Designer Handbags (Page 7)

I know I mentioned it before, but last year I had the chance to meet lovely and talented Laura and Sheila of Treesje. Their combination of creativity, business savvy, wit and charm were instantly picked up on. As I walked into their office, I sat down and felt instantly at ease. After a few minutes it was as if I was talking to friends I’ve known for years. The story behind how their brand got started and morphed into what it is today is classic. They met at the wedding of a mutual friend, became friends, became co-founders, launched a brand, and have been making customers happy and eager to carry their bags ever since. In fact, you might remember the initial Treesje Interview we brought you a while back. Since then, Treesje has continued to grow and expand.

So, the 1980s throwback trend is, like, a thing. I get that. I’m even a moderate supporter of it, when done correctly. The 80s were a time of excess and fashion-forwardness and questionable taste, and everyone loves that, right? Right. Except when it’s done like the Pauric Sweeney Padded Patchwork Top Handle, I don’t love it. At all. Not even a little. It kind of makes my eyes hurt to look at it. This isn’t just a winking reference to 80s ridiculousness – this is taking something that was already fug back then and making it more fug and more expensive 25 years later. And I, for one, am not fooled and not impressed. In order to do “retro” correctly, a designer has to somehow make it sleeker and more modern than it was to begin with, and there’s nothing about this bag that looks updated in the least. It wasn’t cute then, and it’s not cute now, sadly; it’s a retro-gone-wrong monstrosity. Even if this bag was given to me for free, I sincerely doubt I would wear it to anything but a costume party. Buy through LuisaViaRoma for € 810.00.

Remember when you were young and you looked forward to sleepovers? I loved having my friends over but I also loved going to their houses. I would fold up my Strawberry Shortcake sleeping bag and pack up a small bag with what I might need and patiently wait for my parents to drive me to my friend’s house. Well, although my Strawberry Shortcake sleeping bag days are over and I am a grown up, I should carry a grown up bag when I head on a weekend excursion. The Pauric Sweeney Overnight 1 Python Bag is definitely a grown up bag. We’ve shared some fabulous Pauric Sweeney handbags in the past. These people really know how to work with exotic materials, and this bag is no exception. I love the sand colored python, accented with nubuck leather handles, charms on these handles, silver metal hardware and contrasting tweed lining. The python material looks so smooth and flake free (which any good python should be). This would be a great bag to pack up as you are whisked away for a surprise weekend getaway! A little pricey, but if nothing else, at least it is nice to look at! Buy through Net-a-Porter for $2720.

Very rarely do I find myself speechless. Yet at this very moment, I do feel like I am bordering on the verge of speechless. For the life of me I cannot decide if this handbag is a complete disaster or a bit of handbag genius. (Make sure to click on the image to get an enlarged view.) At first glance I definitely found myself saying “oh no, no, no, NO!”. As I kept looking, I started wondering which celeb or socialite might actually be able to pull off this look. The Thomas Wylde Ibiza Suede Bag is without a doubt a handbag made for a very select group of people. Taupe suede, pewter hardware and obviously fringe and bead detailing galore makes this bag what it is – a lot to look at. In relation to all of the embellishments on the bag, it seems rather small (Width 7″; Height 9″; Depth 4″; Handle Drop 25″). Moreover, what would you wear this with? The only thing I could think of was a pair of jeans, a white t-shirt or blouse and sandals or cowboy boots? And wait just a second, take a look at the price tag! So back to my initial question is this a disaster or genius? Buy through Net-a-Porter for $2200.

We have officially entered the month of February, which is many times thought of as the month of love. Not only will February 2009 have Valentine’s Day but a week later Vlad and I will celebrate our marriage. This month is filled with love and we want to share the love with you all. For the first 14 days of February we will be featuring at least one designer a day and each designer will Spread the Love with Purse Blog! From their plans for Valentine’s Day this year to their favorite memory to the best bag from their collection for a Valentine’s Day gift, we will be spreading the love with you all. Make sure to check back at least twice a day to read more about some of our favorite designers.

Because shopping sale items does not cause nearly as much wallet heart-ache, you should definitely check out the Net A Porter Winter Clearance Sale! Enter the promo code ‘WINTERUSA’ at checkout to receive an additional 20% off. This means many designer items are practically free. Love it.

Some brands do not get the recognition they deserve. Harder to locate in the US, Valextra is a brand that is as timeless and well crafted as Hermes yet their bags lack the waitlists that Hermes once had and the exposure. Valextra flies under the radar. And this is precisely how they like it. Their bags speak for themselves. No need for seasonal bags, rather every Valextra bag I have seen is extremely well made and will be a piece that will never loose its luxury. The house iconic bag is the Valextra Boston. When I received and reviewed the bag this past July I was amazed. Lightweight yet sturdy and simple yet striking, Valextra Boston Bags are purely timeless. Timeless is not a word that I love to use, but sometimes it perfectly fits certain brands and designs. And while the Barneys New York store carried Valextra, it was very hard to find elsewhere. Now it is online and accessible to all of us in the US at Barneys! If you want to delve into this brand start with the Boston bag. Available in large ($3,170), medium ($2,380), and small ($2,190), there is a size and color for you. This is a piece I would hands down stand behind and tell you to invest in. I plan to do so myself, possibly in a luscious exotic skin. Because that would be purely divine. Buy Valextra through Barneys.