Totes (Page 9)

Believe it or not the house of Lanvin is 120 years old! In the past few years the brand has enjoyed a renewed popularity amongst fashionistas, and we couldn’t be happier. Of course we are fans of the house of Lanvin inspired by the Impressionists and founded by Jeanne Lanvin in 1889. The brand is famous for its pretty delicate palette, detailed trimmings, embroideries and embellishments. Lanvin’s designs experienced a wide popularity in the 1920′s and ’30s and became an icon of roaring ’20s feminine Parisian chic. Today designer Alber Elbaz’s modern touches to the house of Lanvin bring a luxurious edge to its trendsetting designs.

Valentino does two very disparate things very well. They somehow manage to make both bags that are elegant in their simplicity and bags that are fabulous in their over-the-top adornment. Those two design philosophies are at opposite ends of the aesthetic spectrum, and their mastery of both makes them one of the most exciting accessories brands on the market right now.

The Valentino Nappa Studded Bow Tote is a bag of the first type, although the swagger and design confidence is indicative of a brand that has all but mastered the second. Excuse me while I drool all over Valentino for another paragraph or two…

God bless Marc Jacobs and all of the fantastically odd handbag-shaped items that come out of his weird, wonderful head.

I wouldn’t carry the Marc Jacobs Vortex Small Tote even if it was free, but I think it’s great that someone designed and made it. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: sometimes crazy stuff has to be made before a designer hits just the right now. This is not the right note – it’s the crazy stuff before it.

Gossip Girl was a repeat last night, and you do not even want to hear the string of profanity that came out of my mouth when I realized the kind of shenanigans that they were trying to perpetrate on me, and right before the holidays and everything. Don’t they know who they’re dealing with here?!?!

Ahem. Well, even though this all means that we can’t have a Gossip Girl recap, it doesn’t mean that I still can’t make a post that’s tangentially related to the show. I can and I will! And it just so happens that the Valentino Shining Flower Tux 360 Tote, which was the subject of a major plot point during Trip Vanderbilt’s election a few weeks ago, has now become available for pre-order.

I’m usually a bit dubious when Bottega Veneta decides to layer a pattern on top of their signature intrecciato woven leather. The material itself is so beautiful and luxurious that it seem a waste to mask it, and often the extra patterns compete with the weave’s natural lines.

This time, though, I think they got it right – the argyle pattern of the Bottega Veneta Argyle Veneta Intrec Argyle Boston Bag works on its own and with the weaving.

It’s a testament to a bag’s inherent beauty and good design if the color it’s featured in is baby puke brown and I still absolutely love it. I’m opposed to all forms and iterations of brown and tan, but the Gucci G Wave Large Leather Tote is easily beautiful enough to shine through a color choice that I may not particularly care for (and that a lot of people may really like).

Back in June, we found out that Jimmy Choo was going to be releasing a line this fall in conjunction with Elton John’s AIDS charity, and now the first vestiges of that limited edition line are making their way to market for pre-order. Everything from flip-flops to clutches will be available, but the centerpiece of the effort is the Jimmy Choo Project PEP Glazed Canvas Tote.