Welcome back to the Closet Confidential series, where we delve into the collections of influencers, community members, and self-confessed handbag enthusiasts.
At PurseBop, we’ve always admired Tiana Peri’s chic style and her ability to seamlessly mix high street with high-end fashion. As a fashion influencer and YouTube creator, Tiana stands out with her impressive Hermès collection and thoughtful videos that cover current trends, offer honest handbag reviews, and a sprinkling of unboxings.
Image courtesy: @tiana.peri
From her very first luxury bag to her favorite Hermès acquisition, join us as we uncover the stories behind Tiana’s most cherished pieces.
Let’s start at the beginning – what was your first luxury bag, and does it still hold a special place in your collection today?
Oh goodness, my very first luxury handbag actually came from Gucci and it was the GG Boston Bag my husband bought for me as a present. I saw it in-store and instantly fell in love. It will always hold a very special place in my collection because, at the time it was bought, things were very different in our lives financially. A luxury handbag of any sort, was simply always, just a dream. So you can only imagine the joy I got from this one handbag, the happiness it brought me, it was a dream come true.
If you were to start your collection again – what would you do differently, and why?
If I started my collection again the only things I would do differently is keep the black Medium size Classic Flap I had originally bought before exchanging it for the Jumbo size which I ended up never using and selling many years later. I also wouldn’t have bought a Chanel Boy bag or Coco Handle. As time went on and I grew into my own personal style I quickly realized that these style bags didn’t quite resonate with me as they were on the more obvious side of luxury, not everyone knew Hermès, but you can be sure everyone knew Chanel no matter the demographic and coming from the background I come from, I faced a lot of criticism and judgment which sometimes put me off using said bags.
Image courtesy: @tiana.peri
Every collection holds its hidden gems – what’s the unexpected treasure that you gravitate towards?
Oooooo, this is a good one because the most obvious answers would be my Grizzly Birkin or my Kelly 28 Un Point sur Deux Veau Graine Monsieur, in the color, Rouge H.
Image courtesy: @tiana.peri
Don’t get me wrong I do love them, but it has to be my Birkin 30 in the color Vert Vertigo. I absolutely LOVE this bag and it’s one I always gravitate to the most in my entire collection which is why out of all my bags, it actually looks used and loved!
Image courtesy: @tiana.peri
What was your very first Hermès bag, and can you take us back to that moment? Did getting that bag ignite your interest in the brand?
My first Hermès bag was a Birkin 30 in the color Bleu Zanzibar! The story tied to this beauty is a long one, so you’re going to want to grab a tea for this. I had always been very nervous and anxious to walk into any luxury store and this time was no different. I come from very humble beginnings and therefore experiencing luxury of any form was a whole new world to me. I felt I wasn’t good enough or welcome to it because it wasn’t my world, and just a world I dreamt of having. Hermès is the pinnacle of luxury in my opinion, and although I had built a relationship with an SA at Chanel, I didn’t have one with Hermès, which meant I’d have to go through the anxiety and stress of hoping I impressed someone with who I am as a person, to be able to be deemed worthy.
Until one lovely day, I mustered up the courage to go into a Hermès boutique, and a really nice, down-to-earth, sales associate approached. We started chatting, talking about the brand in general and how it was my dream to one day get a Birkin. She didn’t offer me anything on the spot and I didn’t actually buy anything, but as I was leaving she said ‘It was lovely meeting you Tiana, and don’t worry I’m sure dreams can come true’. I didn’t think anything of it and just thought she was being nice to me. The following day I got a call from a random number and it was her!!… ‘Tiana, we have a bag available for you, I saw the color of your car, and the minute I saw the bag I thought this bag was meant for you!… I couldn’t believe her, I even asked her if it was a prank, I was so so happy!! And literally, no word of a lie, the Birkin matched perfectly with one of the cars we had at the time.
Image courtesy: @tiana.peri
If you were faced with the difficult task of keeping only one Birkin and one Kelly from your entire collection, which two would you choose?
I don’t like this question… It’s like choosing between your children lol. So many of my bags are tied to something special in my life so choosing is very difficult. Do I pick because of sentimental value or do I pick because I use that bag ALOT and it makes sense?!… Tough one, so I think I’ll go for practicality over everything when it comes to the Birkin and pick my Birkin 25 in Noir. As for the kelly, on the less practical side, I’m going to have to say my a la carte Mini Kelly in Craie and Biscuit. But only because it’s like two bags in 1. Day and night friendly!
Image courtesy: @tiana.peri
Among your impressive Hermès lineup, which one holds the most meaning for you, and what makes it so special?
Okay, so the bag(s) I’m about to mention actually come as a pair and they are my a la carte Kelly 25 in Rouge Grenat and Trench as well as my Kelly 28 the one in Rouge H with the special stitching that I mentioned previously. I’ve been surprised with the other bags but these are the two that are probably the most special as they were given to me as wedding gifts. The a la carte was made especially in time for the wedding without my knowledge. It’s crazy saying that now. I think A LOT has changed since then!
Image courtesy: @tiana.peri
And, we couldn’t resist asking – does your husband have a favorite bag in your collection?
