Shoppers move to discreet goods

London: Harvey Nichols department store in Knightsbridge says it has just sold a $15,000 hand-made leather handbag, by US designer Lana Marks.

The sale of the multi-coloured alligator leather Positano bag shows that high-end shoppers are still prepared to pay huge sums for a handbag.

But the slump has prompted luxury lovers to seek quality that won't be outdated after one season, retailers say.

Hillary Vallieres, a spokeswoman at Harvey Nichols, said the Lana Marks label is "in the category of discreet luxury it doesn't have a screaming label as other big brands do. A lot of customers are considering having less ostentatious labels, especially given the current recession."