Clutches (Page 24)

Leiber Small Curved Minaudiere

Happy Valentine’s Day! This morning I woke up much earlier than usual to make breakfast for Vlad. As he is out running errands (I am assuming he forgot to pick up a card, hence he *has* to go to Target), I am deciding on my outfit for tonight. For some reason I can not think of an outfit without incorporating pink or red. Tonight you will see masses of couples out and the ladies are always wearing the color of love. Leiber pieces are collectors pieces, able to be carried for years and passed on for generations. I would love to have the Leiber Small Curved Minaudiere in my hand tonight as it is adorned with Siam red Austrian crystals. The silver tone hardware is the perfect compliment and the push lock closure finishes the clutch off brilliantly. You can buy this via Neiman Marcus for $1495.

Enjoy your Valentine’s Day and the ones you love; whether it be a husband, significant other, friends, family, or pet!!

Lulu Guinness ‘My Heart Belongs to You’ Clutch

With so many serious and stressful issues we deal with in the world, it is always a plus to have a little fun. Lulu Guinness is all abut adding quirky humor to many of her bags. A favorite of mine, especially to whip out on Valentine’s Day, is the Lulu Guinness ‘My Heart Belongs to You’ Clutch. It is poking fun at the way many of us move from man to man, from Bert to Alec to Jack, ending up at *you* of course. And clearly, once you have moved to that new ‘you’ there is no one else that your heart belongs too. The purse is designed with satin and embroidered with the names on the front. On the inside there is red lining and a hand mirror. This clutch helps us all lighten up a little. I do think that if you pull it out your date may be a little wary of your commitment issues, but really, who didn’t have those at one point or another in their dating life. Buy through Lulu Guinness for about $100.

Michael Kors Beverly Gator Watch Clutch

Michael Kors is known by many fashionable people, but has never been an authority in the handbag world. His bags have been basic and have lacked ingenuity at times, but he has designed an attention grabber for spring! The Michael Kors Beverly Gator Watch Clutch features lime alligator with a gold-tone watchband detail. This is the perfect slide on for your hand, which will keep your clutch in place all night. This is a very similar idea to the Prada Fall 2007 handbag line, which featured hand muffs for many of the clutches. There is a front flap and a magnetic snap closure. Dimensions are 5″H x 10 3/4″W x 1″D which makes this the perfect evening wear clutch. My problem is the price. I understand that Michael Kors is an established designer, and alligator is not cheap, but for the dimensions, is a nearly $4k price tag justifiable? I think not. Overall the bag is cute, it is an attention grabber, but I am not sure that many in the handbag world will be going out of their way to buy it. Pre-order for $3,900 at Neiman Marcus.

  

While Vlad and I were invited to many of the Fall 2008 shows at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York City, we unfortunately had to decline. Supposedly it is very hard to be in two places at one time, and the move to Florida took precedence. One of my favorite parts of Fashion Week is to see who goes to the shows and what they wear. Of course it does not beat what is going down the runways, but it is a close second in my eyes. Rihanna has been photographed numerous times leaving her hotel and attending the shows. Most recently Rihanna was spotted at the Matthew Williamson Fall 2008 fashion show sporting her new hair cut and the Kooba Bennie Clutch. I have been eying this Kooba bag for quite some time and it has grown on me. Available in either cream or black, the clutch is off-set with pink, yellow, and blue neon piping. There is a front flap opening to lead to the main compartment. Rihanna opted for the black version, which suited her black ensemble perfectly by adding just the right touch of color. Even better is the price, which is a definite bag deal! Buy through Saks for $295.

Kooba Bennie Clutch

Even though we have only officially lived in South Florida for a few days, the fashionable come out in multitudes everyday. This is the land of dressing up to go get groceries. This morning Vlad and I took the dog for a walk, and if anyone drove by and saw my outfit they would have literally fallen over laughing. Striped pants, purple sandals, and a black vest (on top of my old shirt of course). I realized that there needs to be a little more effort going into my everyday wear, even if it is just to pump gas. Miami especially is the land of glitz, glamour, and barely there clothing. To add a modern and edgy appeal to my outfits, a clutch like the Chloe Plexi Leather Clutch will pop out with its shimmering silver metallic leather and frame body. This clutch would work perfectly in South Beach, as Deco Drive is the place to be when you are fabulous, stylish, or sight-seeing. The closure is made with lucite and finishes off the art-deco appeal. I find this handbag to be a refreshing Chloe handbag, as many of their bags are not nearly as edgy. Buy through Net A Porter for $1,720.

Anya Hindmarch Spider Leather Clutch

The sleek style and perfect coloring of this clutch makes it a knockout. Anya Hindmarch bags are known to sport clean lines, add a little glitz, and a great price. The Anya Hindmarch Spider Leather Clutch is stylized perfectly, with an elegant shape and the perfect tan leather with metallic gold mirrored trim. For a night out or a day lunch, this clutch is ideal (measurements are 10″W x 5″H). The center clasp shows the designer name and pulls the clutch together. I love the look of this bag and the price is amazing! Buy through Net A Porter for $485.

Aztec prints are a trend of Spring/Summer 2008 and will make a place for themselves next to the floral print trend. We recently introduced you to Bird Handbags and the designer behind the bags, Liz Carey. One of the biggest hits from this line is the over sized One Night Stand clutch. While the clutch is already available in leather, ostrich, and python, Liz Carey released the Bird Handbags One Night Stand in Aztec Fabric for Spring/Summer 2008. While this bag may not meet your fancy, it is a stunning piece and perfect for the over-sized clutch trend. For those that yearn for a hippie-chic bag or a fabric print, this is a great option. Bergdorf Goodman will be carrying the Fabric One Night Stand February 1st (all of the bags are one of a kind). This fabric clutch retails for $995. Buy through Bird Handbags online. Also Lux Couture is carrying some Bird Handbags.

*Additional info*: There were a few pieces of information I was missing that I’d like to add: The bags are all embroidered by hand and have ostrich handles. The vintage fabric used on these bags originates from Guatemala. Right now some boutiques that carry the One Night Stand are Fred Segal Flair, Satine and Presse. This month Elle Accessories has featured this handbag! And the list of celebrities that love this bag include Cameron Diaz, Patricia Arquette, Lake Bell and Rosario Dawson.