Drastic increased price points have been swapped back and forth throughout the house of Chanel like a stack of hotcakes. The increase hit Chanel enthusiasts around the end of 2009, which affected many of the classic staple handbags such as the 2.55 & flap bags. Then in February of this year the classic Grand Shopping Tote (GST) found itself on the roster for a major price increase. And here we are in the middle of the summer, prepping for (yet again) another Chanel price hike. According to the Madison Avenue Spy, Chanel experts are spilling the beans on the 20% price hike that is slated to hit glass shelves come next month.  Classic style bags which also include the Reissue are said to have went up 20% and now similar price hikes are anticipated. From reports a sales associate theorized that that rising demand and manufacturing difficulties are the cause for the price increase overhaul.

“We don’t want Chanel to become like Louis Vuitton. They are taking more of an Hermes approach where it can take three years to get the bag you like,” she said. “We want Chanel to stay a lux item and not be Main Street.” – (Insider Source) via Madison Avenue Spy

Enough said! Ok, so my question is what is so wrong with Louis Vuitton & Chanel not wanting to be like them? For anyone that has shopped LV (recently or in the past) you have a better chance at copping a classic style handbag for a high (but yet reachable) price point versus Chanel. It’s quite obvious that Chanel want their products to be featured on the arms of the “haves” and not the “have-nots”!  We get it!  Sure, we can all gather around the water cooler and squawk into the wind about production costs and what not…but let’s be real about it!  Remind yourself that fashion is like everything else in this world – there is STILL caste system.  Either you have the money for the price raise come this August or you don’t!  I totally doubt that this price raise will stop Chanel fan goers anytime soon.