Novelty Bags

Shirt found on eBay

I think I get the reference here. I really think I do. I think Maison Martin Margiela is trying to give a not-so-sly nod to those eternally unfashionable t-shirts from the late 80s and early 90s with majestically airbrushed scenes of wolves or tigers or other predatory beasts on them. Their wearers could often be found in arcades, playing Dance Dance Revolution and sipping a slurpy.

Or now, they’ve experienced a new awakening with ironic Brooklyn hipsters, who will mine second-hand stores for anything awful and too tight to wear, possibly as some sort of mating call to other hipsters. I don’t understand this logic and don’t pretend to understand it, but there it is. So.

And now, as with all stupid grassroots trends, an ‘edgy’ designer has co-opted it and decided to charge big bucks for those that want to get the trend without going to the thrift shop. For this particular piece of pop culture, the Maison Martin Margiela Airbrushed Wolf Bag has an airbrushed wolf head on the side of a while leather hobo (incidentally, the white leather hobo by itself would be something I would carry – very soft-looking and unstructured; very much my style). Words simply fail me here. There’s nothing to say about the utter stupidity of this bag (and its price tag, which is absolutely asinine for what is no more than a novelty item) that isn’t glaringly obvious just from the photo. So, have at it in the comments. Buy through eLuxury for $1,195.

Twisted, surprising and controversial. Three attributes that guarantee success.

Designer Yael Mer of Raw Edges is responsible for this unique piece. While our tPF members may find it creepy, I find it entirely brilliant. Apparently, the biblical story about Judith and Holofernes and its visual representation from the Renaissance were inspiration for the design of the bag. I can not relate to either the story, nor its representations from the fancy times of rebirth, but I think that this novelty bag adds great shock effect to spice up your daily wardrobe. You may have some explaining to do if a cop stopped you with a drawn gun, telling you to hand over possible homicide evidence, but it’s totally a risk I’d be willing to take!

Not sure where to get it and for how much, you can probably find out by emailing.

Would you wear it?

Fendi Artist Baguette

This is the handbag that keeps on giving. Apparently the designers at Fendi decided they were completely out of ideas and thought it would be genius to give you a blank bag to let you scribble all over it. And there you have the Fendi Artist Baguette, the do-it-yourself handbag that allows you to paint all over the white canvas with markers. Markers? Not even chic paints? No, of course not paints, not any material that would give an artist a way to possibly design a better bag than Fendi could come up with themselves. You know, I like this idea. The idea is great for the family that has so much money little Suzie would love to color on a designer purse for her 5th birthday. I got a coloring book for my 5th birthday, but little Suzie, the heiress to the post-it dynasty, would love a blank Fendi bag. I find it humorous that Fendi credits their success to three main factors- creativity, technology, and craftsmanship. Creativity, really? Oh ok I did not realize this blank white bag with markers is a creative idea. The only person left to be creative is the buyer, who already has to front over a thousand dollars for this bag. But this idea could be loved by our artistic-minded handbag lovers out there. The important thing is that I do not get one of these bags myself. The artistic gene skipped a generation when it comes to hands-on-arts-and-crafts, so unless I want to look like I am stuck in the 1st grade, I better steer clear of this handbag. Pre-order through Saks for $1,300.

Lulu Guinness ‘My Heart Belongs to You’ Clutch

With so many serious and stressful issues we deal with in the world, it is always a plus to have a little fun. Lulu Guinness is all abut adding quirky humor to many of her bags. A favorite of mine, especially to whip out on Valentine’s Day, is the Lulu Guinness ‘My Heart Belongs to You’ Clutch. It is poking fun at the way many of us move from man to man, from Bert to Alec to Jack, ending up at *you* of course. And clearly, once you have moved to that new ‘you’ there is no one else that your heart belongs too. The purse is designed with satin and embroidered with the names on the front. On the inside there is red lining and a hand mirror. This clutch helps us all lighten up a little. I do think that if you pull it out your date may be a little wary of your commitment issues, but really, who didn’t have those at one point or another in their dating life. Buy through Lulu Guinness for about $100.

