They call them ¨botox exotics", otherwise known as crocs of gold. These are the bags designed by Mauro Orietta Carella, a former dermatologist who has jazzed up the rather outdated image of an old luxury Italian handbag label called Zagliani, founded in l947, using a silicone-based formula injected into reptile skins. It's like an anti-ageing cream and it basically softens up the dried croc skins, making them more attractive to the touch.
As a result, the bags have been branded "the botox bags" and have become the most talked about in the luxury business. Despite their scary price tags, Zagliani bags are sold in more than 200 shops around the world including Harvey Nichols in Dublin.
Orietta Carella made a personal appearance in the store recently, promoting the brand. He's on record as saying that women "bond" with bags and that each of his "puffys" as they're called, receives between six and 10 injections before they're on the shelf. With price tags of nearly €2,000, many may well stay there.