Zagliani is known for injecting their handbags with silicone to add a super buttery feel to the bags. This is true of their python and crocodile bags. But what would make a suede bag from this line special?

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Here at Purse Blog our yearning for more supple leather almost always leads us to Bottega Veneta. We adore the understated simplicity of the designs and can not get enough of the super soft and luxurious leather. When our bank accounts grow to exorbitant levels, we will have our office and homes decked out in Bottega Veneta leather. That is how much we love it.

If you are looking for the most classic design from Bottega Veneta you need to check out the Bottega Veneta Maxi Veneta Hobo. The Veneta is the house staple, a chic hobo that brings together a simple yet timeless look with buttery soft woven leather. Intrecciato, the technique of weaving the leather, is synonymous with the brand.

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I’m underwhelmed, and I hate being underwhelmed. I’m not a huge fan of Prada’s Fall 2009 offerings, and I’m even less of a fan of Prada Spring 2010. So much so that it kind of makes my head hurt.

Memo to the fashion industry: no one wants clear vinyl bags. No one. You guys tried this crap a few seasons ago and thought it would be cute, and they all ended up on the sale rack at the end of the season, and they didn’t even move particularly quickly once discounted. A clear, architectural hard plastic clutch meant to hold three things for a night out, a la Fendi’s Spring 2010 presentation? That’s clear done well.

But a vinyl gray-tinted clear satchel meant to hold the dreck of everyday life, like tampons and your ATM receipts? No thanks. Do not want. Ever. But that, with some jewels stuck to the top and a canvas tote or two thrown in for good measure, is basically what we got. Since Prada does such a big bag collection for every season, this is probably only the tip of the iceberg and several other non-runway mini lines will eventually surface, but if this is any indication of what’s to come, I’ll take a pass.

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The Fendi Spring 2010 Handbags Collection is the very definition of a “mixed bag.” Har har, bag pun. I know, it was bad. I’ll stop.

Anyway, yes, the bags! Some were amazing – the new soft leather Peekaboos with wood or clear plastic handles were among my favorites, and the addition of exposed stitching, combined with the different handle textures, gives the shape a sense of style that it was missing in its more staid initial iterations. The bags look touchable and a bit vintage, just like the rest of Karl Lagerfeld’s breezy, Parisian collection for the brand.

Other standouts were the Perspex beveled clutches, some completely clear, others with slight tints or exterior studding. The bags were, of course, shown with nothing inside of them, and putting anything in them would be kind of a shame, but how else are you supposed to carry them? They were beautiful and a tad whimsical as art objects, and if the stuff you carry inside your clutches is very beautiful, they might be a workable choice.

And on the other hand, some things just didn’t work at all. We saw leather totes in a variety of colors with an odd, pansy-embroidered snap-on linen cover that was not only puzzling but also not particularly attractive, and Fendi would have done well to omit those completely and add more of the delicious Peekaboo styles, along with a few of the other wood-framed clutches and bags, to the collection instead. They were almost distractingly bad, but ultimately the preponderance of beautiful bags won out.

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Today, Vlad and I took a trip to Jungle Island off of Miami Beach. There we mingled with our friends; the colorful, loud, and beautiful parrots. Our friend, Sky the Macaw, was chatting with me about my Gerard Darel Midday Midnight Hobo.

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Get ready to vote! I’ve been hung up on the Emanuel Ungaro Studded Leather Clutch for over a week now. Net-a-Porter is one of my favorite sites to peruse. I love all of the amazing designer bags that the site consistently has in stock. Oh, and when I say “has in stock” I really mean tempt me to the point of Carrie Bradshaw spontaneous shopping sprees. Anyways, this clutch has got me all twisted around and I cannot decide if it is an edgy unique hit or a disastrous miss.

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Oh, the Gossip Girl writers are so cute. This week’s episode even had a theme! And it was identity and if anyone ever changes, and anyone that’s seen much of the series so far already knows that none of these people ever turn over a new leaf. So, a bit predictable. But still: renewal! Change! All things that people think college will afford them, but everyone, including our Upper East Siders, eventually finds out that a change of scenery doesn’t mean a change of self. And these folks didn’t even really change scenery.

So things went as they usually do: Blair and Chuck were narcissistic, Georgina plotted malignantly, Dan had no idea what to make of the women in his life, Secret Brother Scott continued to want to skin Dan and wear him like last year’s Versace, and Serena had poor taste in men. Carter continued his three-episode streak of not wearing a belt.

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I look through a lot of fashion shows and various accessories presentations. It’s an occupational hazard, particularly at this time of year, and it can be a little hypnotizing after a white. Click. Belted shift. Click. High-waisted trousers. Click. Oh, a cropped jacket. Click.

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.

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I am constantly looking for a great black clutch. I am sure you are all too familiar with my absolute adoration for clutches. However, when I was looking in my closet over the weekend, I realized sadly enough, that I don’t have a good black clutch.

Of course my next thought was, do I need a fancy one or more of a casual one? Well, clearly the answer is I need both, but I think I’ll get more use out of a casual black clutch than a fancy one right now. Ask me again around the Holiday season and you are sure to get a different answer. So, going with the casual idea, I want to make sure it is fun and not boring.

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Blake Lively could carry a potato sack and make it look amazing. Obviously, we prefer that she carry a swoon-worthy handbag, which we see her doing time and time again. Late in the summer, Blake was stopping traffic while toting the Donna Karan Eldridge. We covered the this Donna Karan bag with an overall positive feeling. But I yearned to see it in person or on someone.

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