Is there ever such a thing as too many sequins? That’s probably a fashion question for the ages, and it’s not one to which I can give you a definitive answer right now. Sequins are like chocolate – in some contexts, a little goes a long way; in others, too much is never enough. Now we just have to decide into which of those categories the Valentino Shiny Petale Tote falls.
I’m still a little undecided. On the one hand, the slightly-darker-than-champagne color is neutral enough to keep a bag like this elegant. On the other hand, the layered petals might be just a bit too much when covered in such a shiny material. Texture on top of texture is hard to do, and although this bag makes a valiant effort, it seems to fall a bit short.
From a distance, when the shine appears to be a leather effect instead of fistfuls of sequins, I thought that this bag was kind of cool. I love it when designers do unusual things to make leather look special, and I was all revved up to unleash a fit of sunshine in this review. That is, until I went to the bag’s product page and it became abundantly clear that there was no special leather to be found.
Perhaps I’m deducting a few extra points for my disappointment as a result, but it just seems like a cop-out for Valentino to take a bag they’ve been doing for seasons, cover it with sequins, and jack up the price. They employ some of the most talented accessories designers in the business, and although this isn’t bad, I expect better. Buy through Bergdorf Goodman for $2685.
