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Stealth labels lure in the bag market

Stealth labels are luring fashionistas away from the big brands. Here are the names to watch

It bags - they're just too damned popular for their own good. Fed up with spotting the bag that you've taken out a second mortgage for dangling off the arm of a wannabe Wag?

Anybody who knows their Botkier from their Balenciaga is looking to stealth brands for their next fashion hit.

These labels have long been desirable among those in the know - Bottega Veneta has built an entire empire on the premise that its initials are enough, marketing a highly successful line in unlogoed, unfussy chic. But now, a new wave of designers is getting in on the act.

Designers like these do not have multimillion-pound ad campaigns; nor will you find any knock-offs on a market stall. And the chances of you bumping into someone in the queue for the ladies wearing or carrying their designs is remote. These are names that say less about obvious status symbols and more about individuality. Their accessories are the new cool. And before you ask, no, they don't do rip-offs in Topshop. At least, not yet.

VBH

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Mr V Bruce Hoeksema's brand is almost impossible to find. Look it up on the internet and all you get are frantic babblings on bag-addict blogs discussing where SJP might have found her VBH gold clutch. A former employee and boyfriend of Valentino, no less, Hoeksema knows a thing or two about grand old luxury. His signature style is a discreet envelope that screams: 'I know what I want, and what's more, I can pay for it.'

Bags, from £475, from Browns and www.net-a-porter.com

Nicholas Kirkwood

The man behind the shoes that will strut down the Gareth Pugh, Ossie Clark, Zac Posen and Phillip Lim catwalks this week. For Kirkwood, shoes aren't so much about adornment as form. Expect details such as platforms that slant backwards beneath the toes.

Shoes, from £185, from Browns Focus, Harvey Nichols and Dover Street Market

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Jenne O

This lady has spent 15 years designing accessories for everyone from Givenchy to Dior. Taking Bettie Page as her heroine, Jennefer Osterhaudt adds a bit of rock chic (she named a pair of shoes after Juliette Lewis) and some inspiration from prostitutes, no less. The results are not for the fainthearted.

Savannah and Sienna are fans, stocking them in their Twenty8Twelve boutique, and Dita Von Teese tried to order every single piece from the collection.

Shoes, from £300, from www.jenneo.com and Twenty8Twelve; 020 7221 9287

Brian Atwood

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A former model from Chicago, Atwood has won huge acclaim in America, where he enjoys a celebrity fanbase from Gwyneth to Madonna. Now, Londoners can join the elite club, with just a few styles available for those who know where to go. His pumps are renowned, but you will find flats that are sleek and ever so sexy.

And if you balk at the price tag, head to Bally, where his first collection as creative director will hit the shelves this spring.

Shoes, from £270, from www.net-a-porter.com

Kara Ross

Ross is obsessed with stones - she has even chosen what she would be if she could come back as a rock: "Rutilated quartz, because each one is unique." She launched her jewellery label in 2002, and the A list pounced on her creations. In 2006, she started making handbags, and her clutches are pieces of jewellery in their own right.

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Bags from £500, from Browns

Michael Teperson

Dark colours, patent leather and signature hardware inspired by his boyfriend Francesco's experience designing radiators all make for bags that are understated, but luxurious. Celeb fans include Natalia V, Thandie Newton and SJP. As Teperson says: "Mega-brands have flooded the market. Gucci has become like Gap - there's nothing exclusive about it." You certainly can't say that about his stuff.

Bags, from £355, from Joseph, Harrods and Fortnum & Mason

Pauric Sweeney

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If you love Chloé but would rather die than carry the same bag as a Wag, Pauric Sweeney is your man. His designs, mainly in patent leather or python, are unbranded and elegantly simple, with a twist of rock-star chic. No surprise, then, that Blondie is an inspiration and Lindsay Lohan a fan. His signature slouchy doctor's bag now comes in everything from butter-soft canary yellow to iridescent pink python.

Bags, from £535, from Browns, www.net-a-porter.com and Harvey Nichols

Jonathan Kelsey

After a stint at Jimmy Choo, Jonathan Kelsey launched his shoe label and quickly became a name to drop. There's plenty of wow factor in a pair of Kelseys, which often come in high-gloss metallic colours with signature cone heels, as seen on his bestseller, the Amy (named after Miss Winehouse, who recently trotted into rehab in her namesakes). For spring, it's all gone a bit Palm Beach. Nab a pair in mint green or hot pink and dance the night away.

Shoes, from £265, from Harvey Nichols and Dover Street Market