Manu Atelier

Tonie Ong

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Articles on Manu Atelier

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Handbags are typically a mature woman’s accessory. You might often see ladies, whether rushing off to work or simply lunching with some friends, carry some of the most beautiful and luxurious bags. It’s their status symbol—the sign that they’ve finally made it into the luxury goods game. Simultaneously, leather goods such as these purses are also the bread and butter of various luxury brands. This category is what makes them soar higher financially, as it’s also one of the most affordable. However, there is a brand who is slightly changing all that you might know about luxury leather goods. It’s Manu Atelier.

Straying away from the sophisticated and sleek aesthetics of the prominent luxury leather goods, Manu Atelier offers handcrafted handbags and purses that feature a more youthful design. They focus on the young, modern woman whose handbag is more about her creative personality and free spirit than a status symbol of her wealth. Their products are fun, fresh, and fashionable—attracting a more youthful and social media-savvy consumer audience that is quite different from the normal luxury leather goods client. Armed with an affordable price range, a strong social media presence, and traditional craftsmanship, Manu Atelier was considerably quick to gain the prestige that other luxury brands took years (or even decades) to achieve.

Adman, Merve and Beste Manastir

The company is based in Turkey, a country known for their beautiful craftsmanship and colorful designs—both of which are strong characteristics of the label’s bags. It’s run by sisters Merve and Beste Manastir, daughters of a premier Turkish craftsman, Adnan Manastir. They launched the Manu label in 2014 as part of their father’s atelier which was established in 1976. Even though Adman had been working in the leather goods business since 1961, he hasn’t retired and continues to help his daughters with making the products of their business. He makes it a point that each and every piece has his expert touch.

Sisters Merve and Beste opened the brand to be the global platform for their father’s work. Although the designs may not be as complicated and stylized as other luxury goods brands’, the quality is the same. The brand highlights and upholds traditional Turkish craftsmanship with new and more youthful global design. The bags’ looks don’t necessarily scream they’re from Turkey, but their quality and details embrace their country of origin. Due to all these factors, it wasn’t long before women of Turkey embraced the brand, and soon, the whole world got introduced to Manu Atelier. Their inspiring story of humble beginnings and loyalty to their origins have been told by the likes of Vogue, Business Of Fashion, and many other prominent publications in the industry.

Small, colorful, and unique

Apart from the indelible Turkish craftsmanship, the brand’s uniqueness relies heavily on their youthful approach to design. When it comes to luxury bags and purses, the colors are more-often-than-not neutral, the shapes are rigid or round, and it’s always quite big. The bags of Manu Atelier, however, are considerably smaller, a lot more colorful, and consists of new silhouettes. One of their most famous items is the Pristine bag introduced in 2013. It has a long strap that allows you to wear it across your body, a slightly rectangular shape, and can be bought in various colors. Sometimes, the bag is even color-blocked into varying vibrant hues. These characteristics make them more attuned to a younger and more hip consumer audience rather than the normal clientele of luxury leather goods who usually desire classic pieces.

Online Presence

The brand started in 2014 but it has already amassed a global and loyal following from a legion of fans. This is thanks to social media, wherein in sisters Beste and Merve have mastered in terms of their business operations. The digital platforms such as Facebook and Instagram have become their most viable marketing tools, spreading instant awareness to a wider and more global consumer audience. Aside from simply featuring professional models donning their items, they’ve gotten normal, everyday women—some of which are their friends while others are clients they met online—to model their designs and prominently feature them in their feeds. They achieved a sense of relatability that has welcomed thousands of women from any country and continent to take a look at what they offer.

Affordability

Beyond their social media presence, it’s their price points that have women buying their products. They sell their luxury items at only a fraction of the prices found in other labels. For example, their classic Pristine bag is only at $575, while a smaller version will only cost around $495. Compared to the tens of thousands of dollars other labels sell, their prices are a steal. The sisters have stated that since they’re based in Turkey and their materials are sourced locally, they’re able to cut down costs of production, allowing them to sell their bags at such low prices.

Bit by bit, the luxury goods game is slowly being infiltrated by small yet successful, homely brands. Manu Atelier is no exception, especially since they’ve gained massive success after only a few years. With their candy-colored creations sold at affordable price points, they’ve gained a loyal following from several women. Their new business strategies might just trump the old ones still used by the beloved luxury labels today.

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