Valentino Handbags and Purses (Page 2)

Valentino plies its floral, verdant trade year-round, but its spring bags are always the most fun, not to mention the most season-appropriate. Really, the only month out of the year where I’m so excited for warm weather that I’d consider carrying a bag that’s literally covered in flowers is April, which makes today the Valentino Fany Woven Flower Tote‘s lucky day.

The urge to break out the linen pants and tank tops is very strong at the moment, which makes this tote look all the more appropriate. By the time that the truly hot and sticky weather of summer rolls around, I’m sure I’ll be sick of flowers and girlishness in their entireties and just want someone to turn on the air conditioner and leave me alone. For now, though, I’d love to take a stroll through a park with this tote on my arm.

If brevity is the soul of wit, what’s the soul of fashion? I like maximalism as much as anyone (in fact, probably far more than most people), but the grandiosity of it can feel exhausting from time to time. The trends toward layering textures, colors and prints are some of my favorite fads in years, but that doesn’t mean I can’t look at the Valentino Satin Bow Box Clutch and think that it seems positively refreshing by comparison.

Valentino often goes maximal with its accessories, so the subtle charms of this little clutch are even more welcome. From the perfect shade of blush to the expertly obscured slot for hand-carry, this is an evening bag that doesn’t try to overshadow whatever beautiful dress with which you’ve surely paired it.

One of the hottest handbag trends right now is studded detailing. I know that this is nothing new to the fashion world, rather it is a trend that tends to go in and out of style often. The studs we are seeing as of late are a bit different, more refined and subdued, and often being used as shoulder strap accents. This is precisely the look for less I am bringing to you today: the accented shoulder strap bag.

While the Tory Burch Louisa Shoulder Bag does not technically have a studded accents on the shoulder strap, it does have a deco chain and leather strap. On the other hand, the Valentino Rock Stud Shoulder Bag is all about the studs on the shoulder strap. I know so many of you were sick of the over-studding, but both of these bags offer a touch of tough with a glam overall appearance.

In case you haven’t noticed (but I bet you have, we’re blessed with smart readers), python is sort of a thing for Fall 2011. It’s almost staggering how many accessories designers managed to have the exact same thought at the exact same time, and the powers that be at Valentino absolutely got the memo. Valentino Fall 2011 is chock full of exotics in traditional shapes, and if you don’t like that, the brand would also like to offer you the largest wristlets known to man.

While the boxy colorblocked crocodile options caught my attention immediately, as did the multicolored python satchel, I’m not feeling the rush of excitement that I usually get when I look at a collection that I know will give me endless joy over the next six months. These bags are an improvement over last season’s Valentino runway for sure, but they’re missing a bit of magic. Close, but no cigar.

While Valentino is known for their floral embellishments, their Spring 2011 is completely infused with floral accents galore. One of the versions that caught my attention is the Valentino Napa Straw-Flower Duffel which features sand napa leather with multicolor crystal-punctuated straw flower appliques. Buy via Neiman Marcus for $2,195.

Fill in the blank in the comments below: The Valentino Napa Straw-Flower Duffel is _______.

When Valentino first introduced us to its line of studded ladylike bags at the Spring 2011 shows back in September, I was…hesitant, to say the least. In the intervening months, I’ve remained hesitant, but the Valentino Rock Stud Top Handle has become the first of Valentino’s Spring 2011 bags to gain my approval.

The design belongs to a subgenre of bags diplomatically referred to as “Kelly alternatives,” and the limited studding around the trim calls to mind another Hermes classic – the Collier de Chien cuff. Of all the punk-traditional mashups that Valentino produced for the season, this one is the most subtle and the most successful.

I’ve never planned a wedding, but as I understand it, the process seems to turn many mild-mannered women into raging, clawing, howling Bridezillas. The ones who don’t morph, Hulk-like, into wedding monsters have nervous breakdowns. And as someone’s who’s rather detail-averse (as opposed to being detail-oriented, which is what it says on my resumé. Lies!), I can understand why; if I had to try and wrangle that many different facets of an event at once, I’d probably need to be carted off to the loony bin too.

For any of you in the throws of the process, I have at least one thing that you can mark off your list: a wedding bag. The Valentino Floral Appliqué Satin Clutch is perfect for a warm-weather ceremony and will look marvelous in the stylized accessory photos that everyone seems to be taking these days. If you’re going to have one of your handbags documented for posterity on one of the most important days of your life, make sure it’s a fabulous one.