May 2011 - PurseBlog

Hammitt for True Blood

May 31, 2011 by Megs Mahoney Dusil

Waiting really does suck. If you are a True Blood fanatic like we are, then you have also been suffering from True Blood withdrawal. HBO realized the fashion world had an uncanny obsession with the vampire, werewolf, and fairy world so the company teamed up with Hammitt Los Angeles to create a line of bags geared toward the show and its fans.

Vlad and I attended the launch event for the line at the end of March and were ultimately delighted with many of the bags being offered and the overall theme of the gathering. They served red velvet cupcakes, which were washed down with “Tru Blood,” a fizzy, blood orange drink, and the tables were set with Black Magic roses. As we walked around the room and sipped on blood and dined on treats, we were able to view the bag collection.

Mondrian…made out of Legos…on a clutch?

May 31, 2011 by Amanda Mull

I’ll be the first to admit that I appreciate a dose of absurdism in my life. I like weird movies and funny hats and people who wear bowties to daytime events without a note of irony. The weirdness that people bring to everyday life almost always makes me think that humanity might be ok after all, which is probably why the Les Petits Joueurs Mondrian Lego Suede Clutch makes me smile. Except for the price, naturally.

Celebrate Memorial Day with a beachy straw tote

May 30, 2011 by Amanda Mull

From left: Mary Y Sol Panama Striped Tote, $100. Club Monaco Tall Straw Tote, $49.50. Elliot Mann 24/7 Tote, $242. All via ShopBop.

In the US, Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer and all the beachside fun that comes with the season. The PurseBlog team is going to take most of today to relax and enjoy the advent of season vacation season, but if you’re stuck indoors and want some bags to consider, take a look at these three reasonably priced, sun-ready straw totes: The Mar Y Sol Panama Striped Tote, Club Monaco Tall Straw Tote and Elliot Man 24/7 Tote. (Ok, that last one is macrame and not straw. Just go with it.)

What’s In His Bag: Nick Esser

Aug 28, 2013May 27, 2011 by Vlad Dusil

PurseBlog Asks: Which bag do you never, ever get tired of?

May 27, 2011 by Amanda Mull

Alexander McQueen Gold leaf Metal Skull Box Clutch, $3295 via Alexander McQueen.

With the vast majority of handbags, I tire of a design almost immediately. So many beautiful options abound that I find myself in a constant state of “on to the next one,” and brands that rely largely on seasons-old products with only cursory changes from collection to collection grate on my nerves something fierce. (I’m looking at you, Chloe.) If a brand is going to charge four figures for its bags, I want something legitimately new.

But for some reason, I never get sick of the Alexander McQueen Skull Box Clutches. Part of that is because many of the new versions are wildly creative and do a great deal with the limited visual real estate of a box clutch, but that doesn’t tell the whole story; I love the plain leather versions too, even though I’ve been seeing them season after season for years. For me, these clutches are as close as it gets to a perfect product. Let us know which bags keep tickling your fancy, season after season, in the comments.

Get Chained With Nicole Miller for Fall

May 26, 2011 by Megs Mahoney Dusil

Fashion power designer Nicole Miller has already dressed some of the most beautiful and stylish women on the face of the planet, and now she has her sights set on the handbag world. Typically when a designer first enters a new realm, there are a few seasons of trial and error before the designs start … Read more

The Mulberry Alexa: I’m green with envy

May 26, 2011May 26, 2011 by Amanda Mull

This past Saturday, I found myself on a bit of a walkabout. New York was rainy and grey all of last week, but for a few hours on Saturday afternoon, the sun shone brightly and the air was warm and it felt wrong not to be outside. Twenty blocks later, I looked up and saw that I was passing by the Upper East Side Mulberry boutique and couldn’t help but take a look inside. And that’s where I saw the Mulberry Alexa Bag in this brilliant green; it very nearly came home with me.

Yves Saint Laurent’s Muse Two Artisanal is both chic and socially responsible

May 26, 2011 by Amanda Mull

Yves Saint Laurent Muse Two Artisanal Recycled, $1720 via YSL.

Usually, women only ask two things of their handbags: That they be fabulous and functional. Increasingly, though, some women are making a third request of their clothing and accessories: That it also has a sense of social responsibility. Admittedly not everyone cares about what impact their purchases have on the world or on the people who produced them, but the number of people who do are growing, which makes it fashionable for global brand to debut products like the limited editionYves Saint Laurent Muse Two Artisanal Recycled Bag, which was produced by artisans in Burkina Faso with Fair Trade cotton and recycled plastic bags. For real.

A Gentleman’s Chanel

May 26, 2011 by Vlad Dusil

Fendi Fall 2011 Preview: A bit of a throwback

May 26, 2011 by Amanda Mull

While paging through the handbags from Fendi Fall 2011, I kept waiting for the brand’s trump card. For the bag that would pull the whole thing together and make me sit up and pay attention. And while there are some very attractive options from the collection, unfortunately that bag never came. Perhaps after Spring 2011’s stellar lineup of Fendi accessories, I was expecting too much.

Fall continues some of the biggest hits from that line, including the ladylike multicolor satchels with crocodile flaps, and it also introduces several more multicolor options in the form of slouchy totes and shoulder bags with elongated straps. Some of these asymmetrically shaded designs work better than others, and I hope to see them hit retail in bright combinations as well as the neutrals seen here. For now, my collection winner in the blue patent shoulder bag that you see above.

New at Net-A-Porter 5.25.11

May 25, 2011 by Megs Mahoney Dusil

Today I spent a solid five minutes at lunch trying to figure out if today is Tuesday or Wednesday with Vlad. This is the downside of a blogger’s life, we get a little confused with our wonky schedule. Amanda told me the only reason she knew it was Wednesday is because of the New Arrivals … Read more

Sneak Peek: 3.1 Phillip Lim is stellar for Fall 2011

May 25, 2011 by Amanda Mull

It’s rare that I get the urge to refer to a handbag collection as “tight,” but the more I look at 3.1 Phillip Lim Fall 2011, the more that seems like the most appropriate word to use. The color palette, shapes and materials are all limited to a very cohesive few, but the resulting designs are surprisingly varied and covetable, so long as you subscribe to Lim’s particular brand of contemporary minimalism.

The upright satchels strike me as a less expensive alternative to the much sought-after Celine Luggage Tote, and the smooth leather shoulder bags with bold metal closures and a witty puff of contrasting fur are an office-friendly option that would work even if you don’t work in an office. These designs are mostly neutral and functional without being boring or forgettable, and towing that line requires the sort of aesthetic confidence that makes these bags very much worth noting for the coming season.