(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)

No matter how long ago you were at school (millennia for me, according to my kids, who regularly ask if TV was invented when I was a child), that back-to-school feeling never quite fades. The annual purchase of shiny new stationery (I am still unclear on the purpose of a compass); blank notebooks open to the promise of enlightenment (an optimism that, in my experience, fades sometime around the third week of September); and a bag in which our whole lives (pre-screens, it really was our whole lives) is contained.

Despite my kids' mockery, my last experience of full-time education was literally in the last millennium - I graduated from university in 1999. Yet, every year, as August fades, I start to contemplate a new bag (hold the geometry set). These days it's more likely to be a gym holdall than the latest 'it' handbag from the autumn/winter designer collections that land in stores each September, but, either way, it's back-to-school season, rather than the new calendar year, that really heralds fresh beginnings.

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This month, the most fulfilling way to look to the future is, ironically, looking backwards. In response to the glut of landfill-destined Temu trawls, soulless Shein-style and TikTok-identikit trends, a logo-free, Labubu-free accessory style is being ushered in. Simple, functional, authentic, and immune to reverse Google image searches throwing up a swathe of cheap pleather copycats. This is luxury that whispers. The quietest of all comes second-hand. Bags that echo with the stories of those who carried them before; multilayered, complex, and connected to humanity. The shift coincides with a rejection of ever-increasing designer bag prices, driven up over the last decade by so-called 'greedflation' as big brands buoyed up sales by price increases, rather than customer acquisition. Now, as luxury consumers rail against price hikes, and younger generations reject the allure of legacy branding flat-out, luxury conglomerates are reporting lacklustre performance, and once-climbing sales charts are on the decline.

The last big brand bag I bought was a vintage 1989 Chanel backpack from Ounass's pre-loved section, curated by Jeddah-based The Nostalgia Club. Not only was it less than a fifth of the price of the equivalent style brand new, but I love its soft, worn leather and lightly scuffed edges. Founded in 2022 by Saudi national Hatoon Abdullatif, The Nostalgia Club sells pre-loved bags and accessories by the likes of Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Gucci. Abdullatif's passion for collecting luxury items began when, aged 14, she was gifted a Coach bag after receiving an A at school. Since then, Abdullatif has turned her hobby into a thriving business, riding the Gulf's growing wave of appreciation for vintage.

In a pleasingly full-circle moment, the most in-demand bag of the coming season isn't a style that commands 12-page advertising spreads in the September issues of the big glossies. Like Abdullatif's first foray into fashion, it's a decades-old Coach bag. Specifically, a 1987 archival Coach 'Metropolitan' briefcase. Ever since paparazzi shots emerged from the New York set of the sequel to 2006 cult fashion film The Devil Wears Prada of Anne Hathaway's character, Andy Sachs, looking less Meryl Streep's minion and more low-key boss, aforementioned vintage Coach satchel slung over her shoulder, resale sites have buzzed with searches for the same style. Last month, Coach even issued a re-loved version in the States, selling out in minutes. It reminds me of my mum's old leather satchel that I used to carry piano sheet music in when I was growing up. A satchel whose lifespan significantly surpassed that of my piano-playing era, which barely scraped through Grade One. Just the smell of that bag recalls my tortured scales practice, illustrating how vintage pieces carry a narrative with them over the decades.

While tracking down a vintage Coach messenger similar to Hathaway's is now the Holy Grail of second-hand shopping, Coach's UAE stores have a similar, albeit brand new, model in stock. The 'Carlyle' pictured here is a worthy contender for a back-to-school bag, and who knows, in 30 years' time it could be rediscovered by the next generation.“There's definitely a renewed appreciation for old-school Coach, particularly its classic silhouettes from the '80s and '90s; they give off a Y2K vibe,” says Abdullatif. As a brand more accessibly priced than many of its leathergoods peers, Coach's renaissance has been bubbling under ever since model Bella Hadid was pictured wearing its 'Brooklyn' bag last summer. And now, with a Devil Wears Prada endorsement (Emily Blunt's character has also been seen wearing a custom Coach sweater during filming), its less luxey take on luxury feels right for the present moment.

With OG Coach Metropolitans proving elusive, Abdullatif recommends as an alternative: Louis Vuitton Epi leather briefcases, 1990s Prada nylon backpacks, or anything from Chanel's Sport Ligne. A* for pre-loved.“It's a new season, it's all about fresh starts. That doesn't have to mean buying something new,” Abdullatif says.“A vintage bag is a perfect companion for back-to-school, because it brings character, craftsmanship, and individuality that modern, fast-paced fashion rarely offers. Many vintage pieces were built to last, crafted in an era when durability and detail mattered more than seasonal trends. Perhaps most importantly, it allows you to stand out. In a sea of identical new styles, carrying a vintage bag is a way of expressing your personality and setting yourself apart. Buying vintage is a way to reclaim individuality. It helps people step outside the algorithm-driven sameness of social media,” she says. Every stitch and scuff is touched by history. The rest, like a blank notebook at the start of term, is still unwritten.

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