Images via Loewe

Without a doubt, I count myself as a fan of the Loewe Spring 2012 collection as a whole. Stuart Vevers has done amazing things for the brand in his relatively short time as its creative director, and his vision showed its merit all over the Spanish company’s Paris Fashion Week presentation. I’m just not sure I love the handbags, which are the thing for which Loewe is best known.

I’ve seen enough this season to be pretty sure that the shoulder bag (and the hobo specifically) might be ready for a major comeback, but in this collection, the shape reminded me alternately of Pierre Hardy and Gucci, depending on the bag’s details. While these are certainly the types of accessories that women want to carry, I was hoping to see more work that would further distinguish the brand from its peers as past collections had. On that end, Vevers’ vision seems slightly more muddled, at least for this season.

Rebecca Minkoff Chetah M.A.C, $395 via Rebecca Minkoff

Probably one of my favorite bags ever from Rebecca Minkoff is the M.A.C. clutch. Spacious yet compact, the RM team has released this bag in a plethora of designs and materials to give every Minkette the perfect option. From tons of zippers, to metallic snakeskin, to animal prints, I own four Morning After Clutches. I want to make it five by adding the Rebecca Minkoff Cheetah Haircalf M.A.C. to my collection.

You guys, I’m a little disappointed in last night’s episode of Real Housewives of New Jersey, even though it was fairly entertaining. I really wanted to see some part of the bar brawl that lead to the lawsuit that’s currently pending against Teresa, but Bravo pretended like it didn’t happen at all and just showed them eating hibachi instead.

I know that Bravo probably couldn’t show the footage because of the ongoing legal drama, but I was hopeful that they’d be as tasteless as ever and do it anyway. My hopes were dashed, so let’s talk about what actually did happen instead. Because, I mean, we have to talk about something.

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.

Shop all new bags at NETAPORTER.COM

You know how I know it is Monday? When I wake up and check Net-A-Porter.com, new bags have arrived to their virtual storefront. And the group of new arrivals this week has me especially excited. A lot of Christian Louboutin bags with a sprinkling of Victoria Beckham and Miu Miu bags, the new arrivals let us know that dressing for fall and winter is in full force now.

Victoria Beckham continues to reel in her fans with simple refined designs. My vote this week goes to her bags and the lovely Lanvin that has landed as well. Which bags do you love?

Shop new bags at Net-A-Porter.com now!

Images via Vogue.com

Excuse me while I echo the sentiments about the Dior Spring 2012 collection that have already been expressed by everyone else in the fashion industry: It’s kind of a placeholder, yes? Months have passed and Dior still doesn’t have a replacement for John Galliano, so the collection is being designed by what the French call “le studio.” Bill Gaytten, long Galliano’s right-hand man, has taken the reins, along with the rest of the Dior creative team.

The clothes and handbags that they created are serviceable, but not surprising or innovative. The purses are all shapes that we’ve seen before from Dior, but in varied fabrications and colors, much like the clothes were. Dior seems set on making pieces that will retail reasonably well until LVMH can find a real creative voice to lead the brand, and the intention is written all over this collection.

Image via Style.com

At this point, the Fashion Week onslaught from the industry’s media has turned into a furious din of show reviews and Anna Dello Russo pictures that’s starting to drive me just a wee bit off my rocker. One can only look at so many street style photos and catwalk detail shots before one’s brain starts to leak out one’s ear. It’s Friday, and I’m going to pretend like fashion doesn’t exist for the next two days. I’ll catch up on Monday, I promise.

For now, though, I’ll leave you to enjoy the most amusing street style photo I’ve seen all day. This one’s from Style.com’s Tommy Ton, for whom my affection is oft-stated in this space. I believe the image is from London Fashion Week, but I could be wrong. At any rate, it’s two women standing near each other, but not together, with two Celine Luggage Tote that are nearly identical, save for their clearly disparate sizes. (And the colors of their gussets. Ok, so not quite identical.) It’s like the big one birthed the little one. For those of you who are wondering, the little one is a Mini size. The big one? I’m guessing a large, but these things are difficult to gauge from a single photo.