It’s a testament to a bag’s inherent beauty and good design if the color it’s featured in is baby puke brown and I still absolutely love it. I’m opposed to all forms and iterations of brown and tan, but the Gucci G Wave Large Leather Tote is easily beautiful enough to shine through a color choice that I may not particularly care for (and that a lot of people may really like).

When Gucci gets something right, they get it right, and this bag is all kinds of right. The leather looks absolutely touchable and soft, but still thick and a bit rugged, which is perfect for Gucci’s slightly exotic aesthetic. Not only that, but the bag looks utterly functional, and is probably not too showy to use as a work bag, as long as your office isn’t particularly conservative.

But my favorite part of the entire design is the details. When details are bad, it can sink the whole bag (and, quite frankly, lessen my opinion of an entire brand), but the details on this one are so spot-on. I love the braided details, which appear to be an emerging trend across the handbag landscape, but obviously my favorite aspect is the crocodile trim. I wish more brands incorporated exotic accents into their designs – it’s a great way to add texture and visual variation to a bag, not to mention a note of luxury, with a relatively minimal expense (compared to making an entire exotic bag, of course). Gucci gets it exactly right with this one. Buy through Saks for $2900.

The Gucci Pelham Medium Hobo is an excellent example of Gucci’s signature style – textured, supple, and with a bit of color variation that makes all the difference.

The color variation and distressing on this bag are absolutely perfect. It doesn’t look worn or previously used, it simply looks like the leather is lush and high-quality, and that the people who designed it took care to treat it in such a way to bring out its inherent beauty.

And that’s just what they achieved. I doubt that this leather is super soft in person, but it does look like it would be incredibly durable. Combine that with a functional shape and a beautiful medium grey neutral color, this is the sort of bag that so many women would do well to add to their wardrobe. The signature braided handle is a telltale Gucci detail that doesn’t overpower the beautiful finish of the leather. Buy through Saks for $1550.

But for all those people that are taking the chillier weather as a sign to get the heck out of Dodge and down to the St. Barts, designers see fit to give you your very own between-collections collection of clothes and accessories that are appropriate for warm weather. These are often my favorite things of the year – it’s warm in my neck of the woods for such a huge proportion of time that I get a lot more use out of things suited for high temperatures than low ones. Still, seeing something like the Gucci Jackie Raffia Shoulder Bag at this time of year is more than a bit startling.

Despite the generally balmy climate here, I can’t help but look at this bag and think, “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Not so fast.” I know that fashion is an industry that is constantly looking six months ahead, but I’d like to enjoy my cold weather and hot cocoa and bags made of thick leather for at least a little while before I have to think about picking out anything made of straw. I will say, though, that this is probably as luxe and subtle as a straw bag can get (but it’s also priced much higher than I’d pay for raffia). Buy through Saks for $2995.

Which is why I’m kind of disappointed in the Gucci Jungle Large Tote. Don’t get me wrong, it’s an attractive bag, but I hold Gucci python to such a high standard that I’m having trouble getting excited.

Unlike most of their exotic bags, this one seems a bit rigid to me. It’s too flat, too shiny, and not nearly as texture-rich as I would hope (and expect for what they’re charging). The finish of the skin almost looks like it might be embossed rather than the real deal, and why wants a dubiously faux python tote when the price tag is so high? It’s a cute, functional bag, but we all know that Gucci can do better with an exotic. Buy through Saks for $3800.

If the show isn’t wow-worthy, it can be easy to flip through Style.com without really absorbing what I’m looking at, much like I did with my textbooks in high school (and, let’s face it, college). But I looked through Gucci Handbags Spring 2010 twice, with rapt attention – not only is this Frida Giannini’s best collection of clothing since her era at the brand began, but it’s also the strongest lineup of accessories that I’ve seen from the brand in years.

The collection’s clothes have a way of being minimal and ornate simultaneously, and that’s the only way to describe the bags as well. Even the lean, angular clutches are fashioned out of candy-colored crocodile skin that makes me want to say “I’ll take one in every color,” hand over my credit card, and not look at the total on the receipt.

And that’s just the beginning. There’s texture galore by way of exotics like crocodile and python and Gucci’s signature logo embossing, and a few of the company’s classic details, like bamboo handles and horse bit hardware. The collection was varied and nuanced, containing a little bit of something for everyone; it was perhaps the most wearable, beautiful bag collection I’ve seen grace the runway in several seasons.