The new coveted designer on the block is Judith Leiber. Not that Leiber is new, but her designs have come to the forefront as the must have high end bag. Yet her bags are more of an art form, a piece that can be carried one or twice then put on display in your home. The designs are so meticulous, infusing thousands of crystals, that the thought of bumping this bag against anything other than a cashmere pillow makes me cringe. So while I will save up for the perfect evening Leiber piece, that will undoubtedly end up on showcase tucked away in a china cabinet, I can imagine adding these small Leiber pieces to satiate my need. Ultra tiny and cute, the Leiber Coin Purse Minaudiere will look perfectly chic being pulled out of your handbag for the evening. I would still tuck this piece away carefully, but it is so tiny and fun, that I can not resist loving it. Available in ruby, rhine (clear), or cosmo jet (black) crystals, this coin purse features silver tone hardware and a kiss lock closure with a jeweled detail top. It is a mini bag and completely not necessary, yet so cute it can make sense. Dimensions are small, like mentioned, a mere 1 3/4″H X 1 1/2″W X 1″D. And lucky the price is still ‘reasonable’. $195 at Saks.

Symbolizing temptation and eroticism, the snake has been a creature of great mystery. Judith Leiber touches on the temptation of the snake, as it was used to tempt Eve and take over her heart. To an outsider, the Judith Leiber Heart & Snake Miniaudiere is simple, but the symbolism runs deep, alluding to sin and evil along with lust and eroticism. The Austrian black crystal embellishments take over the heart, showing it is dark and tainted, with the silver-tone snake overture and hardware. Beyond symbolism, this miniaudiere features and optional chain strap, double-sided mirror, and matching coin purse. This piece is a conversation piece, used to get people thinking. Some may be offended, some may take it lightly, but either way this piece has symbolism that runs much deeper than merely an evening bag. Pre-order via Neiman Marcus for $1995.

Meaning elusive in French, the Insaisissable poem is written on the front of the Henry Cuir Insaisissable Poem Tote. There is something about the romantic languages that is completely alluring and compelling, which means carrying a handbag with a French poem adorned on the front is sexy. The tote itself is simple, with contrast stitching, tab and drawstring closure, and a leather shoulder strap. The tote is made to showcase the Insaisissable poem. So for those of you who speak French, can you translate the zoomed part of the poem? Buy via Barneys for $1,495.

There was a time when I was certain the Hermes Diamond Crocodile Birkin was superfluous and one of the most, if not THE most, expensive bag in the world (costing $140,000). Move on over Hermes, the Diamond studded platinum handbag designed by jewelery maker Ginza Tanaka cost a whopping $1.63 million to make. A stunning piece of art, this bag puts the spotlight on 2,182 diamonds totaling 208 carats. This creation was put on display in a fashion show in Tokyo. If you are really interested in buying, I am sure you could, but I will just be a looker. And we all thought that $3,000 on a handbag was pushing the envelope .

{Via}

If I could explain the fascination easily, then you would all find my sister and I crazy, but let me just say that my older sister and I have a special place in our hearts for pigs. It is a total inside joke. I am a huge fan of Leiber Miniaudiere’s and have been waiting until I begin attending more galas and events that would call for such an elegant art piece. I was tickled to see the new Judith Leiber Pigtail Miniaudiere which resembles a chubby pig like that of Wilbur from Charlotte’s Web. This handcrafted designer art piece is fully beaded with multicolor Austrian crystals from head to toe on top of silver tone hardware and a push lock closure. Even better is the fact that a double-sided mirror and matching coin purse are included. I am not head over heels about the detachable chain shoulder strap, because I think the pig would look a tad silly just dangling off your body and heaven forbid it falls down. Cute piggy dimensions are 4 1/2″H x 3 1/2″W. Now this would not be a Leiber piece for my mother, but for a chic and still somewhat young girl like myself, it would be perfect. Pre-order via Bergdorf Goodman for $3600.

I will be the first to admit that my collection of handbags lacks a croc bag. It makes me sad at times, like I am doing exotic bags an injustice. Don’t get me wrong, I want a croc bag but I just have to find the perfect one. And right now, as much as a croc Birkin would be amazing, it is not on the ‘I can afford this or even get my hands on it’ realistic list. I am fairy certain that I will add a Nancy Gonzalez croc bag to my collection soon, but there can still be contenders. It is time to check out a bag and say Yay or Nay! The Henry Cuir Crocodile Eucaliptus Bag is a large frame bag made with a softer looking croc skin and chunky stitching. I am not really drawn to it. It looks like the croc piece starts over after the middle break in the bag, which is a major turn off to me. Even the coloring looks different, while I would want a mirror image when split down the middle. And it is still pricey; a whopping $6200 via Barneys.

So what do you say? Yay or Nay?