For many people, spending tens of thousands of dollars on a handbag seems ridiculous, even if it has been crafted by masters and labeled “Hermes.” The high-fashion French bags might be beautiful, but the same amount of money could buy a new car or even a decent house in Jakarta.
For others, however, a luxury Hermes handbag is an irresistible temptation, and they would make nearly any sacrifice to get one.
Fitria Yusuf and Alexandra Dewi understand the powerful allure of a Hermes bag. The two entrepreneurs, fashionistas and socialites have been reselling them in Indonesia for almost two years, and in their new book, “Hermes Temptation,” they discuss how luxury handbags have evolved into a social phenomenon here and how the business has affected their own outlook on life.
“For most high-society ladies in Indonesia, Hermes bags are not only luxury items, but also status symbols that can help to cement their position in society,” Dewi said.
The book, which was released this week in Jakarta, details how the two started a BlackBerry Messenger chat group, also named “Hermes Temptation,” in December 2009, using it as a forum to sell new and secondhand Hermes bags.
The chat group soon expanded to seven groups and today it has 210 members, all avid Hermes fans who often spend hours every day talking about and hunting for the luxury bags.
“Our BlackBerrys used to freeze on an hourly basis because of these groups,” Dewi said with a laugh.
Dewi has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the American College for the Applied Arts in Los Angeles. Together with her husband, she manages Sun Hope Indonesia, a Jakarta-based company that sells vitamins and food supplements, but in her spare time she loves to write. Her first book, “I Beg Your Prada,” was published by Gramedia in 2006.
“In my first book, I actually mocked the habits of high-society ladies in Jakarta who put the safety of their [Hermes] bags above their own,” she said.
In “Hermes Temptation,” Dewi also discusses this phenomenon, which she has observed often in Jakarta. When it rains, she says, people might prefer to shield their bags under their umbrella instead of keeping themselves dry. In a restaurant, they might request an extra seat for their bag.
“It’s something that I’ve never seen in Paris,” Dewi said. “They just put their bags on the floor in the cafes and restaurants in Paris. They never demand special treatment for their luxury bags.”
Dewi never understood this kind of behavior, but her disdain for the expensive handbags changed when her sister, who lives overseas, handed her a used Hermes Birkin bag.
“It’s got a luxurious feel that speaks to its fine craftsmanship,” she said. “It’s also got a classic look that will never go out of style.”
Later, Dewi learned that these premium handbags can also be good financial investments; if kept in excellent condition, a used bag can be resold at its original price.
With this in mind, she asked her friend Fitria to travel with her to Paris so they could purchase bags for resale in Indonesia.
“Briefly, I was taken aback,” Fitria said. “I didn’t feel like dealing with the guilt that would come from luxury travel and a luxury shopping spree in Paris. But, like a creeping poison, the idea sank deep into our heads.”
Fitria also has a bachelor’s degree in business administration, from GS Fame Institute of Business in Jakarta. She had worked as an editor for a number of fashion magazines in Jakarta before starting her own online boutiques, boutiqueivy.com and shoptwinkletwinkle.com, back in October 2006.
“But we’ve had so many new fun and crazy experiences from running this [Hermes Temptation] business,” she said.
These experiences make for an interesting read in their book, as well as good reference material for readers who want to buy their own bags. The book, which is written in conversational English, describes which Hermes bags are available in the market, with information about their models, colors and types of leather.
It also discusses the ins and outs of ordering directly from a boutique in Paris or buying from resellers here in Indonesia.
“There are over 100 premium bag resellers in Jakarta now,” Fitria said. “Not all of them are doing an honest business. You really have to be careful before spending a lot of money on a bag.”
But above all, the book is about Fitria and Dewi, about their day-to-day operations and how their bag business has changed their outlook on life.
“Never judge a person by her bags,” Dewi said. “You can never tell who someone is on the inside by what you see on the outside.”
“I once saw a birthday party in Jakarta with a dress code that required guests to carry a Hermes bag,” Fitria said. “This is so sad. We should never screen our friends by their possessions.”