Prada Handbags and Purses (Page 3)

To fully judge the bags from Prada Fall 2011, I strongly urge you to look at the collection as a whole. If you like Prada’s quirky retro-futurisim, you will love the 60s mod quasi-innocence of what Miuccia put together, and in the context of fall’s Prada girl, the bags make perfect sense. The highly textured collection lends itself to simple, single-material bags; after all, if your ensemble already has fur, paillettes and a pair of glitter and python boots, you probably don’t need a handbag that competes for attention.

That being said, I wonder how the bags will sell when removed from the spectacular clothing that provided them with a backdrop for them during the runway show. They’re simple and luxurious, but they lose some of the magic of the mod look when considered on their own. Still, Prada’s overall output for fall is easily my favorite of the season thus far, so I wouldn’t worry too much for the company’s coffers.

When you see a petite quilted flap bag with a chain strap that is intertwined with the same material as the bag itself, it’s difficult not to think only of Chanel. The Prada Printed Chain Shoulder Bag didn’t immediately cause that association in my head, though. Rather, my first thought was, “Ooh, nice print.”

Whether or not you like this bag probably hinges largely on whether or not you like Prada’s famous patterns, which are always sharp and interesting, as opposed to girly or traditionally pretty. I love them, no matter how difficult they may make it to fit a bag like this into a wardrobe. During warmer months, I think I could make it happen, though.

In a fashion landscape so varied and eccentric that the simultaneous embrace of leopard, lace, military-chic and minimalism doesn’t seem all that far-fetched or contradictory in the least, sometimes we forget the charms of a simple, good thing. You know who doesn’t forget that kind of stuff? Miuccia Prada. The Prada Saffiano Lux Tote is exactly the kind of bag I want to turn to when I’m feeling trend-weary.

It’s almost unfair to sit here in the doldrums of November and be forced to look at Prada Resort 2011 handbags, and days like today make it all the more clear that fashion’s season cycle is set up to make consumers (and bloggers) continually want what we can’t quite have or use. Even if Prada’s python- and crocodile-accented linen bags were available today, I wouldn’t have anything to do with them. They’d just sit next to me on the couch while I complain about the weather on Twitter. Under lots of blankets, of course.

But one day, the sun shall shine again and I shall leave the house without a coat, I know it, and for those days, one of these little bags would be a fun thing to have. I don’t think I could ever justify spending Prada amounts of money on linen or straw, but if money were no object, I’d love to have all three of these bags for the imaginary midwinter cruise that I’m going to be taking in my head. Wait, never mind, not an imaginary cruise. I don’t want to get stuck at sea and have to eat my imaginary Prada bag to stay alive. It’ll be an imaginary flight to the Bahamas instead.

Larger photos and purchasing information, after the jump.

Prada’s design aesthetic is very particular, in fact many of us could pick the Prada bags out of a handbag line-up in a jiffy. This Prada Cervo Satchel is no different. The reason I needed to share it with you is because its simplicity is striking. Sometimes that speaks volumes for a bag. There is a bit of urban meets sophisticated meets casual, which works entirely well for this bag.

Prada keeps slipping below our radar. Their bags easily become predictable, which doesn’t always work well when we expect new and enthralling. Does this bag get the job done?

It’s always disappointing when the handbags are the least impressive part of any collection, but with a line as inventive and exciting as Prada Spring 2011, I guess something had to get the short shrift. The collection’s shoes (which you can check out over at TalkShoes) were the best of the season thus far, but the handbags left a bit to be desired for luxury lovers.

In keeping with the trends we’ve seen in Milan so far, Prada went for bright colors and multihued designs. Most of the stripes came on a canvas background, and I’ll be interested to see if any of those bags are translated to leather for retail. In fact, if the bags had been made of leather from the outset instead of featuring so much canvas, my take on the collection would be lightyears more positive – I just can’t get excited for high-priced cotton, even though I think the aesthetic ideas are strong and interesting.

After a successful first round in July, the good folks at RueLaLa are staging another irresistible Madison Avenue Couture event. The big sale launches tomorrow, September 9th and the selection of designer bags, shoes and accessories include brands like Gucci, Prada, Armani, Chanel, Louis Vuitton and many more. We can expect a vast variety of styles, with prices ranging from $200 to $2,000.

This is not one to miss. Grab an invite and make sure to hit the event early, as desired pieces vanish off the virtual racks in minutes.

Sign up for RueLaLa here!