With Kim Kardashian on the current cover of Forbes, it’s probably well past time for the family’s legion of haters to admit that the family really, really knows what it’s doing when it comes to the business of being famous. Their brands are strong, their portfolios are diversified and the clan has undeniable influence over an army of shoppers, some of whom would never even admit (or maybe even realize) that the sisters are the propelling force behind when so many trends go mainstream. They can certainly inspire people to buy luxury bags from other brands, but what about their own? We’re about to find out.
As we reported it would a couple months ago (to many readers’ immediate skepticism), the KENDALL + KYLIE brand has now expanded into accessories, with a small range of handbags that sell for prices between $195 and $450. Many of the bags are currently for pre-order via heavyweight designer retailers Neiman Marcus and Saks, so now we can evaluate the results a little more closely. As you might expect, there are many things that could be improved for next season, but also a couple bright spots that make me hope the brand could turn into a reliable source of trendy, moderately priced bags.
All contemporary brands need to be very careful when choosing slouchy, pebbled leathers for their bags. If the material looks thin or not so soft, it immediately reads as fake, which makes the whole bag look far less expensive than it is. That’s a bad value proposition for mid-market customers, whose options have become increasingly sophisticated in recent years. The KENDALL + KYLIE bags suffer from that a bit, but the smooth leather options are better, even if most of the bags need their details cleaned up in order to fully match their price points.
Some bag lovers will likely be glad that the line contains no direct ripoffs of popular designs, which is often a tactic of both celebrity lines and new contemporary brands. That shows a commitment to forming a distinct brand identity that I frankly did not expect, and it makes me think that things will improve overall after customer feedback on this first group of bags.
Check out some of the best pieces from the line below or shop a wider selection via Neiman Marcus or Saks.
KENDALL + KYLIE Azuba Clutch
$250 via Neiman Marcus
KENDALL + KYLIE Bambi Fur Charm
$95 via Saks
KENDALL + KYLIE Baxter Crossbody Bag
$195 via Saks
KENDALL + KYLIE Bobino Crossbody Bag
$295 via Saks
KENDALL + KYLIE Holly Satchel
$350 via Saks
KENDALL + KYLIE Katherine Satchel
$450 via Neiman Marcus
KENDALL + KYLIE Koenji Backpack
$295 via Saks
KENDALL + KYLIE Minato Bag
$295 via Neiman Marcus
KENDALL + KYLIE Norman Fur Charm
$95 via Saks
KENDALL + KYLIE Sloane Mini Backpack
$250 via Neiman Marcus
KENDALL + KYLIE Violet Crossbody Bag
$225 via Saks
KENDALL + KYLIE Brook Mini Tote
$295 via Saks
They’ve mastered marketing their names and status very well but, unfortunately, their ventures in the fashion and accessories sector depreciates instantly. Their items are sad imitations of designer brands that are worth much more the investment.
These are seriously overpriced when considering the target demographic is a bunch of teenagers.
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Awful! No way!
No
The designs are not original, they are just copies of other designer/brand’s designs and styles. There are bags with better quality and styles at that price point.
Really? That backpack in slide seven looks like a Rebecca Minkoff Julian.
Looks like a mix of Krakoff, Minkoff, Wang. Trying to be edgy but failing to do so. and these are really on wait list?
Lol must be a lie. What list!!
It looks like there are quality issues. They would be a great if they were at Target but not Neiman Marcus.
How could they sell these if they don’t even carry those themselves?
Exactly. Makes no sense
Exactly. I don’t trust “designers” who don’t carry or wear their own designs.
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My thoughts exactly!
the bunnies are cute but not $95 cute. cant see paying that for those bags.
Never. Not ever. Not even when they’re dumped onto the clearance table.
I don’t like any of them including the scary looking fur charms. I don’t mind the K’s at all, wish I were making the money and do admire the style of a few of the girls. But my AMEX can breathe a sigh of release because I won’t be buying.
I will fill ashame to carry such bags, not even for free.
Look at the craptastic hardware. CHEAP quality for sure.
This reminds me a bit of Rebecca Minkoff. I have a feeling they’re trying to establish the brand as “accessible luxury” and their bags will end up at Last Call, Saks Off Fifth and TJ MAXX. People will start paying $75-$100 for the bags feeling as though they received a discount because they were originally in the lower-mid $100 range. Sort of like DKNY, MK and Calvin Klein bags (which I know is an unfair comparison to those designers, but I’m just thinking of the market). The Kardashians are not my fave, but it is undeniable that they have built a formidable empire.
Not impressed but when does a kardashian/Jenner ever? Lol
No
lol! not even $20
i hope no one buys these ugly bags
i despise the karTRASHians
Never!
In my opinion I don’t see anything special about these bags. They look like bags you would find at Target for $29.99 …
The bag Charms are cute, but everyone makes the Pom Pom charms these days since it’s a current “trend” I will pass & save that money for timeless handbags.
I never buy celeb products from fragrance (like Liz Taylor’s White Diamonds) to fashion (Victoria Beckham). Product could be Hermes quality, I wouldn’t buy it. So no, I wouldn’t buy these.
The fur charms remind me of the Gimp from Pulp Fiction
Not even when pigs fly.
I rarely look at the brand when buying bags, but these shapes… they really look like Zaras and Mangos, or Targets, nothing to really justify the prices I’m seeing here. And fit hey appear hinky in promo photos… I’m not going to spend time hunting them down in shops or high streets either.
….oh hell no!!
I might get Slide 10. That’s the only thing .
This doesn’t even represent their aesthetic. The Kardashian wear what costs most. Their bags should be Chanel and Hermes knock offs, lol!!!
Why they plan on wasting shelf space?? Unoriginal, random incohesive design that they just picked up from some random supplier. They weren’t even from the same designers..
Uh…no. The quality doesn’t look great and the brand name is Kendall + Kylie? It just sounds juvenile.
i dont trust designers who dont embrace their own brand.
Ugly, overpriced bags that fund the Kardashians, yay! That’s like the transcript of my nightmares. No, I wouldn’t pay a dime for them. Much less hundreds of dollars.
No and I’ll tell you why: the Kardashian klan has hit a whole new low this week, and it’s only Monday! Khloe bullying a 19 year old! Awful Kim doing the same in continuing the feud between Taylor and Kanye, which by the way began when Taylor was also 19. Hope that some companies start to distance themselves from this gross group of trash. I will never purchase a product associated with any of these losers!
Aside from their lack of imagination or style, the quality of the leather looks iffy.
These look like bags from Target….