Exotic Bags (Page 7)

It’s so rare that Nancy Gonzalez makes a misstep. Her handbags may not be revolutionary, but it’s nearly impossible to go wrong with exotic materials, beautiful colors and simple shapes. It appears as though she has handbag design nearly down to a science.

The Nancy Gonzalez Hand-Held Croc Clutch is merely the most recent in a long line of sartorial successes from the brand, and as always, I’m drooling over it. Bicolor bag design is difficult to do well (as we’re also discussing over at PurseBlog Savvy currently), but I have absolutely no complaints about this clutch. Well, other than the fact that it isn’t in my closet, of course.

As for the rest of you, please go get a paper towel to mop up the drool before we go any further.

Ready? Great.

I have a little theory about exotics that I’ve postulated around these parts before, and it goes something like this: if I’m going to pay a premium for crocodile or python (or, in this case, both), then I want the skins to be featured in the most glorious way possible. Maybe it’s just me, but I think that the Carlos Falchi Caiman and Python Oversized Shoulder Bag is pretty much the definition of “glorious.”

It’s rare that you find something that’s honestly unique in fashion – designers are equal amounts artists and collectors, and they borrow from each other with great regularity. Carlos Falchi has proven repeatedly that he doesn’t mind searching for inspiration a little further off the beaten path than some designers, and he’s struck a truly unique note with the Carlos Falchi Henna Tiger Snake Satchel.

I know that this isn’t a handbag that everyone will love, but that’s why I like it so much – it’s a distinctive statement of style and personality. The best bags are those that some people don’t quite understand, and this blue-and-white-on-chartreuse painted floral pattern certainly puts this satchel in a different realm.

Swoon.

You hear that? I’m swooning. Pretty hard. I’m a bit desensitized to beautiful handbags in the same way that I imagine fashion photographers are desensitized to beautiful women – when you look at them all day from a business perspective, it’s can be kind of hard to recapture the feeling of excitement that they once gave you. Well, folks, the Pauric Sweeney Metallic Python Shoulder Bag has me giddy like a schoolgirl all over again. How could it not? The charms of this particular purse are so many and varied that I barely know where to start.

Say what you want, but there’s nothing as luxurious as exotic leather. The texture and detail are unparalleled, and stamping or embossing regular leather just doesn’t get the same effect. Exotics are pricy, of course, but if you can afford them, they’re worth it. I’m a particular fan of Carlos Falchi‘s python and croc looks – they’re less expensive than similar products from some other brands and the soft, slouchy approach that Falchi takes makes them look and feel much younger than the types of styles that traditionally feature exotic materials.

Take the Carlos Falchi Gathered Python Pouf Satchel, for instance. Not only do Falchi’s signature gathers make the bag look touchable and luxurious, but the finishing of the python and the way that it’s used accents the natural beauty of the material in a really great way. We all know I think that there is no greater bag sin that disguising an exotic’s natural beauty, but Falchi passes that test with flying colors here.

Hello Nancy Gonzalez, we have missed you in our lives. It is not for a lack of designs, I simply have not been drawn to you in a while. And I think I know why. One of the biggest upsides is also the biggest downside for designer Nancy Gonzalez, her designs are very seamless and very expected. There is no hardware being used and the designs are very ‘Nancy Gonzalez’, if you know what I mean. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but sometimes a design needs to catch my eye a bit more.

The Nancy Gonzalez Shiny Frame Crocodile Clutch does grab my attention with its brightly colored pink Caiman fuscus crocodile skin and simple yet sleek design.

Be still, my heart.

Although versions of that famous phrase appear in the works of both Homer and Shakespeare, I think that it is most usefully and accurately employed to describe my salivating, almost quivering reaction upon seeing the Salvatore Ferragamo Python Soft Sofia Shoulder Bag. To put it in more vernacular terms: holy crap, y’all. If a bag can be sexy, this bag is sexy. I want to settle down and buy a house with it – too bad its price would be a good start to a downpayment.