Ever since Clare Waight Keller took the top creative spot at Chloe, I’ve been an unrepentant fangirl. Waight Keller has required an incredibly short turnaround time to set the brand back on a chic path that many had felt it lost after the exit of Phoebe Philo several years ago, and the collections, from ready-to-wear to accessories to shoes, have all improved by leaps and bounds in just over a year. I’ve been impatiently anticipating the arrival of Chloe’s next big bag for that entire time, and now that it’s ostensibly here, I’m…underwhelmed.
You probably recognize the Chloe Angie Tote from the brand’s Spring 2012 ads on everything from fashion magazines to bus shelters, not to mention that the brand seems to have made a push to get it into the hands of taste-making celebrities (most notably so far, the new Olsen). Usually, a brand picks well when choosing a piece to promote this heavily, and I’d expect that from Chloe in particular. After all, if anyone should know the power of an It Bag, it’s Chloe. But the Angie? I’m not convinced, not by a mile.
There’s just not much here to like. The Angie is simple, but it’s not simple in an exceptionally clean, modern way like bags from Celine or The Row. The tote straps are awkwardly long and out of proportion with the rest of the bag, which would normally serve a function purpose (shoulder carrying) that seems to already be covered by the long shoulder strap. The curved, zipper-closed top opening is prominent and serves as the bag’s main design feature, but it, too, feels proportionally awkward (not to mention a bit unfinished because of the zipper treatment).
So what am I missing here, you guys? Someone explain this bag’s appeal to me, because it seems to be selling reasonably well. To me, the price of $1995 via Neiman Marcus seems a bit steep for what you get.
