Carol Bouwer. Picture: Instagram
Actress-turned-producer-and-entrepreneur Carol Bouwer has launched yet another venture that will see her add the title “handbag designer” to her already impressive resume.
Screenshots from her online store have been doing the rounds on social media and users cannot wrap their minds around the price point for the various bags in the range.
Carol Bouwer bags currently feature six signature styles with the most “affordable” bag starting at a whopping R15,000.
According to the website, the Kedi bag is the smallest of all Carol Bouwer Bags and was named after her late cousin Kedi, “who was the epitome of elegance”.
“Poised, beautiful and conscientious – the bag is an extension of everything Kedi was about.”
The bag is available in ostrich shin (R17,500), ostrich quill (R15,000), python (R19,000), lizard (R25,000) and crocodile (R33,000).
Other styles in the range include the Sedi bag, the Dr Esther Mahlangu bag (whose price tag remains a secret), the Muholi bag – named after world-renowned visual artist Zanele Muholi, the Amanda bag, after businesswoman and author Amanda Dambuza, and the Lindiwe bag, named after Bouwer herself.
These bags range in price from R29,000 to R150,000 depending on the kind of finish the customer would like.
The Lindiwe bag is the signature bag of the collection and holds the title as Bouwer’s favourite.
According to the description on the site, Bouwer carried this bag through international airports around the world, while building her brand.
“This is the bag she carried into government and bank boardrooms, seeking funding for the bags, the ones she carried into hallowed halls convincing her family to back her desire to self-fund the bags and ultimately ended up at South Africa’s premiere One&Only Hotel, which has now become the home of Carol Bouwer Bags. The Lindiwe bag is a symbol of perseverance and is a constant reminder that we are becoming.”
Carol Bouwer Bags. Picture: Screenshot
According to the website, where you purchase your bag is also a part of how you communicate who you are.
“That is why Carol Bouwer based her first boutique at one of the most premium addresses in South Africa, the One&Only Hotel. The One&Only whispers luxury and refinement, which is the very DNA of every Carol Bouwer bag.”
In addition to having the store based in Cape Town, Carol Bouwer bags are made in Cape Town using locally, responsibly sourced materials.
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“Our local team have trained over many years and this artisanal mastery will continue to grow as the brand grows. Job creation is at the core of what we do and we insist on keeping all our production local. We believe that it is important to instil pride in South African brands and that premium brands don’t necessarily always have to come from foreign lands. This is a prime example of beneficiation in action.”
The price point for the bags has already solicited some online satire. However, there are those who admire Bouwer’s penchant for the finer things in life.
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