I’ve been working in the handbag world for long enough to witness the rise and fall of brands. The fall doesn’t necessarily mean the brand has to close shop – the fall can simply mean that a brand that was once far more popular became less popular. Today I want to focus on Botkier, a brand I adore that’s been very near and dear to my heart.
When we started PurseBlog well over 10 years ago, one of the first new brands that I discovered was Botkier. Founded in 2003 by Monica Botkier, the brand quickly made its way into the arms of handbag lovers around the world. Her first bag that customers swooned over was the Trigger Bag, and after that came many other cult favorites. Celebrities carried Monica’s designs, popular TV shows placed the bags on characters, and we at the PurseBlog team loved the bags ourselves. Monica was one of the first designers Vlad and I met and she was also one of the kindest. We went to her studio to see her bags, we interviewed her, and we stayed in touch. The relationship grew over the years, with us featuring many Botkier bags not only because we loved the bags we were seeing but also because our readers loved them too.
In a very exciting project that came well before influencer collaborations were all the rage, we teamed up with Botkier to create an exclusive bag in 2010. The really cool factor about this was we had you our readers vote on each aspect of the design. The bag’s success lead to Saks carrying it and even styling on a mannequin in the window of the Saks NYC flagship.
[sc_ic_ad1]The brand was so popular that it had its own sub-forum on PurseForum. If a brand is talked about often enough and tPFers start ample threads to foster discussion, we add a dedicated sub-forum. Botkier had a steady home nestled on tPF among other big names and in the early days, it was mighty busy. Collectors and fans of the brand would show their new purchases and ask for help picking their next bag. Over time, the discussion dwindled, and it slowed so much that we folded the sub-forum down into our general bag area. Our website and forum remain the top places to visit as a handbag lover, so we can tell the trends in the bag world based on our readers and members. So when a subforum has to be folded into a broader area, it means that brand has lost its popularity.
What made Botkier bags do so well? First off, the style of course. The bags had a very edgy yet casual design that lead to easy carrying for everyone. On top of that, the quality was impeccable. The leather was gloriously lush, the bags held up well, and not only was the quality great but also the prices were always really reasonable. The overall vibe matched my laid back style and so many others as well.
Botkier continued to gain traction and stayed in the limelight by tapping influencer Aimee Song for its S/S 2013 campaign, creating a collaboration with Coco Rocha and hiring Bella Hadid to star in a campaign as well. Botkier expanded into shoes and other accessories which seemed to do well.
The accessories brand was acquired by New York based Showroom35 in 2013 and in July of 2018, Monica Botkier left her namesake brand after a 15 year stint. In a three part post on Instagram, Monica shared that she would be stepping away from Botkier to pursue new endeavors. The CEO of Showroom35 said “the business has experienced tremendous growth since our partnership with Monica five years ago”. While I do not have access to the financials of the brand, I do have access to the largest handbag loving base in the world and from that standpoint the discussions really slowed down.
[sc_ic_ad2]So what happened? That laid back slouchy bag that we used to all love became less popular as buyers sought out a more sleek and structured design. New contemporary bag brands emerged that took over in popularity from the original group of early 2000s brands and seemed to replace them overnight (think Kooba, Linea Pelle, Treesje, Linea Pelle and many more). For example, Mansur Gavriel was able to recreate the waitlist phenomenon that had not been seen in ages, followed by other emerging European brands that had the right style for the growing influencer driven market. Think clean European designs that photograph well for bustling Instagram feeds.
Personal preference of bag styles varies by every single person. Some start off purchasing more affordable contemporary bags, but we yearn to move on to more storied fashion houses and their bags. Others of us want the next new brand so we follow the vast amount of influencers to see what they are carrying and follow suit. These factors certainly lead to Botkier becoming less popular over time.
Can a contemporary brand that made a name for itself before the social media craze continue to be as popular in today’s Instagram-crazed society? Sure, but it didn’t happened for Botkier. However, the brand still has beautiful bags sold at major retailers including ShopBop, Nordstrom, Bloomingdales and Saks.
Though the height of discussion for Botkier is not at the level it once was, the designs remain really solid. Under the new leadership there are hints of classic Botkier (they still sell the Trigger bag and other staples) and the design of the shoes are strong as well. Coming back to revisit these designs and my old Botkier bags left me with a sense of nostalgia. In the early 2000s the handbag world was booming with “it bags” and the group of new contemporary designers were taking off. We launched when Botkier was brand new and witnessed the growth first hand. Botkier will forever hold a special place in my heart and I’d love to see more bags from them that I’d love to cover. The brand is still alive and well, and though it may not be where it once was, it is worth revisiting.
Thank you Meg and Vlad for the thoughtful point of view and the years of support! I loved working with you both. We started at the same time essentially and grew up in this crazy business at an amazing time. I feel so blessed, that was an incredible 15 year adventure. As we enter a new decade sending peace and love to you and all the Botkier fans past and present. xx Monica
So glad to see this post, Megs! I bought a Botkier bag (the Valentina, black leather with gunmetal hardware) in the fall of 2013, right after I joined tPF, when I first became interested in handbags. I knew nothing about brands at the time, but this one caught my eye as it sat high on a shelf in a local boutique. It has a sassy fuchsia lining that makes me smile every time I open it. It’s the perfect size to work as a weekend/casual/lunch/movie bag. Many handbags have come & gone in my collection since that purchase, most of which cost considerably more, but my little Botkier remains a favorite.
