What macarons and designer handbags have in common

I have spent enough time queuing outside Parisian patisseries to know that a macaron is never just a biscuit. The colour, the box, the ritual of choosing a flavour, it all mirrors the theatre of buying into luxury. That is exactly why I keep comparing them to designer handbags.

Both objects trade on scarcity and craftsmanship rather than practicality. A macaron shell is famously unforgiving, and a mistimed oven or humid kitchen ruins the batch entirely. Ladurée’s rise to fame came in 1930 when Pierre Desfontaines had the idea of sticking two macaron shells together with a creamy ganache filling, and that fussy technique has never really changed.

Living between Kenya, Switzerland, Indonesia and France, taught me that luxury goods travel differently depending on where you are. In Paris, a macaron box is an everyday indulgence. Elsewhere, it becomes a souvenir of status, much like a handbag bought on a European trip feels more special than one bought at home.

The packaging is part of the product

Designer handbags come in dust bags and branded boxes for a reason, and macarons are no different. Ladurée wraps its macarons in signature pastel boxes designed to feel like a gift rather than groceries. The packaging signals exclusivity before you have even tasted or worn the thing inside.

Scarcity drives desire

Limited flavours and seasonal collections work the same way as limited-edition bag drops. Ladurée sells around 15,000 macarons a day in Paris alone, yet the sense of scarcity around new flavours persists because trends and collaborations rotate constantly, keeping demand high.

Heritage sells the story

Just as fashion houses lean on decades of archives, Ladurée has built its identity around more than 160 years as a French patisserie. That heritage is part of what you are paying for, whether it is stitched leather or almond flour. Whether you are splurging on a handbag or a box of macarons, you are buying a story as much as an object.