I would think if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. But in the case of Céline’s Phoebe Philo, that wouldn’t be nearly enough given her penchant to constantly innovate as far as the French luxury house’s bags are concerned (I’m just making all this up in my mind, having imagined a conversation with the designer herself), whilst others prefer to rest on their laurels and keep reintroducing reinterpretations of reinterpretations of reinterpretations. But I jest.

And while not all of Philo’s new bag creations work (editorially they will always be a hit, but commercially they might not do as well), it takes balls to release another bag that looks so much like a current hit. I’m talking about the new F/W15 Trotteur which does look a lot like the Classic, also known as Céline’s answer to Hermès’ Constance, but that’s a post for another day.

At first glance the Classic and the Trotteur do look alike but there are differences. For starters, while the Classic has a body that’s more square and stout, the latter is more elegantly curvaceous. The clasps are also different, with the Trotteur featuring a metal tab that slides into its leather holster. And then there are the sizes they come in. Besides the one in Small (shown above), there’s another in a slightly bigger size that’s much taller (and by logic much roomier) as well.

Priced from just SGD2400 for the small one in grained calfskin (might I add that it’s rather affordable as well) to SGD3550 for the medium one in natural calf (that would be that sexy raw hue of brown you see above), the Trotter also comes in exotics like python and crocodile, which you’ll get to see for yourself over on my Facebook page.

Image: Céline