Judith Leiber is one of those brands that you don’t often see at a big discount. Leiber’s tiny, sparkly evening bags are a favorite of collectors and hold a special place in the heart of so many bag owners that seasonal discounts are often unnecessary; one of her bags is like dessert after a steady diet of functional, durable leather bags.

That’s why the Judith Leiber sale at Gilt Groupe is all the more exciting – these are some seriously good prices on some incredibly special bags. My favorite is at top right, the one with the large, lovely, emerald-cut multichrome crystals. Check out the entire selection via Gilt Groupe, but don’t delay – the sale ends tomorrow.

Perusing the Judith Leiber Resort 2012 offerings now available for advanced order on Moda Operandi is almost soothing. In the giant, endless parade of new ideas that is the fashion industry, Leiber’s commitment season after season to the company’s whimsical crystal-encrusted evening bags are a shelter in the storm. You know what you’ll find, even if you’re not sure exactly how it will take shape.

For Resort 2012, the theme is…resorts. See? Pleasantly straight-foward. There are shell clutches as well as a few box minaudieres named after famous streets in American resort towns (and inexplicably, one named after a mall in Atlanta). The collection also include a full line of evening bags dedicated to the twelve signs of the zodiac, perfect for the astrology nut in your life. (But seriously, Mercury Retrograde is not something to mess with.) If you have a Moda Operandi membership, you can pre-order the bags there until July 28th. If not, we have more highlights from the collection after the jump.

Even if most women don’t have many occasions on which they might use a Judith Leiber clutch, looking at the tiny, sparkly, intricately beaded evening bags is a pastime in which we can all participate. Bergdorf Goodman has recently added a six-bag Judith Leiber Fall 2011 preview to its website, which not only gives us a closer look at what Leiber is doing for the season, but also lets you pre-order from the selection for delivery at the end of July, if you’re so inclined. Pictures and prices, after the jump.

Judith Leiber Houston Semiprecious Beaded Clutch, $4995 via Bergdorf Goodman

Judith Leiber Genie Lamp Minaudiere, $5995 via Bergdorf Goodman

Judith Leiber Ladybug Minaudiere, $4495 via Bergdorf Goodman

Judith Leiber Fizzy Studded Envelope Clutch, $1595 via Bergdorf Goodman

Judith Leiber Fizzy Envelope Clutch, $1995 via Bergdorf Goodman

I know that we’re all supposed to put on a happy face, sing holiday songs and pretend like we just love dealing with our various and assorted sociopathic family members this time of year, but let’s face it – Christmas is often as stressful as it is exciting. I’m blessed with a small extended family, almost all of whom I get along with swimmingly, but not everyone is so lucky. If you’re one of the people who will have to drink for your entire trip home so that you don’t stab your sister-in-law with a fork, then perhaps a little present to yourself is in order. Might I suggest something sparkly, fun and entirely anti-utilitarian like the Judith Leiber Crystal and Bead Embellished Clutch?

Sparkles always preoccupy me at this time of year because of the looming New Year’s Eve parties, but I think that this clutch is cool enough to grab my attention no matter the season. Leiber’s work is usually relegated to the use of tiny crystals, so seeing larger-scale beadwork on one of the brand’s clutches feels a bit refreshing. The geometric pattern that these beads create is perfect, and the amber-gold color manages to stay just this side of tacky. If you need to treat yourself and something like this is within your budget, this is an evening bag that you’ll have for the rest of your life. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $1995.

Some designers try to go in eight directions at once, but generally, Judith Leiber only has one goal, and that’s to create the sparkliest, shiniest collection of evening bags known to man. The company once again took on that task for Spring 2011, but it also tried its hand at the occasional exotic skin and day bag, standard Leiber flourishes of which not everyone is aware. And other than one exquisite white lizard clutch, I really wish Leiber had stuck with its signature crystals.

The python bags aren’t bad, per se, but they don’t have nearly the level of intricacy or perfection that one might normally expect from the company that made its name bedazzling everything from ducks to dachshunds. They’re simply average, whereas the rest of the collection features the kind of extraordinary detail work that we’ve come to expect from Judith Leiber. Although one nontraditional offering from Spring 2011 does impress: a tie-dyed leather bow clutch that might be the most effective use of the coloring technique that I’ve ever seen on a bag.

