It seems like everyone wants a little piece of the exotic bag market these days. Not only has Louis Vuitton recently introduced a full line of crocodile and alligator bags in the past few days, but a Twitter tipster pointed us in the direction of the Tory Burch Robinson Alligator Tote, which we believe to be the most expensive bag Burch has ever produced by a long shot. By about 14,000 long shots, in fact – the next most expensive Burch bag that we know of was right under $1,000.
The bag, which is rendered in cobalt blue alligator and lined in matching leather, retails for $15,000 on the brand’s website, where only one is left for purchase. (It’s unclear how many were originally available, although it’s likely that this bag was made in a very, very small run.) Alligators are smaller than their croc cousins, which makes their hides harder to come by for the manufacture of large bags like this one. It can also drive prices up beyond those of crocodile for similar bags from the same brand, although Burch has never made any croc bags to compare this one to.
That this is a bold move for Tory Burch goes without saying (but here I am to say it anyway). The brand has always been a reliable purveyor of relatively affordable leather bags and accessories, with most prices capping out around $600 for an everyday option. Indeed, this piece is based on a very popular Burch staple that retails for the comparatively puny price of $575; for the price of the alligator version, you could buy 26 leather Robinson totes.
Alligator bags made by brands like The Row and Louis Vuitton (to say nothing of Hermes) retail for far more than this one does, but even if you assume that Burch chose very high-quality alligator for this bag, it’ll still be a hard sell at the price, particularly since it’s identical in every detail except material to a bag that everyone knows costs so much less. I would have rather seen the Burch team flex its creative muscles and come up with something truly unique to do with the alligator.
If you’re that special someone, you can pick up this bag for $15,000 via Tory Burch.
