest gift isn’t the object.
It’s the moment of becoming.

As my body changed, my pregnancy brain fog got so intense, my schedule stopped, as this tiny miracle began shaping my body and decisions. Although I was feeling weak, I realized that this new presence is the present.

It’s the one gift you can’t two-day-ship.

2) stories are how we keep our loved ones feel loved.

Storytelling is another form of love language.

My career shapes the stories I’ll one day pass on of ambition and never giving up hope.
My family shapes the laughter behind those stories and their encouragement.

Every entrepreneur fears losing themselves.
Every mother fears the same.
Both roles whisper, “Will you still be you?”

But I realized an unexpected truth:
I’ve never been more me.

My maternity journey taught me that I can build a business and a family; I just needed to understand that they don’t compete—they assimilate. Constantly.

If there was a day I’ve ever doubted myself as an entrepreneur, it was those one or two baby kicks that took me away from pondering about my potential and reminded me of my future.

A little nudge or encouraging story to a family member are what we can use to encourage one another, and expand our capabilities.

Subscribe now

3) moments are not measured in minutes, but in meaning

There’s a beautiful irony here.

Luxury brands obsess over craftsmanship—how long something takes, how intentionally it’s made, how nothing is rushed.
But in life, we rush. Constantly.
We run from meeting to meeting, task to task, dream to dream.

Pregnancy forced me into a new pace.
A slower one.
A very slow one. Molasses.
Yet I realized, despite the hormonal changes and brain fog, that

Not all moments need to be productive.

The moment I heard the heartbeat.
The moment I saw tiny fingers on a scan.
The moment I felt the tiny kick, following my finger tips…

That moment?
It felt like time itself gave me space.

Moments are a luxury not because they’re rare, but because they’re felt.

The memories that we carry is really what gives life meaning.

4) family is the fuel, not the friction.

Modern goal-setting and entrepreneurship sometimes sells this idea:
“You can have a family or a career, but you can’t have both.”

Let me say this clearly and unwaveringly:

Family and career are not rivals.
They can be dance partners.

One grounds you; the other elevates you.
One gives purpose; the other gives direction.
One teaches sincerity; the other teaches greatness.

My new journey didn’t pull me away from my ambitions.
It clarified them.
It refined them.
It stripped them of ego and draped them in love.

When you work from love instead of pressure, the work becomes sharper, more meaningful, more potent. Family doesn’t slow you. It stabilizes you, like the perfectly weighted base on a lamp that keeps it upright when storms come.

Life is not about choosing between success and affection.
It’s about merging them beautifully.

I want my child to see that a family can build things—grand things, global things—and still cherish the love and softness of home.
I want them to know that love is expressed not just in milestones but in small sincere, gestures.
I want them to grow up surrounded by stories that remind them: they were wanted, chosen, prayed for, and provided for.

And I want them to learn that the greatest luxury of all… isn’t purchased.
It’s lived, remembered, and carried by those who we love.

—Liselle Kiss

Share

Loved this piece? Step into the world of Liselle Kiss!

Join the waiting list at LiselleKiss.com to create this custom pink Liselle designer bag for someone you love.

A) Brands that reduce quality, yet increase price?

B) ‘Quiet Luxury’ bags that are quietly boring?

C) Bags that are not authentically handmade?

Well love,

you no longer need to suffer.

Trust me, boring, expensive, inauthentic bags will make anyone want to avoid being a victim.

Here are the top 5 Handbag Luxury Rules

to consider before making

your next designer handbag purchase.

1. BUY DIRECT TO AVOID COUNTERFEITS

Buy directly from the designer can save you and someone’s life.

If you don’t personally know and trust the person reselling a handbag, buying directly from the brand is the safest way to keep a real collection. Many bags sold by resellers are counterfeit—often passed along without the buyer even knowing. Some resale sites try to authenticate bags. However, many do not catch everything. Counterfeit goods are illegal in the U.S.

According to U.S. Customs, “counterfeit goods are often manufactured to fund criminal enterprises…. Purchasing authentic goods through reputable sellers supports U.S. growth....”

That fake dupe trend everyone loves on Tik Tok? Or that one fake bag you almost were tempted to buy while traveling abroad? High chances those bags are illegal fundraisers for gangs and criminal organizations. Yes, the mob. The profits from counterfeit goods help fund most of their illegally operated factories that often use forced labor and unsafe working conditions. A lower price does not change where these bags come from.

I even heard recently that France is starting to imprison and fine people with counterfeits! Extreme? Definitely. How to avoid? Tell that friend to stop buying counterfeits or atleast get them authenticated if they look remotely similar to the real thing.

When you buy directly from the designer, you avoid all of this. You know your bag is real. You protect your mind and future investments by supporting the original designer and work behind the piece.

2. COLOR MATCHING

From a designer’s point of view, color is the foundation of a handbag’s longevity. A well-chosen color should move effortlessly from day to night and support the way you actually live, not just the trend of the season. Neutrals with depth—such as blush, black, or emerald—work because they pair naturally with both professional and evening wardrobes while aging beautifully over time.

