Images via Celine

Despite making some of the most sought-after handbags in the world right now, the Celine runway show is never a reliable place to look for the next It Bag. Phoebe Philo tends to keep her catwalk minimal, so show-watchers only get a chance to see a couple of handbag designs. Luckily, we’ve found some press photos of both the runway bags and a couple that didn’t appear in the show, and we’ve assembled what we know so far of Celine Spring 2012 after the jump. It looks like the brand is in for another can’t-miss accessories season.

Alexander McQueen Cathedral Skull Box Clutch, $2960 via Net-a-Porter

Longtime PurseBlog readers already know how I feel about Alexander McQueen‘s skull clutches. They’re easily my favorite line of evening bags ever, and the legacy of McQueen as a brand always manages to shine through in their design, even though a box clutch is an exceptionally tiny canvas. If I had unlimited income, I’d collect these bags, and I can’t say that about any other brand on the market right now.

Without question, the Alexander McQueen Cathedral Skull Box Clutch would be the crown jewel of that collection. If I were to carry it, the bag would serve as a tiny gilded cage for my belongings, but let’s face it – this is the kind of bag that I’d want to display instead of use.

Leo & Tricia Pillbox Clutch, $168 via Free People

It’s a great time of year for “Friends and Family” coupon codes and midseason sales on the stuff that was just a tad out of reach two months ago, particularly in the more sale-friendly contemporary market. While I was making an order at FreePeople.com today, I wandered over to the site’s handbag section to see if it contained any hidden treasures, and what I found confused me. A Bottega Veneta Knot Clutch? No, what you see above is a Leo & Tricia Pillbox Clutch, it merely looks a lot (a lot) like a the iconic Knot Clutches we all know and love.

Phase I of of PurseForum + Rebecca Minkoff Exclusive Bag Design Collaboration took the PurseForum readers and voters by storm. The overwhelming number of votes went to the coveted Satchel, which we all know Rebecca Minkoff designs amazingly. Phase II is well underway and this is the phase I have been most excited about.

Have you ever wanted to tell a designer EXACTLY what you want to see in a handbag? How you prefer adjustable straps or tech-friendly pockets or a zipper top? Now is your chance, and I am not sure anyone has been able to say this before. With the help of every reader, customer, and Rebecca Minkoff fan girl, the final bag design will take into account your direct feedback.

Time is running out for an unprecedented opportunity, one in which you can speak to a designer and tell her what you want to see. With your votes and direct input, the finished product may be exactly what you are looking for. How amazing is that?

Take part in Phase II of our exclusive collaboration now!

Images via Racked.com

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that Versace x H&M is the high-low collaboration of the season. Slated to debut at select stores on November 17, the collection includes everything from leather jackets and dresses to a few home goods, which is a first for H&M’s designer dabblings. What’s relevant to us, of course, is that the partnership has also produced bags.

Unfortunately, like the regular Versace line, the purses are the line’s low point. The collection includes a dress and jacket made out of real leather, which could possibly indicate that some of the bags are genuine as well (although I couldn’t find anything indicating their fabrication), but the hardware removes any doubt that what you’re carrying is from H&M. The rest of the collection has some very fun, colorful pieces, but the handbags just aren’t among them. As far as prices go, I could only find the price information for one of them – the small black studded bag, which worked out to about $110 from the British price list on which I found it. Pictures of the rest of the bags are after the jump.

(Also, a side question: Did anyone else glimpse the charm based on the traditional Versace trim out of the corner of their eye and think it was a swastika for a split second? Just me?)

The Row Leather and Suede Doctor Bag, $4750 via Net-a-Porter

Ambition is a laudable characteristic in American culture, but when it crosses over into hubris, people’s reactions start to change from positive to negative. Although the buying public might approve of a young designer trying new things that necessitate a somewhat steep price tag, the attitude changes when the young designers in question are filthy rich former child stars and the prices are reminiscent of Hermes and other venerable, historical houses that have earned their reputations and price tags over the span of generations.

That, of course, is the story behind bags like The Row Leather and Suede Doctor Bag. With a price tag of nearly five grand and no exotic leather in sight, the line has generated as much negative chatter as positive among handbag lovers. When you put the price out of your mind, though, this bag is actually a downright lovely accessory.