Introduction: Meet Mona Kattan and The Luxury Closet’s New Celebrity Series #
The Luxury Closet is opening a door that’s usually kept firmly shut: the personal wardrobes of the women shaping fashion and beauty right now. Our new Celebrity Closet series starts, fittingly, with someone who sits on both sides of the table. Mona Kattan is the founder of Kayali, co-founder of Huda Beauty, and a board member of The Luxury Closet — which means she understands the resale side of luxury as well as she understands the buying side.
We sat down with Mona for an unfiltered walk through her wardrobe: the pieces she reaches for daily, the one-of-one commissions, and the items that carry real memories rather than just price tags. She was generous with detail and refreshingly honest about why certain pieces earned a permanent spot in her closet while others were more impulse than investment. What follows is that conversation, lightly edited for length and clarity, alongside our own take on what makes each piece worth talking about.
Her Signature Style: Glamorous, Fun and ‘Very Extra’ #
Before we got to the handbags, we asked Mona to sum up her style in her own words.
“I would describe my style as glamorous, fun, and very extra.” — Mona Kattan
That phrase, “very extra,” ends up being the throughline for the entire closet tour. Nothing in her wardrobe is quiet. There’s no minimalist capsule collection hiding in a corner — every piece she pulled out had some element of shine, color, or personality baked in. For a founder who built two beauty brands on the idea of bold self-expression, that’s not surprising. It’s also a useful lens for anyone trying to understand her choices later in this piece: the pink, the bling, and the limited editions aren’t random. They’re consistent with a woman who dresses the same way she runs a business — visibly, unapologetically, and on her own terms.
The Showstopper: Her Custom Pink Hermès Birkin #
Ask any Hermès collector and they’ll tell you a Birkin isn’t just a handbag, it’s a waiting game, a relationship with your Hermès representative, and eventually, a story. Mona’s version of that story starts with pink.
“My favorite handbag would be this pink Hermès Birkin. A, cause it’s pink. B, cause it’s pink. C, cause it’s pink.” — Mona Kattan
Jokes aside, what makes this bag genuinely rare is the customization. This was the first time Mona had the opportunity to personalize her own Birkin, down to her own initials on the leather. That kind of bespoke order isn’t something you can walk in and request on demand — it typically comes through an established relationship with the house, and even then, the wait can run close to a year, which is exactly what happened here.
That timeline matters if you’re researching Birkins yourself. A special-order or personalized Birkin isn’t a faster route to ownership; it’s usually a slower one, layered on top of the already long waitlist most buyers face. What you get in exchange is a bag that genuinely doesn’t exist anywhere else, which is precisely why Mona says she plans to wear it “every single day for a very long time.” For collectors, that combination of rarity and personal customization is also what tends to support resale value down the line, since no two personalized Birkins are identical.
Boldest Statement Piece: Limited-Edition Louis Vuitton Boxing Gloves #
Not every luxury item in a closet needs to be wearable in the traditional sense, and this is the piece that proves it.
“My favorite luxury item would be these Louis Vuitton boxing gloves because they were limited edition, and I just feel like they’re so badass.” — Mona Kattan
Louis Vuitton has released boxing gloves in past limited collections, and pieces like this sit in an interesting category for collectors: part fashion object, part display piece, part conversation starter. They rarely get “worn” in the traditional sense, but that’s part of the appeal. Limited-edition novelty items from major houses tend to hold their value well precisely because production runs are small and the crossover appeal — sneakerhead, boxing fan, fashion collector — widens the pool of people who want one.
For Mona, the gloves aren’t really about boxing. They’re a physical stand-in for a personality trait she clearly values: the ability to be soft and glamorous in one moment and formidable in the next.
Sentimental Favorite: The Gucci Jacket Tied to Kayali’s Launch #
Not every favorite item in this closet is about rarity or price. Some pieces earn their spot purely on memory, and this pink Gucci jacket is the clearest example.
“My ‘funnest’ and most adventurous piece in my closet is this really cute pink jacket from Gucci. I got it in 2018 in Los Angeles, and I remember wearing it quite a bit for our photo content around Kayali.” — Mona Kattan
Brand context: Kayali. Mona founded Kayali in 2018 as a fragrance house under the Huda Beauty umbrella, built around the idea that scent is personal and layered rather than one-note. The jacket dates back to that same year, worn during the content shoots leading up to launch, which is why it’s tied so specifically to that chapter of her career rather than just being “a Gucci piece from 2018.”
