Lanvin Handbags and Purses

I’ve been trying all week to think of something appropriate to say about the Lanvin Amalia Patchwork Snakeskin Tote and I just…can’t. I can’t! It’s Friday and I’m out of words, and this bag might be so complicated that it has now damaged my eyesight, which makes any attempts on my part to accurately review it utterly futile. So! That’s where you guys come in.

In today’s rousing game of Fill in the Blank, I want you to describe this tote to me. Y’all know how this works – either finish the title sentence in the comments or take a gander at this bag over at Nordstrom, where it’s priced at $3498.

Lanvin isn’t a company that messes with its stable of handbags often. Sure, seasonal styles come and go, but rarely does the French house launch a new design that will be added to the small group of bags that it produces season after season. Staring with Summer 2011, the Lanvin JL Bowling Bag will be the newest piece on that very short list.

The bag, named for Jeanne Lanvin, comes in several sizes and a variety of leathers and colors right off the bat. The photo above and those after the jump all feature the medium size, but Lanvin indicates that a smaller version, shoulder bag and clutch will also be available. The smaller bowler in black or chestnut leather is already available via Bergdorf Goodman for $2545, and the medium python iteration can be found at Luisa Via Roma for $5950. The rest of the prices for the range have yet to be announced. Check out some more pictures after the jump and let us know how you feel about these new bags in the comments!

Lanvin Minaudiere Satin Shell Clutch, $1490 via Net-a-Porter

In general, a good rule of them is that two is a coincidence, three’s a trend. If that’s the case, then I’m ready to call shell bags a full-on fad; not only did Versace and Chanel both show shell purses during their respective Spring 2012 runway shows, but now Lanvin has dropped the Lanvin Minaudiere Satin Shell Clutch. That’s three, y’all. Can you hear the Trend Siren going off?

Last week, I went with a few friends to see the Collection of Elizabeth Taylor at Christie’s in NYC. From extravagant evening gowns to Chanel bags galore, there was a wide array of items to see. But the driving force behind this viewing for the majority of people there was Liz Taylor’s jewels, and boy did they sparkle! I found plenty of items that were gorgeous (but not quite my taste) that I will forever dream about owning. The overall theme was diamonds, as they were found on nearly every single piece of jewelry she owned.

And just as the saying goes, “diamonds are a girls best friend”, I was completely enamored with all of the bling. So I have been in a diamond state of mind for over a week and recently the Lanvin Diamond-Print Canvas Tote popped up on Net-A-Porter.

Lanvin Madame Lanvin Shoulder Bag, $2485. Lanvin Runway Tortoise Bag, $3850. Both via Neiman Marcus.

For me, the most interesting element of tiny, structured bags like the Lanvin Madame Lanvin Shoulder Bag and Lanvin Runway Tortoise Shoulder Bag is the discipline required to carry one. Long have most of us been accustomed to dumping everything we might need into our handbags and lugging that stuff with us all day; the big-bag trends of the last five years gave us that luxury.

Now that things have swung back in the complete opposite direction, you’re required to carefully plan and pack your possessions in order to successfully carry one of these bags. Having shlepped bags both big and small, I can resolutely say that I’d rather carry a little bag with only a couple of things any day.

Lanvin Gypsie Straw and Snakeskin Tote, $2190 via Bergdorf Goodman

When a bag is as popular as the Celine Luggage Tote, it’s only logical that other brands will try to stand in the reflected glow of the design’s success by debuting bags that share certain characteristics with the one that everyone wants. This practice is as old as time, and it’s how trends in size, shape and color start. As long as the reinterpretation is reasonably original, it generally doesn’t bother me as a consumer.

Even with that in mind, though, I was surprised to see the Lanvin Gypsie Straw and Snakeskin Tote in the Resort 2012 pre-orders at Bergdorf Goodman. Lanvin tends to be a brand that shirks most trends in favor of its own brand of Parisian chic, so even though I don’t have a philosophical problem with the existence of this bag, I didn’t think I’d ever see it.

Images via Vogue.com

Yes! Finally! Thank you, Lanvin. This has been a down season for handbags thus far, at least on the runway. With almost every show that I expect to wow me, I come away a tad disappointed, and I was fearful that the same would happen with Lanvin Spring 2012. Alber Elbaz didn’t let me down, though; he never does. By now, that should be self-evident.

Perhaps the most exciting thing about Lanvin’s bags is that they seem designed to carry things. Yes, that’s right, a designer has deigned to recognize that even our clutches have to be big enough to hold the essentials. The entire collection was clearly designed for a woman who has functional needs from her wardrobe, and the bags reflected that perhaps more than anything else. The fabrication, of course, was immaculate – the leather, sturdy but not inflexible, and the edges as crisp as anything I’ve seen this season.