Chanel Handbags and Purses (Page 8)

Most people who follow fashion know the Chanel signatures very well: black, ivory, bouclé, suits, camellias, black, ivory. Rinse, repeat. Karl Lagerfeld’s Spring 2010 haute couture collection of graphic white and silver was a significant departure from the Chanel aesthetic that we have all come to expect, and his Chanel Fall/Winter 2010 Haute Couture collection is yet another giant step into new territory.

The most startling things about this collection were the surprising choices in color and proportion. Normally Chanel’s color palette is very predictable, but these clothes were rendered in the very un-Chanel shades of maroon, gold, navy and brown. Proportion was primarily at play in the collection’s suits and coats – abbreviated jackets were paired with below-the-knee flared skirts, coats were often boxy and straight or puffed to comical proportions. As always with Chanel couture, the real fireworks started after the show’s halfway point, where somewhat odd suits and jackets gave way to beading and embroidery so intricate and masterful that an in-person viewing would surely be required in order to appreciate the skill of the work in full. In the end, this collection should be counted as a bold achievement on the part of Lagerfeld and his team even if the suits and coats looked to hold it back at times.

All I have to say is I absolutely adore everything about the Chanel Classic Flap Bag in semi-matte alligator skin from the Paris Shanghai collection.

Sometimes a picture truly is worth a thousand words, especially when it comes to an exotic Chanel bag. And for those asking the price, $28,350.

Oh, Karl Lagerfeld is so clever. Or crazy. Maybe both! Yes, probably both. But this time, I think he might be crazy like a fox – the Chanel Casette Clutch is not only kind of hilarious (you know, in a droll fashion sort of way), but it’s totally useable (well, if you’re the type that would use a tiny, clear clutch.)

UPDATE: The clutch is vintage and for sale! Make the jump for more info.

After the faux-fur-on-ice (literally) escapades of Chanel’s Fall/Winter 2010 collection, it was hard to predict the direction in which Karl Lagerfeld would go for his next collection, Chanel Cruise 2011. Well, after the collection’s presentation in Saint-Tropez, we know that Kaiser Karl has his mind planted firmly in the Riviera of the 60s and 70s. Models arrived to the show by speedboat and Georgia May Jagger, daughter of Mick, graced the runways to give the show some retro cred (it also doesn’t hurt that Georgia May looks like Brigitte Bardot. Startlingly so.)

The clothes recreated the era fantastically, even though a few pieces would probably have best been left in the time period from whence they came. Most of them, however, were a welcome contrast to the version of the 60s that graced fall runways – tailored, traditional, neutral. The flowing, flowered caftans, jumpsuits and crocheted overlays had a distinct flower-child appeal, and they look utterly appropriate for the cruise crowd: airy, light and perfect for the deck of a yacht. If you like what you see, order early, though – the Kate Hudsons of the world will likely buy the entire collection out from under you.

I wish with every fiber of my being that more online stores stocked vintage luxury bags. There’s something that I find so alluring about vintage – much of it, particularly those items made by luxury houses, has the feel of true exclusivity that even most high-end bags are missing these days.

Most of us know that almost everything we buy is made in factories, not by a talented artisan that cares about his work, and that makes luxury goods a bit less fun. With vintage, at least we can pretend that it was made by a guy named Francois in a picturesque workshop, diligently sewing bags while wearing a beret and smoking a hand-rolled cigarette. Or at least that’s what happens in my head. Perhaps Francois had a hand in the lovely Chanel Vintage Speedy Bag? I bet no one can prove to me that he didn’t – it’s vintage, after all.

Here are four versions (though there are many more, including exotic skin) of the Chanel 2.55 bag. Only 2 are made of the same material, which happens to be jersey, while one other is leather and the last is patent leather. Yes, jersey material, you read that right. If I am buying a 2.55 from Chanel it will be in leather or an exotic skin, but not everyone feels the same way.

This Chanel bag is one of the most recognizable from the house. Are any of these four versions working for you? Vote now and let’s see what you think. Also, leave your additional comments in the comment section below!