At first, I had no issue with the Versace Baroque Print PVC Tote. The yellow-on-white pattern may not be my personal taste, but it’s the kind of strong, intricate visual for which Versace is known, so I can’t fault them for pursuing that aesthetic. What I CAN fault them for, though, is charging over a thousand dollars for a very basic tote that’s not even real leather.

I don’t like to dogpile criticism on any brand, even Versace, so normally the post from earlier this week about the exceptionally horrid metallic pink bag would have been the last thing I had to say on the matter for a little while. When it comes to bad pricing, though, I just can’t keep my mouth shut and be the bigger person. That much money for a PVC bag is a ripoff of the highest order. (Are you listening, Stella McCartney?)

I don’t care how you market it, PVC is not a high-end material. It’s not even remotely based on anything that appears in nature, manufacturing it is terrible for the environment and some research indicates that it contains carcinogenic chemicals. It’s gross, in addition to usually being a very cheap-looking (and it looks that way because it is cheap) alternative to leather. I understand that Stella McCartney has at least a somewhat reasonable explanation for why she doesn’t use leather, but Versace has no such thing.

Personally, I find this bag’s existence and its price disrespectful to Versace’s loyal customers. They must think you guys are idiots, that’s really the only explanation for charging that much for a basic tote made out of the same stuff as those bags at the cart in the mall. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $1125.

Over the past few seasons, I’ve tried to be optimistic about Versace and its bags. I’ve been a long-time skeptic of the brand’s accessories while still being a big fan of the brand’s clothing, both ready-to-wear and atelier, and it’s seemed at times that the bags were just one or two steps away from where they should be. I was hopeful.

As happens so often in life, though, my hopes have been summarily dashed by the Versace Leather Shoulder Bag. This is the kind of thing you’d find in the depths of Paris Hilton’s closet circa 2001, and we all know that’s not a compliment in even the faintest sense.

Foiled leather is an exceptionally difficult look to pull off – it almost always looks tacky and cheap, that’s just the nature of the beast. That effect is amplified by the magenta color chosen for this bag, complete with matching oversized magenta chain handle. One handle wasn’t enough, though; no, the designers also added in a woven leather handle in the same magenta foiled leather, this one far too bulky for the (thankfully) petite proportion of the bag.

Oh, Donatella. I felt like we were so close for a little while there. The Versace x H&M collaboration was great (even if the bags were the absolute worst part of it), I’ve loved the past few runway shows…why can’t you throw the bag lovers a bone? Or at least a bag not made out of ugly? Buy through Net-a-Porter for $1625.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that Versace x H&M is the high-low collaboration of the season. Slated to debut at select stores on November 17, the collection includes everything from leather jackets and dresses to a few home goods, which is a first for H&M’s designer dabblings. What’s relevant to us, of course, is that the partnership has also produced bags.

Unfortunately, like the regular Versace line, the purses are the line’s low point. The collection includes a dress and jacket made out of real leather, which could possibly indicate that some of the bags are genuine as well (although I couldn’t find anything indicating their fabrication), but the hardware removes any doubt that what you’re carrying is from H&M. The rest of the collection has some very fun, colorful pieces, but the handbags just aren’t among them. As far as prices go, I could only find the price information for one of them – the small black studded bag, which worked out to about $110 from the British price list on which I found it. Pictures of the rest of the bags are after the jump.

(Also, a side question: Did anyone else glimpse the charm based on the traditional Versace trim out of the corner of their eye and think it was a swastika for a split second? Just me?)

I have some relatives who live in South Florida. I haven’t visited since I was a teenager, but my memories of Floridian seaside kitsch are still very clear: pastel starfish and seahorses and shells. Lots of them. Adorning everything from t-shirts to upholstered furniture. If the bags from Versace Spring 2012 are any indication, Donatella Versace may have spied on my childhood vacations quite frequently. For a brand so inextricably linked to Miami, these designs make a certain amount of sense.

The starfish and seashells gave way to an endless array of studded, quilted satchels and crossbodies that reminded me a little bit of Marc Jacobs circa 2008, but considering the bags that Versace has made in that same period of time, these designs feel like an improvement. If nothing else, they look very Versace, which is something that the brand’s established customer base will probably enjoy quite a bit.

When the description read snake-effect and the price showed $3,995, I was certain there was a mistake. A mistype, perhaps? But no, this bag’s faux finish is printed on leather; it’s not exotic python skin. And no matter how much I want to tell you all that Versace is getting it right, the brand is still getting its prices all wrong.