I bought a Botkier for Christmas. Got it from Dillard’s. I love it. My first and only one from the brand as I’m not a fan of big, slouchy bags. This one has a bit of structure. The Lennox is on my list. It’s very cute in person.
I think these bags have always looked cheap for the most part. The problem was that they existed at a price point that was too much to spend on something that was pretty average.
Yeah, they were a step up from Coach & crowd…..almost luxury but not…too expensive to compete with coach et.al.
I had a white Botkier years ago that I ended up selling. But I remember using it fondly!
I bought a pre-loved Botkier Bombay satchel back in the day.
It weighs a TON but I still have it and won’t ever let it go, I still use it occasionally in the fall. I never did like any of their other styles, just this Bombay. Funny how once hot brands can fade away.
Makes me wonder about Balenciaga, these days. It’s all about that luxury sport/athletic look, & big logo’s. Are people really into that?
I was at Bloomingdale’s the other, two young boys where buying Balenciaga’s sneakers, they were the most bulky ugly shoes I have ever seen. Price point 800-1000??? I just can’t believe it.
logos*
Athleisure is a huge trend at the moment and I feel Balenciaga classics (or the metallic edge styles) are fairly understated. I could see them performing decently.
Their quality went WAY downhill. I have 5 Bianca’s, and 5 others from the early years. They used to use high quality sumptuous leathers and quality craftsmanship along with a wonderful suede lining. Then they switched to cheaper leather and replaced the lining with gawd awful hot pink nylon. They kept going downhill and lost their way. In my opinion perhaps with the recession at the time they wanted to focus on a younger demographic less willing to spend over $600 for a bag. The bags they have now are low quality, too trendy and nothing I’d ever go near again. Sad because at one time they were my favorite. The early Bianca’s have some of the most incredible leather you’ve ever felt. And I own a LOT of high end much more pricey designer pieces. Shame
Biancas*
Most recent study shows that more than 75% people are engrossed into web browsing jobs. Web world is now bigger and more beneficial and delivering an ample amount of work at home opportunities. Home-based on line tasks are becoming poplar and developing people’s lives. Exactly why it really is popular? Simply because it lets you do the job from anywhere and any time. You are able to get much more time to devote with all your friends and can plan out journeys for getaways. Persons are earning nice revenue of $46000 each and every week by utilizing the effective and intelligent approaches. Performing right work in a right path will always lead us in the direction of success. You can begin to get paid from the first day when you visit our site. >>>>> HURRY
I am not super familiar with the so-called contemporary market and I must admit that I had never heard of this brand before!
Great post! I was borderline obsessed with this brand back in the day and had five of them at one point. I still have an Eden hobo from 2011 that has just the thickest, lushest leather, and a Brinks shoulder bag ( think from around the same time), I had a bad feeling when she brought in an investor and sadly, there did appear to be a really significant decline in quality despite what I’m sure were her best intentions. Investors want their returns, and I think I recall reading that they were also moving to a lower price point to remain competitive. I didn’t realize she had recently left the brand altogether. I have seen some of the newer bags in the past year and it seems like quality may be improving. I’m just sad that it’s no longer Monica’s brand!
I was totally obsessed with Botkier back in the day. I’ve had a few here and there but sold them along the way. The Trigger bag is so cool though, even to this day. I think that’s the one bag that can be immediately identified. A lot of her other bags were sort of generic looking but if you’re going to buy one Botkier bag to keep, the Trigger is the one.
Loved this article!! The first botkier that caught my eye was the horn bag. I still wish I had one, but I grabbed a burberry back then that has the horns too so it was a close substitute. I still have the bianca in snake print and it is still a fave. I’ve noticed the botkiers I see now are cheap looking 🙁
The quality is not what it used to be. I bought a Trigger from Bloomies last year and had to return it the next day because one of the studs fell off. The studs felt like plastic and the leather was really cheap. I would never buy from that brand again.
I still have my brown leather with GHW Medium Trigger bag – bought at Barney’s over 10 years ago – and is holding up perfectly. The craftsmanship is flawless! Botkier will always have deep sentimental value. However their current bags don’t have the same aesthetic or functional appeal to me. How sad that Monica had to step away from the company she built.
I just went on their website, & wow! Being a shoe girl, I just LOVE their shoes & boots! They’re on sale at Nordstrom, too.? They have some really nice looking bags, but I’d have to see & feel one, to see if their quality is still there. I guess they just dropped off my radar, too. I’m glad for PB’s reminder, – thank you!
My first bag was a Botiker – cherry red leather with gold hardware. It was the style that was a hobo and had tassels and studs. I remember being so proud and confident when I wore that bag! Loved it.