I've never considered myself to be a "purse person," but this bag is (and has always been) the exception. I first saw it when I was 12, in the Phaidon "Gothic and Lolita" coffee table book, and it has bewitched me ever since.
Image from the sold out listing on Women's History Museum
Again, I am not a purse person, so I've never been to clear on how to research the origins of a bag. Every source I've found has this bag tagged as being from the 90's, but I wish I could find details on a specific year or collection! From what I've seen, it came in a few different styles including a handbag, a tote, and a crossbody, and I've seen a red, a green, and a black colorway pop up. Most street snaps, including the one that made me fall in love with this bag (pictured below) include what is either the green or the black/white color way, but after seeing the red, I think that's the one that has captured my heart completely.
From Phaidon's Gothic and Lolita, the snap that started it all for me.
From J-Rock Groupies, there she is again! This one is definitely green.
From a Mercari listing I'm eyeing. Something about the red background is just perfect, and I love the shape and the buckles.
Of course, as a child, I was unable to drop $200 on a luxury purse. However, as an adult who makes some ill-advised financial choices in the name of collecting, I've started seriously considering biting the bullet and buying it when I see it come up used. The problem that has arisen, though, is that it has been snatched from my cart every single time I have the money for it and muster the courage to press "checkout!"
This has happened twice on ClosetChild and once on Wunderwelt; before I can even hit the checkout button, I get an error message and the bag is gone, spirited away into the night. Do the powers that be just REALLY want to prevent me from spending a silly amount of money on a purse? Currently, I'm thinking I might just buy one of the Mercari listings I've been looking at. I typically try not to make a shopping service order unless I'm buying multiple items, but this bag makes me willing to eat the shipping cost. This year seems like the time to buy, because I'm looking for a more practical handbag to take on a few trips; my usual bag is my Moitie trunk, but it's massive, unwieldy, and hard to carry around when doing activities. I also own a BtSSB mini heart purse and a Captain Chris pochette, which are both equally impractical (what is with me and silly novelty purses?).
A purse of this caliber is definitely an "investment," but I don't want to just buy a "placeholder" bag that I can use in the meantime/I would rather spend money on the bag I REALLY, really want. Which is all to say: if you see me walking around with this Gaultier bag in the future, please know that it was a long time coming.
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