Versace Structured Snake-effect Leather Tote, $3995 via Net-A-Porter

How can a brand that has spent the last several years floundering around in its own accessories mess ask us to pay $4k for a leather tote? The Versace name does not have enough pull in the handbag world to be able to ask these prices and I do not know who will go out and actually spend it. I guess you would have to really, really, really love the design, and I don’t. I merely like it.

Don’t get me wrong, this is a Versace creation that I liked before even realizing it was Versace. The royal blue, brown, and cream color combo flows together beautifully. There are two top handles and a detachable shoulder strap for ease of use. I was happy to see the tasseled key fob is removable, and while I am not usually a fan of these adds-ons it works with this bag. What still doesn’t work is the price. Buy via NAP for $3,995.

I’m as hard on Versace as anyone, but I like to think of it as a tough love situation. I talk smack because I want the brand to improve its handbags, not because I take any particular delight in its struggles. Although I have to admit, some of the company’s past bags have been almost delightfully bad, so there may have been a modicum of enjoyment on my part.

Versace may have turned the corner, though. The past couple seasons of ready-to-wear have been intriguing, and during the same period of time, I’ve noticed a conspicuous and considerable lack of Versace purses that make me want to throw a small fit. Not to mention that I actually like the Versace Baroque Printed Bag in all of its pattern-on-pattern glory.

This bag works for a few reasons. First, mixed patterns are having a moment in fashion right now, so the maximal look of brocade on leopard seems relevant in the context of current trends. Second, these two patterns in particular have a very “Versace” look to them, which results in a successful balance of brand identity and modern fashion ideas. Third, the bag isn’t very big. When an item is ornate and mixes several bold elements, a smaller scale tends to be kinder to the finished look. As is usual with Versace, I think the price is a tad steep for a simply structured felt bag with only leather trim, but for the first time in a long time, that’s the only trepidation I have. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $995.

The squiggly red lines reminded me of the work of 80s pop artist and social activist Keith Haring on first glance, and although I don’t know for a fact that Haring’s work has anything to do with this particular bag, it would be particularly fitting if there were some connection. Haring’s 80s heyday was marked by an artistic output featuring bold shapes and bright colors, and much the same could be said for Versace as a brand.

Besides the possible artistic influence, this design has a few other charms. The wide, comfortable shoulder strap is printed with the traditional Versace interlocking logo trim to give a little bit of print contrast, and the roomy side gussets reverse the flap’s color scheme with white-accented red leather. Although this bag doesn’t look all that roomy at first blush, the structure and depth make me suspect that it’ll hold more than you might think. The price seems a little high, but Versace’s prices always do to me; I’ll forgive the brand for the price point because this bag is one of my favorites from it in quite a while. Buy through Nordstrom for $1795.

I’m as surprised by this as you are, but the handbags from Versace Fall 2011 are more than a little great. The big, soft hobos in various textures and color combinations aren’t on-trend or directional or any of those other fashion buzzwords, but they do look like they’d be functional and wearable and all of those other buzzwords that matter to people who actually need to use their handbags.

My favorites were the quilted and re-quilted versions with plenty of decorative stitching, but it would be difficult not to also enjoy the burgundy crocodile and blue python iterations. And what of the bedazzled Medusa-head evening bag? I even loved it, if only for its unabashed, enthusiastic commitment to being as Versace as humanly possible.

Photos via Vogue.com.

The only problem with the Celine-influenced trend toward classic, clean-lined box bags is that not everyone has a classic, clean-lined personal style. Some people prefer a little bit of razzle-dazzle, and those people would be well served to take a look at the Versace Leather Shoulder Bag. Gird your loins, ladies and gentlemen, for I am about to say something nice about a Versace bag.

Bridging a gap as wide as the one between buttoned-up box bags and the personal style of the average Versace enthusiast is no small task, but Versace did an admirable job with this little shoulder bag. This shade of pink would have no place in my closet, but I can imagine women far girlier than I pulling it off well, and the design has just enough metal (and just enough of a logo) to satisfy people who ardently disagree with me when I criticize Versace. But I genuinely like this bag, from the simple shape to the gleaming gold box chain, and the price actually seems within the realm of reasonability. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $1395.

And if you’re a red-carpet watcher, you’re probably not surprised. January has been wearing some of the brand’s more esoteric creations to any and all events for as long as I can remember, including several dresses given to the actress by Donatella herself. Since she also fits the brand’s requirements of being blonde and sexy, it was only a matter of time before we saw January in print. And I’m not complaining; Mrs. Draper was a model before she was an actress, and these photos are nothing if not beautiful. Larger shots, after the jump.

Photos via Women’s Wear Daily, Style.com and Racked.com.