                        

Images via Style.com

Instead of the girly, at times hippie-chic clothes that have come out of her tenure at the company so far, what we saw this season was modern, athletic, and a tad science fiction. Normally those would be words from which I would shy away as descriptors of beautiful clothing, but the high-waist leggings, voluminous jackets and body-conscious dresses make sci fi chic and aspirational – if only Ra’mon from Project Runway had made something like this on last week’s episode, he might not have been auf’d.

But he didn’t, and Frida did, because there’s a reason that she’s employed by one of the largest and most recognizable luxury brands in the world. She started, as has proven popular this season, with white (it would be a full nine looks before another color appeared) and slowly moved herself into light greys before going for bolder books in black, orange, and even a little bit of pink. Print was limited mostly to ikat here and there on smart shift dresses, and the majority of looks were solid and neutral.

But the glut of monochromatic looks didn’t mean there wasn’t texture to spare – stretch jersey was paired with athletic nylon and mesh, delectably dyed crocodile was seen alongside macrame straps and accents. But even when you consider the numerous competing materials, the clothes had a distinct sense of wearability about them – many of those pieces could have come directly off the runway and gone straight out onto the street on the back of an editor or fashionista. It was evident that Giannini had done a consummate job making her sporty, sci-fi fantasy into something couched in real-world elegance.

                            

Images via style.com

Nothing about the Gucci Galaxy Slouchy Metallic Leather Hobo reinvents the wheel, but the shape is wearable and the lustrous blue metallic leather brings an edgy touch.

I’m digging the slouchy and comfortable shape of the bag, which has an ample shoulder drop of 19″. The single chain link shoulder strap adds the perfect spunk to the already attention-getting blue metallic leather. This is an overall simple bag, but an option rather than going for simple black leather and getting a slight blue sheen which will still work with many outfits. Dimensions are 10.4″W X 14.2″H X 5″D. Buy through Saks for $1050.

Has Gucci released a leather hobo with a price tag substantially under $1000? Because it looks like that’s exactly what the Gucci Web Guccisima Hobo is.

I’ll be straight with you on this one – it’s not going to win any awards for innovative design. It’s a black leather hobo with Guccisima embossing and a very simple closure. But what it is is perfectly functional and neutral; the kind of bag that every woman needs one of in her closet. It’s a go-anywhere, do-anything sort of purse.

And because of the extra-long lead time between when a bag is designed and when it lands in stores, I doubt this is any sort of nod to the current economic climate. But it is particularly opportune, and maybe a little boring, but a bag that most people would probably find a use for if they had it in their closet. And at this price point, a lot more people can add it to their collection than might have before. Buy through Saks for $875

And Gucci has maintained their history of beautiful python bags with the Gucci Galazy Python Hobo. Sometimes natural patterns can be hidden when they’re done in black, but the finish here has a bit of a shine to it, so it reflects enough light that the scale differentiation is easy to see. Some brands treat their bags in such a way that the python scales lay perfectly flat, which has clearly not been done here. I’m sure that that sort of treatment makes bags for durable, but it also makes it feel less luxurious to me, so I’d rather that part was left out, even if it means the bag won’t last quite as long. I’d rather have it be as beautiful as possible for as long as that look will hold up. Buy through Saks for $3500.

It’s possible that the exclusion of the Gucci signature from this tote is what makes it look so clean and sophisticated, but I think it’s more than that. The thick leather trim and handles give the bag a heft and structure that few canvas totes have, and it makes it look a lot more purposeful and expensive-looking than other bags of this variety. The one thing I can’t get behind, though, is the price – even one of the nicest canvases totes I’ve ever seen still isn’t worth almost two grand. For that kind of dosh, I’m going to need leather. Buy through Neiman Marcus for $1990.

Of course, it’s difficult to photograph any kind of patent leather (or any other shiny material, for that matter), but it seems that the oddly liquid-like multicolor pattern (can you call it a pattern?) that is going on here makes it even more difficult. Normally I’m a lover of loud bags and odd colors, but this one has me confounded and makes me think that I’d have to see it in person to really get any sort of idea about it. And even then, if the picture looks anything like the bag actually does, I don’t think I’d like it. Patent, when combined with metallics and iridescence in this way, tend to show every finger print or oil of any kind. For something that is so often touched, that’s simply not a good look. The shape is functional and simple, which is nice, but this bag has too many other odd things working against it. Buy through Neiman Marcus for $1190.

And that’s why I like the Gucci New Jackie Guccissima Shoulder Bag. Last season when the New Jackie came out, I wrote about how much I like the functional and comfortable shape of the bag, and that hasn’t changed a bit. When you combine super soft, matte leather with the Guccissima embossed logo, it provides great texture without having to mess with the bag’s structure or premise. The color of this bag seals the deal for me – grey is an enormous, important color for Fall 2009, and this grey is a perfect, blue-undertoned, medium grey that will go with almost anything in the average woman’s wardrobe. It’s mighty expensive for regular leather, thought, which is a major deterrent for me adding it to my wardrobe. Buy through Saks for $3250.