He sure does!.. So the story I didn’t finish telling you behind my very first birkin is that when I was offered the bag I had called my husband to tell him and find out when we could go into the store to collect the bag. He told me it would be on the weekend, to which you can imagine seemed like forever away! It was the middle of the week and he’s making me wait till Saturday!! All I kept thinking was ‘What if someone takes the bag!!’ But at the time I was mortified to drive in London so I had to wait for him no matter how badly I wanted it.
That day, he contacted that same SA and told her to send me another email pretending that the bag had been bought by another client. So I received that email, later on in the day, telling me that another client had bought the bag and unfortunately I had lost it. I was SO disappointed it’s unbelievable. So close but yet so far, I thought to myself. But in my heart, I’m very much the kind of person who thinks until it’s right in front of me, then there’s always a chance it won’t happen. And that’s with anything in life. So life went on as normal, the high from the excitement completely gone, and the images of the bag that she had emailed over to me…Which I kept looking at.
The following day I came back home from the gym and my husband had a little questionnaire made for me. I had to answer all these questions and the answers to the questions made up a sentence that told me to look behind the chair. So I went over and thought maybe he saw how disappointed I was yesterday so wanted to be sweet and cheer me up….But no….
Image courtesy: @tiana.peri
BEHOLD… THE BIGGEST ORANGE BAG I EVER DID SEE! I squealed and jumped around like an overgrown kid. I knew exactly what it was and rushed to carefully open up the box. There she was… My very first Birkin 30 in Bleu Zanzibar!
And that is why for him that will always be his favorite bag in my collection. Because of my happiness when I received it.
Image courtesy: @tiana.peri
What’s your most unpopular Hermès opinion?
You need a huge spending history to be offered a bag. I know I’ll get backlash for saying this and A LOT of people will say otherwise, but my experience with Hermès has always been exceptionally good. Granted, maybe things have changed a lot over the years, and the demand is crazy, we all know this, but there are also so many resellers that they have to be careful of, it’s impossible to please everyone.
BUT speaking from my own personal experience, I was offered a bag quite a few times from different boutiques without any pre-spend. Some people will hate that fact and say you were lucky, and sure maybe I was, but it doesn’t change what I, as an individual, experienced which means it’s only natural for me to have this point of view regardless of what people say. And now I have a relationship with them, it feels very much like I’m seeing family when I go into the store. I’ve built some amazing friendships with inspiring, like-minded people because of Hermès.
Image courtesy: @tiana.peri
If you had the opportunity to create another a la carte bag, what would you do differently and why?
If I had the opportunity to create another a la carte bag, I think, this time round, if the colors that I want aren’t available, then I’ll stick with just the base color alone. With my Mini Kelly in Craie and Biscuit, I had resorted to the color biscuit because trench wasn’t available during that season I had made the order in. And now I kinda wish I just kept it all Craie because the two colors together give the bag a more casual feel, which means for evenings, I have to be smarter as to how I style the bag as opposed to the less hassle of styling a Mini Kelly that’s in one whole color.
Image courtesy: @tiana.peri
What advice would you give to someone just starting their journey into luxury handbags?
Right, I love this question because if I had the knowledge I do now back when I had started collecting handbags, I would have saved myself buying bags I didn’t actually end up using. I mean the fact I got rid of most of my Chanel handbags says it all really.
So the first and most important bit of advice would be: DO NOT BE INFLUENCED BY WHAT YOU SEE ONLINE! Everyone has a different style and needs when it comes to a handbag. It’s not a one-size-fits-all-all, which is why we have so much variety. Choose a bag that suits YOU, YOUR NEEDS, and YOUR STYLE, not someone else’s. Medium-sized Classic fFaps aren’t quite my style for example, and although I do have one, I’ve only ever used it twice! Why did I buy it? Because of the hype there was around Classic Flaps, not actually thinking about whether this bag would suit my style.
Image courtesy: @tiana.peri
Secondly, I would say, start off with a couple of classic style bags as opposed to trendy, not too loud on logos, quite simple looking, that way it’s more wearable and there’s less chance of you getting fed up with it when the trend dies down.
Image courtesy: @tiana.peri
Third, is all about color! As we all know, money doesn’t grow on trees, and sometimes it might take a bit of time to build a collection which means you might want to focus on getting your neutrals first as those will be, again, most wearable. Once you have a good base of your classics and neutrals, THEN you can start experimenting with different shapes and even colors.
Image courtesy: @tiana.peri
I would also recommend giving yourself some time to really think about the purchase, don’t buy on impulse. Lord knows the amount of times I really wanted a bag, it was the best thing ever, and a few months later I wasn’t so keen on it anymore. Pop into the store, and try the bag on whenever you’re in town, wearing different outfits, doing these little things will give you a feel of the bag and also solidify its place in your wardrobe. Patience is key and it will save you from making a lot of future mistakes.
Be sure to follow Tiana on Instagram @tiana.peri for styling inspiration and, of course, fabulous handbag content, as well as her YouTube channel for trend insights and luxury unboxings.
Updated: October 15th, 2024
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Tiana is my mom