When a standard color doesn’t fully reflect your personal style, a bespoke handbag becomes the most direct path to getting it right. Commissioning a piece through a reputable design house allows you to select precise tones, textures, and finishes that align with your wardrobe and lifestyle. With experienced designers guiding the process, your vision is translated into a finished piece without sacrificing quality, craftsmanship, or the integrity of the design.

3. MAINTENANCE

Handbags that are a year or older often lose their original gleam not because they’re aging—but because they’re being stored incorrectly. Leather is a natural material. It reacts to air, light, humidity, and friction, even when it’s not being worn.

When a handbag is left exposed—on a shelf, a hook, or the back of a chair—its leather can slowly dry out, fade, or dull, and metal hardware can oxidize over time. This happens faster when bags are stored uncovered or exposed to sunlight and open air.

The simplest way to preserve a handbag is to store it properly after each use. Place it back into its dust bag and keep it lightly structured. Dust bags protect against light exposure, dust particles, and moisture changes, all of which affect leather and hardware over time. Less air and less light help the bag maintain its original color, finish, and feel.

If you rotate your handbags, this matters even more. A well-made bag can last decades when stored correctly, retaining its shape, sheen, and hardware integrity. Proper storage isn’t about being precious—it’s about respecting the materials and craftsmanship so your bag remains beautiful.

4. COUNTRY OF ORIGIN

This is a difficult rule for many buyers, but it matters if you care about true luxury and long-term value. As a general guideline, a luxury handbag priced over $1,000 should be designed and produced in the brand’s original home country. Craftsmanship, training, and design standards are deeply tied to place. An American luxury brand making handbags in America, or an Italian house producing in Italy, reflects continuity between design intent and execution.

When a brand produces outside its home country, transparency becomes essential. If production is moved abroad without clear ownership of an atelier or direct oversight, the finished product often reflects different labor standards, material sourcing, and quality control—whether or not the price suggests otherwise. In these cases, a foreign-produced handbag should not be priced at the same level as one made under the brand’s original production standards unless the brand clearly states that it owns and operates the atelier in that country.

For collectors, knowing where and how a handbag is made allows you to understand who touched it, who supervised it, and how closely the designer was involved in its creation. If the designer records their progress in another country of origin based on the bespoke needs of the customer, this can also justify the price. Country-of-origin clarity protects brand integrity, ensures designer oversight, and preserves the heritage that gives a luxury piece its meaning and authenticity.

A handbag is not only an accessory; it is a record of craftsmanship. When design, production, and oversight remain connected to the brand’s origin, the result is a piece that holds its value—both materially and historically—over time.

5. A SIGNATURE STYLE

If you are going to pre-order a handbag for your collection, choose one with a clear signature. A true designer handbag is recognizable without needing a logo. It has a shape, proportion, or construction detail that quietly signals who made it.

For example, Liselle Kiss handbags are known for sculptural yet feminine silhouettes—structured, curved, and intentional. This is not decoration for decoration’s sake. Signature design comes from a designer repeating a point of view over time until it becomes unmistakable.

Collectors have always understood this. Women like Jackie Kennedy, Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Princess Diana, and didn’t buy handbags to follow trends. They invested in pieces that reflected their posture, lifestyle, and identity. Their bags complemented who they were, not what was popular.

This is also why bespoke handbags attract a specific type of buyer:
– Women marking milestones—marriage, legacy, reinvention
– Professionals who value discretion and personal symbolism
– Collectors who understand craft, not hype
– Families commissioning heirloom pieces meant to last decades

A bespoke handbag is not rushed. It is designed, refined, and handmade with intention. That process takes time—and that time is part of the value.

If you didn’t know, you can go bespoke:
A bespoke handbag rarely enters a woman’s life through impulse. It usually appears after something has shifted—her style, her pace, her sense of what belongs. Often it follows a milestone. Sometimes it arrives quietly, when fewer things feel interchangeable and personal taste begins to sharpen.

Bespoke handbags typically range from $3,000 to $25,000 because each piece is made specifically for one person. Materials are sourced intentionally, the work is done by hand, and the designer remains closely involved from beginning to end. Time and craftsmanship are built into the process, which places bespoke in a category of its own.

People approach the purchase in different ways. Some place the handbag on a credit card and collect points or travel perks. Others plan for it the same way they would anything meaningful. Either way, when a handbag truly fits, people make room for it.

Because these handbags are made slowly, with care, and they often stay close to becoming part of family history rather than donation.

Final Takeaway:

Adding a designer handbags to your collection elevates more than your wardrobe. It sharpens your visual identity, deepens the meaning behind what you wear, and often becomes one of the most enduring pieces you own.

And perhaps most importantly—it is a rewarding experience. Creating alongside a design team allows you to translate your taste, history, and vision into a piece that exists nowhere else.

Leave a comment