It’s a good reminder for anyone building a designer wardrobe: the pieces that end up meaning the most later usually aren’t the most expensive ones in the closet. They’re the ones present during a specific, formative moment — in this case, the run-up to launching a brand that’s now a major name in fragrance.
Latest Obsession: Her Exclusive Prada Bag and Matching Shoes #
Every closet has that one recent purchase still riding the high of a good find, and for Mona, that’s a mint green, heavily embellished Prada bag.
“My most recent purchase is this cute little mint green blingy Prada bag, which is so cute. It’s exclusive in Harrods, and I got the matching shoes! I couldn’t hold myself.” — Mona Kattan
Retailer-exclusive releases like this Harrods-only Prada piece are worth understanding if you’re shopping the current designer market. Exclusives sold through a single retailer are produced in smaller numbers than a brand’s standard line, which limits how many are in circulation and, in turn, can make them harder to find secondhand later. Pairing the bag with matching shoes is also a very Mona move: her whole approach to dressing leans toward complete, coordinated moments rather than single standout pieces.
Rare Finds: The Most Special Piece in Her Collection #
This is the part of the tour where Mona brought in her stylist, Maha, to show off what she considers the true standout of the collection — and it isn’t even something in her own closet on a given day. It’s vintage Chanel.
“My most rare and special piece in my collection is one by my stylist Maha… and what I love about vintage Chanel is the quality is like, what, ten times better? A hundred times better? There’s no comparison.” — Mona Kattan
The item in question is a vintage Chanel belt, and Mona’s point about quality is one we’d back up from experience handling pre-owned Chanel at The Luxury Closet: construction standards on vintage pieces, particularly leather goods and hardware, are often noticeably heavier and more solid than what’s produced today. That’s a big part of why vintage Chanel commands strong resale interest — buyers aren’t just paying for the logo, they’re paying for a level of craftsmanship that’s genuinely harder to find in current collections.
Closing Thoughts: Mona Kattan on Circular Fashion #
As a board member of The Luxury Closet, Mona’s perspective on circular fashion carries more weight than the usual sustainability soundbite — she’s actively involved in the resale side of the industry, not just commenting on it from the outside. We asked her to break down how she personally approaches keeping a wardrobe circular, and she gave us three concrete habits.
Repair before you replace. Her first piece of advice is the one most people skip. Damaged shoes and leather goods are often more fixable than owners assume, whether through a professional or a DIY approach, and repair should be the first option considered before a piece gets tossed.
Swap, donate, or resell. For pieces you’ve simply outgrown or worn out your interest in, Mona points to clothing swaps with friends and family, charity donations, or selling through a reseller like The Luxury Closet as practical next steps rather than letting items sit unused.
Shop secondhand. This is where Mona’s own buying habits come through clearly.
“I love shopping from second-hand resellers or even vintage stores. I feel like I’m finding hidden gems, and everything has a more interesting story. It’s also usually things you can’t find anymore — discontinued pieces, or older seasons that are making a comeback.” — Mona Kattan
That last point is really the mission behind The Luxury Closet: pre-owned designer pieces aren’t a compromise, they’re often the only way to access discontinued colorways, retired styles, or vintage craftsmanship that current retail simply doesn’t offer anymore.
If Mona’s tour left you wanting a Birkin of your own, a vintage Chanel piece, or anything in that same spirit, you can browse [[pre-owned [designer handbags](/brands/top-tory-burch-handbags/)](/buying-guides/mothers-day-luxury-handbag-gift-guide-2026/)](/buying-guides/mothers-day-2026-pre-owned-luxury-handbags/), jewelry, and accessories on The Luxury Closet and shop pieces with the same rarity and story she was describing throughout this conversation.
Related Articles #
- How Pre-Owned Luxury Fashion Is Reshaping the Industry
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- 10 Best Designer Handbags Worth the Investment (2026)
- Louis Vuitton Bags Quiz: How Much Do You Really Know?
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