June 2011 - Page 2

Marc Jacobs dabbles in colorblocking for Resort 2012

Jun 23, 2011Jun 23, 2011 by Amanda Mull

When was the last time you looked at a Marc Jacobs bag and thought, “Whoa, that’s a great bag?” Sometime around the entrÃ© of the Stam, right? Well that’s exactly what I said, out loud, by myself, to my computer in sudden fit of excitement when I saw the colorblocked satchel at top left from Marc Jacobs Resort 2012. I mean, that’s a good bag, right? My level of enthusiasm for that design has left me confused and excited.

I mean, let’s be real here; most handbag addicts can spot a Marc Jacobs bag from a mile away, and whether or not that’s a good thing depends on how much you like the designs that Jacobs puts out every year. They often don’t vary much from what we’ve seen before except for a runway bag or two, and there are certainly some repeats in this group, but the new stuff looks fresher and more exciting than it has in more than a few seasons. Let’s hope that this is but a small preview of the accessories to come in the brand’s Spring 2012 presentation. More photos after the jump.

Color lovers can’t go wrong with Balenciaga

Jun 23, 2011Jun 23, 2011 by Amanda Mull

Balenciaga City Bags, $1445 and $1795 via Barneys

The fashion industry has been talking about brights for the better part of the past year, but when I think of bright bags, I only think of one brand: Balenciaga. The French house has been cranking out vividly hued motorcycle bags for far longer than such a thing has been widely mimicked in fashion, and it will surely continue doing so long after the trend-following horde is on to the next thing. Fads shift, Balenciaga brights are forever. I should know; I’ve been enjoying my purple Balenciaga Day Bag since 2007, which might as well be forever in fashion years.

So if you’re looking for a bag that will make you look like a veteran of the brights bandwagon and won’t look dated once the trend is over, you’d be hard-pressed to make a better choice than a Balenciaga City Bag. And naturally, all of Balenciaga’s bags are just about as lightweight as any you’ll find on the market and very easy to carry. But you guys already know that I’m an inveterate Balenciaga fangirl.

Alexander Wang Resort 2012 is surprisingly colorful

Jun 22, 2011 by Amanda Mull

We all know Alexander Wang as The Boy King of Downtown Cool, which means that his clothes and accessories are often black, grey and sullen. And while some of us (read: me) like that look, it doesn’t really fit in with the idea of a resort collection or what most people want to wear when weather first starts to turn warm. And apparently Wang has figured that out, because Alexander Wang Resort 2012 has a lot more color to it than we’ve come to expect from the young designer.

Bright blue is the star of the show here, accented by sharp silver hardware that Wang’s fans will remember from his previous two collections. There are one or two new shapes in this series of bags, but there are also some fun takes on old favorites like a pale yellow Diego Bucket Bag and Wang’s new small leather goods in a variety of colors and textures. And yes, there’s some black and grey. Of course there is. More photos after the jump.

Prada goes faux for fall (faux fur, that is)

Jun 22, 2011 by Amanda Mull

I’ve spent a lot of time and energy in this space complaining about how designers keep trying to make fur bags happen, and usually during those rants I also wonder about why more companies aren’t using faux fur for their ill-advised fuzzy bags. Few designers hesitate to use stamped croc or python, so why not a little fake mink or chinchilla? The primary argument that I see people making for real fur in outerwear is the warmth that it provides, and my phone and keys certainly don’t require my handbag to maintain any particular temperature.

It looks as though Prada has answered my prayers, as it so often does. The brand has debuted a line of faux fur bags for Fall 2011, and not only are the prices half that of most real fur bags, but no cute little critters had to give up their coats to make these designs happen. That’s right, I still don’t really love these bags, but I dislike them less than if they were real fur and twice the price. If that makes the sense.

Fill in the Blank: The Jimmy Choo Catherine Leopard-Print Satchel is…

Jun 21, 2011 by Megs Mahoney Dusil

Structure can be a great design element when implemented properly. In fact, some of the most timeless bags feature a bit of structure to their design, like the Hermes Birkin and Chanel Classic Flap. Yet there are times when a structured bag simply does not work, and this may be one of those times. The … Read more

Check out Prada’s Fall 2011 ad campaign

Jun 21, 2011 by Amanda Mull

I love a good ad campaign. Unlike magazine editorials, ads are often designed to show prospective buyers the things that really make money for brands: Bags and shoes. Which, coincidentally, are the things we like most! Fashionista.com got a little preview of Prada’s Fall 2011 ad campaign and were so kind as to share it with the masses, so we thought we’d be so kind as to do the same. Two more photos (both with more bags) after the jump.

