Photography by: Anna Reagan Photography, Pictures of Gucci and Prada retrieved from Neimans.com and Prada.com
What’s in a name? Is it prestige? Power? Wealth? Are you a label lover and can’t seem to get over the continuous monogram or the etched gold plates? Luxury goods and accessories have indeed captured the heart of many but are only acquirable to those who can afford them. They definitely separate us into buying classes and can sometimes create a negative connotation around those who don’t have the means to shop luxury. As a consumer, what drives you to purchase from luxury brands? Are you driven by their values or their elite status? Does it render a sense of accomplishment because you’ve acquired such an item that is supposed to be designated for a certain class of individuals? Or is that you really just crave a high-quality product because of it’s aesthetic, elite craftsmanship and luxe materials? For most of us, when we buy luxury or pay more for a particular product, we do so because as the saying goes, you get what you pay for, right?
What if I told you that you could acquire an Italian leather bag with that same elite craftsmanship, luxe materials, and beautiful aesthetic, but void of the monogramming or obvious logos? What if I told you that you didn’t have to save for a beautiful bag and you could cancel that hefty price tag? What if I told you that this bag was made in the same factory as Gucci’s leather goods, resembled and rivaled the Prada camera bag and the Gucci Disco Bag, but wasn’t a knock off? How much would you expect to pay for it? Thousands of dollars? A couple of hundreds of dollars? Would you believe me if I told you that you could get this bag for less than $80? Unbelievable? Actually, quite achievable! Last Brand is completely changing the narrative of shopping luxury goods and breaking the association of status and discrimination of buying classes by producing a product that’s attainable for anyone at any budget. How do you ask? Let’s get into it…
About Last Brand
Last Brand is a brand that believes in providing “Luxury Essentials for a Radical Value.” What this means, in a nutshell, is, giving you the highest quality goods, but omitting all of the extra steps which accrue higher costs. This results in you getting the same quality as your favorite designer brands but at a hell of a value! How in the heck do they get their costs so low?? Well, they believe in only providing essential goods because it keeps production costs low, skipping the middle man and shipping directly from the factories that they’re made in. By keeping their product free of obvious logos or monogramming, they not only cut dramatic costs but are concerned about YOU! It’s important to them that YOU shine. So, instead of the brand getting all of the attention, YOU become the brand and become the center of attention. Their growing collection offers a beautiful and essential array of leather and vegan leather goods, as well as a line of cashmere sweaters and fine jewelry.
How it Works
From the time that your product is made in the factory, it travels down an avenue called a supply chain, until it finally is made available for purchase via online or brick and mortar. Throughout each step of the supply chain, additional costs accrue, which adds to the final retail cost of the product that you’re purchasing. If you look at the above depiction, you can see the traditional supply chain steps and below it, Last Brands supply chain which cuts out 5 steps. This means that all of the additional costs are not added and they make it directly available to you straight from the factory. Smart and sustainable!
I received the Italian Calfskin Crossbody Bag in red pebbled leather and the Italian Leather Card Case. These items were gifted to me by the brand, but of course, you guys know that I don’t support or mention brands to you that I don’t personally shop with, love or have tested out and are HGG approved. I inspected the bag and the card case’s craftsmanship and was in awe of the perfect stitching and how well that the pieces were made overall. The beautiful pebbled texture added just the right amount of interest to this basic essential, while the satisfying leather smell filled my nose. I inhaled and let out a deep breath of luxe quality. I immediately emptied the contents of the bag that I was currently using and filled my new bag and card case with my personal essentials: Keys, large wallet, pen, compact mirror, soft eyeglass case, lipgloss and lipstick, i-phone 6s and afro pick, with a total of 2 bank cards, drivers license, 5 rewards cards to my most shopped retailers for easy retrieval and a couple of dollars in cash tucked into the middle compartment of my card case. Check out the video below to see it in action! I took my new pieces on a test drive and guys, I’M IN LOVE! Total price for these two pieces $100!!!! (Bag: $75, Card Case: $25) Check out their Transparent Pricing below!
I’ve never been a crossbody girl, but this bag is so easy and functional! It’s the perfect hands-free, on the go, shopping for yourself, client shopping, grocery shopping or any kind of shopping for anyone that desires luxe quality hanging on their side. As you should know, I’m a huge lover of clutch bags. So, not only do I get the option of wearing it as a crossbody, if I’m going out and desire a cute little bag to carry, I can easily take the strap off and carry it in the groove of my arm. It can also double as a cute makeup bag for traveling… multi-use perfection and incredibly fitting for every day use! As you know, leather ages beautifully, so the longer that you have this bag, the better it will look. A lifelong staple that travels well, is functional, stylish and affordable is a MUST in your wardrobe!
The Comparison
As mentioned above, their accessories are made in the same factory as Gucci’s leather goods. After receiving my items, I immediately thought about the Gucci Disco bag and the infamous camera bags that Prada makes. I figured I would show you some comparisons in overall body, structure, craftsmanship, materials, and pricing, so here we go!
The Italian Leather Crossbody Bag
Last Brand vs. Prada: Structure & Overall Body
Last Brand vs. Gucci: Structure & Overall Body
The Italian Leather Crossbody bag
Last Brand vs. Prada: Materials & Craftsmanship
Last Brand vs. Gucci: Materials & Craftsmanship
The Italian Leather Crossbody Bag
Last Brand’s Transparent Pricing vs Prada’s Pricing
Last Brand’s Transparent Pricing vs. Gucci’s Pricing
Do I even need to say anything, lol?! The pictures clearly depict the similarities in not only size and appearance but it also proves that Last Brand, Gucci & Prada are made in Italy. I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty convinced! Let’s get into some comparisons of Last Brand’s card case compared to Prada’s.
The Italian Leather Card Case
Last Brand vs. Prada: Overall Body & Structure
Last Brand vs. Prada: Materials & Craftsmanship
Last Brand’s Transparent Pricing vs Prada’s Pricing
The question now is, where are you casting your vote and your coins? Acclaimed status or high-quality products with YOU in mind? Questions, comments, concerns…have you purchased these pieces yet, lol? Leave me all of your feedback in the comment section below. I would definitely consider subscribing to their newsletter to stay updated with their upcoming selection. In the coming months, they’ll be adding a slew of new luxe goods to get your hands on for radical prices. So, if you don’t want to miss out on product updates and news, get on the list! As promised, here’s your coupon code to shop these pieces and any other Last Brand product. Use code “GARB” for 10% off of your purchase! Click the links below to shop and save! Until next time, Grab your Garb!
Her Guiltless Garb
Handbag & Card Case: Last Brand / Outfit featured coming soon!
