If you have a Twitter account, an Instagram account or make a habit of consuming Internet fashion news more than, say, once every three months, you’ve probably seen a picture of the Chanel Hula Hoop Bag. Hell, in the design’s short life, it’s appeared on this blog three separate times, not including the picture above. It’s the type of media-savvy move at which Chanel is so talented; a bold, photograph-friendly piece on the runway will get you an amount of attention and buzz on the Internet that is well-nigh priceless, in advertising terms.
As Rachel Strugatz explained in a recent article for Women’s Wear Daily, that buzz seems now to be so powerful that it’s even influencing buyers and, perhaps more importantly, brands themselves. Immediately following the show, Chanel made it clear that the bag was intended as a runway piece and would not be produced for retail sale; now it seems as thought they’ve reconsidered. Strugatz reports that because of the overwhelming response from the Internet, the bag will arrive at retail with the rest of Spring 2013 (including the smaller version of the Hula Hoop Bag).
No word on how much the bag will cost, but for such a high-profile item, it likely won’t matter. Chanel has tons of rabid fans and collectors for whom money is no object, and this is exactly the kind of recognizable, limited production, totally covetable piece that they’ll queue up to get their hands on, just so it can look impressive while displayed like a fashion hunter’s ultimate trophy in their huge closets. I can hear the waiting lists forming as we speak.