Photos via Style.com.

Exceptionally few people can rationalize the purchase of one of Leiber’s tiny, crystal-encrusted minaudieres. Even some women who could potentially afford them don’t go to the kind of events that would allow one to carry, say, a miniature, glittering dachshund. But a wedding, the most formal (and some would say most important) day in a woman’s life, just might provide the perfect opportunity to purchase a very special little handbag.

If you’ve seen any wedding photos recently (I’m in my mid-20s, I’ve seen enough on Facebook to last me for the rest of my life, thankyouverymuch), it’s hard not to notice what a prominent place wedding shoes have taken in the visual imagery of the day. There’s no logical reason that wedding bags can’t gain some of that adoration, and with bags like this three-tier confection, brides will surely want them documented as part of their special days. According to Women’s Wear Daily, Leiber’s wedding bags will be lined in blue silk (something blue, get it?) and retail from $995 to $7000, with silk, crystal-hardware accented bags falling at the lower end of the range and full crystal pieces ringing in closer to the $7000 mark. The line will debut in February, in time for the spring wedding season.

Source: Women’s Wear Daily

It’s difficult to imagine a context in which the Judith Leiber Crystal Chain Strap Clutch could be considered “restrained,” and yet that’s exactly what this evening bag is, when compared to a Swarovski-studded Dachsund.

Art Deco-inspired fashion has an exuberance and life to it that I just love – we had just emerged from the first World War and had yet to see the Great Depression, the Holocaust or the Cold War. The economy was booming, opportunity appeared to be everywhere, and you can see that reflected in the clothing and design that reached acclaim during the era. The lines and colors in this minaudiere are clearly referential of that era, and it makes me want to go out and find a spangly, drop-waist party frock with which to pair it. Buy through Saks for $2495.

If you haven’t realized that leopard print is a huge and soon-to-be omnipresent trend for fall, you haven’t been paying very close attention. In fact, we discussed the impending importance of leopard bags just last month.

As with all things, though, bedazzler to the stars Judith Leiber is here to take the trend to its absurdly literal extreme. If you’re attending a very glamourous event this fall and want to be on-trend, these clutches are one of the best (and sparkliest) ways to do it. My favorite is the tiger – which would you choose? Pricing information and larger images, after the jump.

Judith Leiber Leopard Clutch, $5495 via Net-a-Porter.

Judith Leiber Zebra Clutch, $4995 via Net-a-Porter.

Judith Leiber Tiger Clutch, $5495 via Net-a-Porter.

The method of inlaying more closely resembles the Louis Vuitton, as does the diagonal inlay, while the color choice is more similar to the Lanvin. The major difference is that the bag is framed with gold, which unfortunately gives me flashbacks to the 80s – as a result, this clutch is my least favorite of the three.

This design doesn’t work as well as either of the previous clutches – it’s all Dynasty without much of the winking charm of a retro update, mostly because there’s little “update” to be found. Leiber is usually a master of the evening bag, but you’d be better suited to go with either the Louis Vuitton or Lanvin versions of this trend.

Price and release information are not yet available. Pictures via Women’s Wear Daily.

Shop Judith Leiber via Net-a-Porter!

Only Judith Leiber would design a clutch in the likeness of a Dachshund.

You know what? I almost always am team Judith Leiber. I can find the fun and enjoyment each bag can bring to a different wearer or carrier. But the only person I can imagine loving the Judith Leiber Dachshund Crystal Clutch is a Dachshund lover. Don’t get me wrong, there is a large group of people who love these cute dogs. But is anyone in this group also a handbag aficionado that wants to spend almost $6,000 on crystal clutch. I can’t answer that. And that is why this clutch is a bit harder for me to stomach.

Many Leiber pieces are art pieces that I imagine being put on display in a cabinet behind glass doors in your home. And if you love Dachshunds, that may be exactly what you would do with this clutch. I have to hand it to Judith Leiber, the clutch closely resembles the adorable dog breed that has been known as the “weiner dog”. Hey, weiner dogs even make a cute Leiber clutch. But is the appeal there to sell this bag?

This is not the Leiber piece for me, not by a long mile, but it is attention-grabbing enough to cover. Buy through Net A Porter for $5,795.