I got this Rabbit Illustrated Belted Bag back in 2023, back when it was the Lunar New Year of the Bunny. It’s from Charles & Keith, and it was released early during the year. However, I didn’t buy it then as I had already bought their wallet with the same design. It quickly sold out shortly after release, and I regretted not getting it.
By pure luck, around December 2023 I saw on a handbag forum that someone was gifted it as a Christmas present. I went to the site and saw it was available again, so I jumped at my second chance to get it before it sold out again.
They don’t ship to Brunei, so I shipped it from the Malaysian site to my mom’s address there – she just so happened to be there for a few days and she helped bring it over to me when she came back. I was so excited when I got the box and opened it up – even now, I still get excited every time I take it out of its dust bag and look at it.
It cost RM 409 that I consider well spent because it’s held up so nicely over time and because it’s like slow-release dopamine that never fails to gives me a little boost of happiness. I never get tired of admiring it!
This is the box! It’s so beautiful. Inside, there’s a dust bag, a long strap, a short strap, and a chain strap. I attached the short strap because I prefer the shoulder-bag look and chain straps just dig into my shoulders.
Let’s talk about the design. The rabbit print is STUNNING – I love how the navy contrasts against the beige bunnies. It makes me think of celestial bunnies in the night sky. I think the artist probably likes bunnies, or has bunnies of their own, because there is so much character in the periscoping, splooting, and flopping rabbits. I don’t think such a wide range of poses just comes naturally to mind when designing a bunny-themed bag, unless you’re already familiar with how domestic bunnies generally comport themselves.
I love how wholesome everything is, like the curious bunny standing up to check out its surroundings with its buddy all relaxed and stretched out beside it. I also like the little gold 元宝 (‘yuan bao’s – symbols of prosperity) around the bunnies, they’re like little stars against the dark backdrop. Even the dust bag is printed with the gorgeous bunny pattern.
Its dimensions are 11cm (Height) x 5cm (depth) x 15-22cm (width) and the material is PU Saffiano. There’s a tab at the front for the gold magnetic clasp. Truthfully, I’ve barely used it in the past, because I had a bag many years ago from them that peeled really badly, and I was afraid this bunny bag would fall apart as well from regular use. However, the peeling bag was faux leather, whereas this one, being PU saffiano, probably has better coating and is less prone to falling apart.
Having said that, it’s still faux leather so I always baby it just in case. Now that I’ve seen how well it has held up over the years, I’m trying to use it more often and may take it on future trips so it can see the world.
I can fit a small wallet and phone in it, with a little room for keys, though I probably wouldn’t personally; it would be a tight enough fit that the keys might scratch my stuff. When it’s not being used I stuff it with paper and keep in its dust bag.
Pictured: back, front, and tablet for scale. (The poster is from Kozyndan’s shop.)
This is one of my most treasured bags in my collection, and I’m so glad I had the chance to snatch it up. I can’t wait to see what they’ll come up with when the next Rabbit zodiac cycle comes around!
Here’s one last picture with the dust bag, because I just can’t take enough pictures of it!
Link to Site: http://charleskeith.com/catalog/CK2-20782020_NAVY.html