Month: October 2010
I love this chartreuse velvet Juicy Couture clutch, and you can’t stop me
To be fair, this is perhaps not the best picture ever taken of the Juicy Couture Flair Bow Clutch, so try not to judge it too harshly based off of only a stock image. Megs got a sneak peak at Juicy Couture’s Holiday 2010 collection a few weeks ago, and this clutch looks a bit more appealing in her pictures (not to mention this bag’s lovely blue counterpart).
Velvet was a big Fall 2010 runway trend that didn’t come to fruition quite as fervently as many expected, but chilly weather (and lots of holiday parties) make winter the perfect time to accent your outfits with a bit of the lush fabric. Doing so in an unexpected, super-saturated shade of chartreuse is even better.
Bottega Veneta mixes green paper and purple snakeskin and somehow, it works
Looking at the Bottega Veneta Snakeskin and Papier Elongated Knot Clutch makes it exceptionally clear to me why I’m a writer instead of a designer. Not only would I have never thought to combine purple-navy snakeskin and metallic green foil on a single clutch, but if someone had suggested it to me, I probably would have told them to think harder and come up with a better idea. As it turns out, the combination already looks pretty great.
Gucci makes its spring debut with…a lot of tan
In fashion, sometimes the worst thing you can say about a design is that it’s…fine. At least when a bag is cosmically awful, the designers tried a little bit of something. A chance was taken, a personality was exposed, and even if those kinds of adventures don’t always work out, it’s always encouraging to see a design who’s willing to gamble.
The Gucci Madison Ostrich Tote isn’t a bad bag by any stretch of imagination. I wouldn’t hesitate to carry it and I’d be proud to own it if it somehow came to be mine without any money changing hands, but I couldn’t imagine swiping a card to make this particular purse mine. The design doesn’t have enough visual interest to be eye-catching and the lines aren’t sharp enough to call it minimalist. It’s just…fine. And “fine” isn’t worth four grand.
Introducing: Vintage Reign Handbags
Happy Thursday! I have a special treat for you all: a new handbag line that offers premium leathers, funky designs, and super affordable prices. Welcome Vintage Reign Handbags, a line created by cousins Stacy Studnik and Cory Papunen. When I first discovered this line, I knew the selling factor would be seeing these bags in person. The great news is Vintage Reign lives up to what it promises, high quality designs.
LVMH now owns over 17% of Hermes
Over the weekend, LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA, the world’s largest luxury goods conglomerate, announced that it would increase its share in family-owned leather giant Hermes 14.2%, to a total of 17.1% stock ownership. LVMH, which owns such famous labels as Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, Givenchy and Fendi, claims that it will not seek … Read more
Sign us up for Ted Baker’s miniature dose of modernism
Do you like Rick Owens? Do you have the budget to buy Rick Owens? If you answered yes and no, respectively, to each of those questions, I’d like to introduce you to the Ted Baker Evening Hard Case Box Clutch.
Owens’ hard-edged industrialist chic is beloved by all sorts of fashion lovers who used to be goths and punks in high school, but it doesn’t come cheap. Thankfully, this little clutch does, but it doesn’t sacrifice anything in the way of attitude in order to cut its price tag.
Lanvin gives me leather envy once again
I don’t even like coral. Not the crusty sea structures – I’m sure those are perfectly lovely – but the color, most often associated with bad lipstick choices and tropically located retirees. Anything in the peach and orange family tends to make me run and hide because of my skin tone, but for the right accessory, I can deal with almost anything. Luckily, the Lanvin Pillow Shopper is exactly the right accessory.
A good bag or piece of clothing can make even an odd color choice seem brilliant, and the ubersoft lambskin for which Lanvin is so well known takes this bag to the next level. My only regret is that I can’t reach through the screen to touch it – I hope someone at Apple is working on that, Steve Jobs. Make sure to notify me when there’s an app for that.
Kate Spade knows the way to a writer’s heart – through her handbag
Lately, it seems as though Kate Spade is in on a mission to get me to buy a novelty handbag. First, she debuted her splendid bookcover clutches in some of my favorite classic titles, and now the Kate Spade All Typed Up Clyde Satchel has come to my attention, thanks to a Twitter friend.
Writers and the tools of their trade share an emotional bond on which I’ve touched before, and I know far too many people who collect old typewriters, even among my too-young-for-typewriters age group. For them and for me, this particular bag makes it seem like someone at Kate Spade is part of our inside joke.
Valentino goes mini with their Petale Chain Bag
If you are like me and have been a long time fan of Valentino but have not splurged on one of their bags, this may be the item for you. Sure, the Valentino Petale Chain Strap Leather Mini Bag is entirely small, but the design packs a punch.
I was never entirely sold on mini bags, but I have come to appreciate their functionality in recent months. If you do not always have to carry around every last item you typically stuff into your bag, having an easily accessible mini bag is the perfect option. Lately I only leave the house with a couple credit cards, cash, lip gloss, phone, and my keys.
Christian Louboutin gets back on his handbag game
Christian Louboutin’s various adventures in handbag design have been…well, adventures. While the designer is virtually a sure thing when it comes to footwear of almost any type, his bags tend to range from beautiful to head-scratchingly odd, often in the span of a single season. Certain types of whimsy and irreverence just play themselves out more proficiently on the structured backdrop of a shoe; a high-end bag requires a slightly different sensibility.
Christian Louboutin’s various adventures in handbag design have been…well, adventures. While the designer is virtually a sure thing when it comes to footwear of almost any type, his bags tend to range from beautiful to The Christian Louboutin Sweet Charity Bag was immediately one of my favorites from the brand when the design made its debut over a year ago, and this latest version is almost as good as the original. I may be over the stud trend, but when combined with a ladylike bag like this one, I think they provide some welcome ideological contrast.