Of course you can’t really compare this clutch to the Stella McCartney clutch I covered yesterday but I think the one thing I found lacking isn’t lacking this time. This clutch is sleek, sophisticated and has just the right amount of detail. The horsebit ring buckle instantly caught my attention and had me wanting to hold this bag in my hand. Not only do I like this clutch, but in at a price quite a bit lower than the one I covered yesterday. Buy through Saks for $530.

Which is why I feel like I’m cheating by writing about the Gucci Original Backpack. Whiskey. Tango. Foxtrot. I mean, look at this thing, y’all. It’s been out for a while, I’ve seen it in personal multiple times…and I just don’t think it’s cute. At all. It’s oddly shaped and confusing to look at and I haven’t wanted a backpack as a purse since mini-backpacks were in style when I was approximately nine years old. I had a pleather one, and I wore it to school very excitedly. But that was 1994, and this is 2009, and I feel like we should have progressed since then. Gucci is trying to hold you back – don’t let them! But if you must, Buy through Saks for $2590

I am officially jealous of this cake. Jealous of the receiver, jealous of the people that could actually create and design this, jealous of all who helped eat it. This is indeed a cool cake. Looks like this was given as a gift for a 21st 26th birthday. And while so many people equate lots of shots on their 21st 26th, a designer handbag cake would have been up my ally so much more. This is a Gucci Cake complete with a Gucci Boston Bag on top of a Gucci Box. Even the little cookie would have made my day. I can not imagine the price for a cake like this, novelty enough that it would end up being totally ridiculous, but isn’t it amazing?

I am now rethinking our wedding cake. Why did we go traditional when I could have had a full fledged designer handbag cake for all of our guests. My birthday is coming in September though. Instead of Gucci, I would prefer more of a Chanel or Hermes. Just sayin’. [Image via Flickr]

Because, to be honest, the climate for logo bags has changed, as has the climate for anything obviously expensive, since the first incarnation of this bag came out. Since then, the US (and much of the world) economy has imploded, millions are out of jobs, and many have seen their retirements shrink to nearly nothing.

So…why in the world do I still like this bag? Because I do. A lot. Even though I hate logo bags in general, and have for quite some time, I still have a small place in my heart for Gucci’s signature fabric. And I still think this bag is well-designed, despite the logos. The lines are simple, it’s functional, but it still has a bit of subtle chicness to it. Plus it’s a bag from a major designer for under a grand. Not too bad, even if it’s not really a recession must-have. Buy through Saks for $850.

So now I introduce you to the Gucci Cruiser Bicycle, a bike whose price range fits in between the Hermes and Chanel bikes. This is another cruiser sporting Gucci accents all over. The bronze metal frame does look nice with the chocolate Guccissima leather seat, handlebars, seat pack, and pannier. And the price on this bike, a whopping $6365. I am thinking. This is a bicycle, right? Does Gucci placing some leather on it make it a collectors item? Where would you ride this precious bike to? I totally understand spending money on a racing bike or mountain bike, because there is a seemingly understandable point behind it. But a cruiser. I will tell you what, I am not running out to splurge on this bike. And of all of the designer bicycles, I would opt for the Hermes, because it is the CHEAPEST. But I will stick to my $350 cruiser, which gets me around our neighborhood perfectly. Buy the Gucci Bicycle for $6365 via Gucci.

Luckily, this bag has clips that make the shoulder strap detachable, and that’s the first thing that you should do when you get this bag. Other than that, I think they did a great job. I even love the color; a burnt orange is a great, neutral substitute from boring brown, and I’ve been lusting after a similar shade since Balenciaga made a similar one (rouille) in 2006. So fret not, ladies, Gucci hasn’t gone crazy, despite their disappointing Resort collection. This slouchy, boho take on a structured classic is a good start to making up for lost time. Buy through Saks for $3100.

Rihanna adds, “I have always been a fan of the Gucci brand and the products, especially their handbags. But most of all, I’m very very intrigued by what they’re doing with UNICEF. As an artist, I feel like it’s our duty to make it a better place if we can. I’m blown away by what UNICEF has been able to accomplish in Africa with the money that Gucci has donated to them. I’m very fortunate to be part of this wonderful collaboration.”

25% of all handbag proceeds from the “Tattoo Heart Collection” will benefit UNICEF.

What do you think of Rihanna for Gucci?

Image and news via Just Jared