Totes (Page 7)

One thing that a lot of designers seem to have a very hard time doing is creating a bag that is both expensive-looking and covered in animal print. It’s not surprising since animal print is historically “tacky chic” at best, and at worst, just plain tacky. Getting past the initial “eww, is that zebra?” thought is a difficult sell for a lot of handbag customers in particular, since most people prefer their expensive bags to be neutral and timeless.

Somehow, though, the Roger Vivier Zebra Tote manages to look luxurious and chic in a traditional way, while still being boldly and obviously animal print. How did the designer pull it off? I have a theory, of course.

It’s been a while since I’ve had the pleasure of writing about a Nancy Gonzalez handbag, and I think I’ve figured out why: I can never tell when they’re new. I don’t mean to say that they all look alike, but…a lot of them look alike. Although I guess if a design isn’t broken, you don’t fix it.

The Nancy Gonzalez Navy Croc Tote surely isn’t broken. In fact, it looks like a completely functional yet totally elegant answer to most women’s need for an everyday bag. Plus, because it’s Nancy Gonzalez, it’s also and exotic at a relatively reasonable price.

Before we go any further, does Chanel‘s website make anyone else sort of dizzy and motion sick, or am I just way too sensitive to that sort of thing? Websites where brands make their bags run frantically from side to side make my head spin, and that website structure makes me find something else to look at almost immediately.

In this case, however, I persevered in order to find the Chanel Rubber Effect Python Signature Tote. Was my nausea worth it? I think it was, but then again, I do have an unnatural affinity for everything black.

Not too long ago, I wrote about a neoprene Marc by Marc Jacobs handbag on PurseBlog Savvy that I absolutely love, and I explained exactly why I think that neoprene is a cool material bags. I still think that’s absolutely true, and I still love the bag, but I just don’t know if I can justify to myself spending $350 for a bag that’s not leather.

The Gucci Techno Horsebit Large Tote, also made mostly out of neoprene, has put the price of the Marc by Marc Jacobs bag in stark perspective. And, in it’s own way, it’s made me more likely to spend money it.

Some bags aren’t that hard to evaluate online – either they’re pretty straightforward, or the brand does things similarly enough from season to season that there are rarely surprises in construction or materials. For instance, I feel comfortable passing judgment on a Gucci bag without seeing it in person; I’ve seen enough of them in my life to be able to extrapolate information from those experiences. The same goes for Louis Vuitton.

Valentino, however, is one brand with which I’m not quite so comfortable making those same calls. Their bags are so intricate and tactile that their actual visages are often not faithful to handbag portraiture, and seeing and feeling them in person is always preferable. Thankfully, I’ve gotten the chance to do just that with the Valentino Laceland Tote.

I’m so in to texture right now. From pintucking, ruching and pleating all the way to leather flowers a la Valentino, I want designers to show me what they can do with the material we’re all so used to seeing.

I think that my current obsession makes sense, though. Texture requires creativity and vision, but its implementation in a design rarely makes a bag less functional or useful – it’s the perfect added element to make a bag really special. Take the Agnona Pleated Leather Tote, for example: the weaving and pleating combine to make the bag more than just an average black tote.

Lest we all had forgetten after seeing one too many soft, wonderful Valentino bags, Dolce & Gabbana has a stark reminder for us: ruffles aren’t easy, man. Not when leather is involved.

The key to successful leather ruffles is to make them so light and airy that you forget that what you’re looking at is a thick, hardy material out of which they also make car interiors. The illusion is what’s important, and if the designer can’t take the materials and make something greater than the sum of its parts, then the whole design doesn’t work. Sadly, that’s the situation we find ourselves in with the Dolce & Gabbana Miss Heather Shopper.