Takashi Murakami not just doodling on Vuitton bags anymore

Jun 21, 2011 by Amanda Mull

If you went to Google’s homepage this morning and found yourself thinking that the search giant’s new Doodle looked familiar, it might be because you have some of the artist’s work hanging in your closet. (Or maybe because you’re just a contemporary art fan in general.) The logo above, commissioned by Google to celebrate the … Read more

Reed Krakoff’s latest Boxer Tote is perhaps his best yet

Jun 21, 2011 by Amanda Mull

Reed Krakoff Leather and Wool Boxer Tote, $990 via Net-a-Porter.

I’ve heaped a lot of praise on Reed Krakoff recently, and all of it is genuine; every time I see one of the man’s bags (and increasingly, his shoes as well), my credit card runs and hides. It just knows. I’m still trying to coax it out from under my bed after laying eyes on the gorgeous Reed Krakoff Boxer Leather and Wool Tote. This shape has become the young brand’s signature, and this mixture of textures and shades might just be the best one so far, particularly when you consider the price.

The rest of Chanel Paris-Byzance is pretty outstanding as well

Jun 20, 2011 by Amanda Mull

Even though Chanel is a brand with a rich history and plenty of iconic aesthetic elements from which to draw, I think we all get fatigued of flap bags and black and ivory color schemes after a while. Because Karl Lagerfeld is a man worth his enormous paycheck, he seems to be able to sense that feeling within his client base and zig when everyone expects him to zag, which has lead to a freshness and creativity in the past several Chanel collections that continues to delight me.

On Friday, we introduced you to the Outstanding Pieces range from Chanel Paris-Byzance Pre-Fall 2011. Today, we’ve got the regular line of handbags, which are pretty great themselves. There’s a lot of “Chanel” in these bags, more so than in the Outstanding Pieces, and certainly some of them are bread-and-butter sales leaders. But the change in tone that they, along with the bags from the two preceding seasons, represent is a smart and welcome one, even if it’s subtle.

Yves Saint Laurent’s Resort 2012 handbags are fun on the high seas

Jun 20, 2011 by Amanda Mull

With head designer Stefano Pilati’s relationship with Yves Saint Laurent bigwigs rumored to be growing ever more tense, it’s always interesting to see what Pilati will turn out when it’s time for a new collection. I was lukewarm on his work for Fall 2011, but Yves Saint Laurent Resort 2012 is a whole different story. Not only were the nautical-chic clothes absolutely lust-worthy, but the bags and shoes, which are most brands’ chief moneymakers, will likely retail very well.

The bag that I’m most excited about is the Yves Saint Laurent Chyc Cabas, which you can see in one of its iterations above. The roomy tote has both functional and aesthetic appeal, and the frayed red straw accented with white leather and gold hardware makes me want to leave my apartment and make friends with someone who owns a boat. This collection will hit stores right around my birthday. Hint hint.

What’s In Her Bag: Nicole Beltrami of BedStu

Jun 17, 2011 by Vlad Dusil

Happy Friday: The Outstanding Pieces of Chanel Paris-Byzance

Jun 17, 2011Jun 17, 2011 by Amanda Mull

For every season, Chanel generously offers not one handbag collection but two. You get the regular collection bags, which are always luxurious and highly detailed in their own right, and then you get Outstanding Pieces, which are on a whole different level. These are the jewel-encrusted exotic bags that would turn your heard so hard that you’d have to see a chiropractor, should you encounter someone toting one down the street.

For the Byzantine-inspired Chanel Paris-Byzance Pre-Fall 2011 collection, Karl Lagerfeld pulled out all the stops to create a gilded, ornate collection of crocodile, python and cabochon. These designs aren’t for a shrinking violet, but even lovers of statement pieces should be careful; these bags may result in a shrinking wallet. Please contact Chanel at 800-550-0005 for pricing and availability.