NEARLY 12 YEARS INTO ITS CREATION, PURSEBOP.COM IS THE GO-TO RESOURCE FOR CONNOISSEURS OF HERMÈS, CHANEL AND OTHER TOP LUXURY BRANDS
Interview by Rhonda Reinhart
When Monika Arora launched PurseBop in 2013 from her home base in Chicago, fellow handbag aficionados from around the world realized they had found a kindred spirit. Today millions of readers from all corners of the globe (not to mention 600,000 Instagram followers across two accounts) flock to the site for its luxury market news and analysis. Arora’s posts range from the fashion-centric (“Louis Vuitton Does Low-Key Luxury”) to the serious (“Safeguard Your Hermès and Chanel Collections From Theft and In-Home Burglaries”), and her Dear PurseBop advice hub offers a wellspring of information on everything from qualifying for an Hermès special order to what will fit inside a Birkin bag.
“The core of PurseBop is the purse-lover community, which tends to be very dedicated, educated and curious, just like I am,” Arora says. “It’s a continuing evolution, and I take readers and followers along on my journey, providing the latest news and information about our favorite accessories and the industry.”
Below, Arora fills us in on the early days of PurseBop, the handbag she considers the ultimate holy grail and the one bag she would save in a fire.
When Arora scores an invitation to an Hermès fashion show, her readers get to tag along thanks to her real-time updates from the show. For an Hermès event earlier this year, she brought her Box leather Mini Kelly Clouté along for the ride.
Take us back to the beginning. How long have you been a handbag fan?
Handbags have been my bag since early childhood. As a toddler, I insisted on accessorizing dolls and even snowmen because a purse always was an essential part of an ensemble – for me and my toys. At my request, my mother created handbags to match my outfits. Later, as I became, shall we say, a dedicated shopper, my family nicknamed my handbag retail enthusiasm “bopping.” The name PurseBop was the natural extension.
What was the first designer bag you acquired?
Like so many handbag lovers, I began with Coach, Kate Spade and Dooney & Bourke during my teen years. But my first luxury designer bag was a petite Gucci metallic pochette my parents gave me for my 16th birthday. The next piece was a Louis Vuitton backpack when I turned 20, a bag that remains part of my collection today.
Arora’s Hermès Kelly Picto Doll is one of the stars of her ever-growing handbag collection.
What’s the focus of your collecting these days?
I have been fortunate to acquire so many dream handbags over the years, from Chanel minaudières and sparkly flaps to Hermès Birkins, Kellys and Constances in a range of sizes, leathers and colors. My focus now is on Hermès, particularly unique and special pieces like my Kelly Picto Doll and Gold Dore Constance – and, yes, those also are the last two bags added to my collection. Longtime readers may recall that in earlier years I leaned toward bright colors, eschewing neutrals like black and beige. But, wow, have things changed. Somehow, I cannot resist an Hermès neutral, and my collection includes colors like Gris Tourterelle, Nata and classic golds but in heritage leathers such as Barenia and Butler.
How did PurseBop get started? Did you have a distinct mission in mind?
PurseBop.com was originally conceived as a fashion and lifestyle blog. At the time, I intended to explore and document my Chanel handbag journey, letting readers follow along and share their own. As the site grew in popularity and gained followers, I was frequently fielded with questions regarding Hermès, which led me onto my own Hermès journey. And, oh, what a trip it has been, from my initial foray into orange life with, unironically, a B35 in orange to a Mini Kelly obsession and special order and blue box delights. Speaking of trips, the art of travel is another part of the PurseBop experience. Beyond sharing my personal globetrotting and shopping abroad, our site is known for its hallmark bag nesting strategy, calculating savings by purchasing overseas (aka handbag math), and advice on dealing with customs and VAT upon return.
While Hermès bags get a lot of attention at PurseBop, readers come to the site for news and insight on other luxury brands, too, including Chanel.
Unlike most influencers and bloggers, you keep your identity secret, making the bags the stars of the show instead. What was the thinking behind the anonymity?
I wanted the focus to be on the handbags, not on me. Of course, there were privacy concerns – not wanting to be recognized in public played into that as well. Over the years, I have shared more information about myself, including my voice, but what I look like just isn’t that important to the site.
How do you think that decision has affected the success and evolution of PurseBop?
I think it allowed me to grow the platform globally and quickly without a constant lens on me. People from around the world could insert themselves into my dreamy narratives without being caught up by culture, race or style. Focusing on just the bags enabled and encouraged women worldwide to take “bagfies,” where they can share their coveted collections while remaining private. I am convinced we started this movement 12 years ago on Instagram, and now it’s really a thing. What we have successfully done is unite handbag enthusiasts from all around the world, and the common thread is the passion for handbags. Nothing else matters.
You have become almost a Dear Abby-type figure for your readers, offering guidance and advice on navigating the wide world of luxury bags. What are some of the lessons you’ve learned yourself from engaging with handbag fans from around the world?
For starters, there is almost an insatiable desire for knowledge about handbags and the industry, which has undergone tremendous change since I started PurseBop. Just look at the luxury resale industry, including Heritage Auctions, which has exploded in size to an estimated $35 billion in 2023. It was nothing like that 10 years ago. The lion’s share of questions we receive at Dear PurseBop revolve around how to get an Hermès bag at the boutique. This ever-growing market for Hermès’ quota bags seems to vex bag lovers and shows no sign of fading.
Heritage has a Luxury Accessories Signature® Auction coming up October 3. Based on your extensive knowledge of fashion and market trends, what are some of the must-have items on offer?
The Faubourg bag is a dream for any serious collector and remains on my wish list. This is the ultimate holy grail piece. Next up for me would be the Birkin 20 – the most recently released Birkin size and in lizard (my favorite), to boot. Dreamy. Then there’s the Elan with feathers. It’s another coveted piece most collectors are still trying to get their hands on, myself included. And lastly: I am biased with this one, but the Box leather Mini Kelly Clouté is a standout. It’s one of the stars of my personal collection.
Finally, here’s the toughest question of all: If you could save only one of your bags in a fire, which one would it be?
That’s like asking which child you would save – an impossible predicament. But the way I’m feeling today, I lean toward what my husband unironically calls the “clown bag” – the Hermès Kelly Picto Doll he recently gifted me for our anniversary. Maybe it’s the sweet surprise story that still makes my heart swell. Oh, and just one more, pretty please: my Himalayan Constance 1-24.
RHONDA REINHART is editor of Intelligent Collector.
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