The 4ème édition of Not In Paris is finally here. With over 20 brand collaborations and exclusive content, it's our biggest one yet. Explore the series here and shop the collection here.
When LUAR returned to the fashion calendar from a three-season pandemic-induced hiatus, it's fair to say that the launch of its Ana bag caused something of a stir.
Mere days later you had Troye Sivan wearing a black version to the Met Gala, which was swiftly followed by celebrity co-signs from Dua Lipa, Charli XCX, and basketballer Aerial Powers. We almost immediately started speculating that it is "the new Telfar tote" or, in the words of Highsnob writer Alex Pauly, "If Telfar's shopper is the Bushwick Birkin, LUAR's handbag is the Crown Heights Kelly."
While for us it was clear that the Ana was a new "it bag" to indulge in, for the brand's founder and creative director it is a highly personal design. "The bag is named after all the women in my family that are called Ana: my grandmothers, my mom, and my sister," Raul Lopez tells Highsnobiety. "The mod handle is paying homage to my grandmother and the 50/60s era while the briefcase-esque shaped body was a nod to my mom and the 80/90s."
The cues that the design takes from eras gone by make its large handle and chic square shape something we feel familiar with. However, instead of the pretentiousness that comes with the monogrammed "it bags" that have dominated fashion, the Ana bag displays your subscription to the HBA co-founder's gender-fluid and inclusive community.
And its price tag is a fraction of what most luxury bags cost, starting at $235. Being affordable was something that the designer set out to do from the start, and it's democratizing who gets to wear the bag of the moment.
"I wanted to make a luxury bag that was well constructed with amazing materials that everyone could afford. A bag you can wear from night to day that you can dress up and dress down," says Lopez. "I wish I had a bag when I was growing up that I could afford and was chic like this."
LUAR is part of a new generation that is redefining what a luxury purse can be. Only a few weeks ago KidSuper, the streetwear label turned hottest ticket at NYFW, released its "kissing purse" only for it to sell out immediately and London-based label Jehu-Cal has been causing a similar stir with its "mirrors bag".
As part of our fourth Not In Paris multimedia flagship, we are joining in the action with the release of our own Ana bag in collaboration with LUAR.
Taking its small Ana bag model, we've created a new limited-edition version of its crocodile print. The exclusive bag reproduces the motif with a black base and green accents because, as Lopez says, "who doesn’t love money green?"
The Highsnobiety x Luar Ana Bag is available now on the Highsnobiety Shop and at our Paris pop-up shop, open till June 26 (located at 35 Rue des Francs-Bourgeois, 75004).
