November 2010 - Page 3

The DvF Piper should adorn your Thanksgiving table

Nov 17, 2010 by Megs Mahoney Dusil

So I’ve been staring at this bag for a while. I continue to look at it and all that pops into my mind is Thanksgiving. Our Thanksgiving table is always decorated appropriately and I feel like this year I could add this DvF bag into the centerpiece and it would work beautifully. I’m not quite sure that is a good thing for the bag though.

In fact, we have seen a different reincarnation of this bag previously – in which majority of you deemed it crazy. But this version of the Diane von Furstenberg Piper Day Bag is designed with the right color scheme in mind. And that might be its saving grace.

Badgley Mischka makes a snakeskin tote that is anything but basic

May 9, 2011Nov 17, 2010 by Amanda Mull

It’s difficult to think of new ways to make a basic tote shape new and different, and although I really like the Badgley Mischka Suzanne Tote, I’m not sure that it can really be called “new” or “different.” After all, Beirn has a line of woven watersnake totes already. But sometimes different isn’t a necessity, particularly in the face of a reasonably priced exotic bag that can be used year-round and all day.

It’s hard to find a bag that’s multicolored but still convincingly neutral, full of texture but not functionally impaired, and still within a somewhat reasonable price range. Add real snakeskin to the mix and that mission becomes nearly impossible. But somehow, Badgley Mischka not only managed to do it, but the did it better than Beirn.

Proenza Schouler’s PS1 Pouch crossbody now available

Nov 17, 2010 by Amanda Mull

Since the handbag world has mostly been atwitter (both literally and figuratively) over Proenza Schouler’s new patent leather PS1 satchel for the past week or two, another addition to the line has snuck onto the brand’s site a bit under the radar: the Proenza Schouler PS1 Pouch crossbody bag. We’ve known that this design’s debut … Read more

Valentino unbuttons its floral aesthetic just a little bit

Nov 17, 2010 by Amanda Mull

With at least one notable exception, Valentino’s accessories aesthetic has looked just a wee bit gassed lately. In most ways, it seems as though the brand has mined the incredible intricacy of roses and ruffles to their logical ends, and it might be time to figure out what step should be taken next. And no, it’s not studs, in case the person at Valentino who conceived the brand’s Spring 2011 accessories might be reading this.

The Valentino Nymphe Garden Tote makes me think that at least one person at the brand might have the answer, though. In the face of notoriously tight-fisted construction and the apparent desire to pack as many details into one bag as humanly possible, it’s nice to see the designers go with an entirely different variation on the flower theme. Instead of tightly wound silk roses, this bag has a lightness and airiness to it that Valentino should consider incorporating into more of its accessories.

I’ve looked at this Diane Von Furstenberg bag for too long to think rational thoughts about it

May 9, 2011Nov 17, 2010 by Amanda Mull

You know that weird feeling of cognitive dissonance that you get when you say a word over and over to yourself so many times that it ceases to contain meaning and morphs into a weird, contextless series of syllables? That’s sort of where I am with the Diane Von Furstenberg Bell Ruffled Evening Bag right now.

Our look at the VIP Rebecca Minkoff Sample Sale

Nov 16, 2010 by Megs Mahoney Dusil

Tonight was VIP night of the Rebecca Minkoff Sample Sale. Vlad and I had the pleasure to host the event with Rebecca. Believe it or not, this is our first RM Sample Sale to attend. We expected mayhem and tons of bags. We got both, along with the opportunity to meet some amazing PurseBlog readers and PurseForum members.

When we first arrived, the line was already 30 deep. Vlad and I walked up to the door which most likely annoyed everyone that had waited for hours. I don’t think many know us by face so we clearly looked like those people trying to cut everyone in line. The security guard inside was baffled by our trying to walk in to check out the loot as well. But he opened the door and realized we were supposed to be there, so he let us inside.

Alexander Wang goes bland with the Trudy Tote

Nov 16, 2010 by Megs Mahoney Dusil

“That’d be swell Trudy”. Name that TV show! If right off the bat you knew it is a line Pete Campbell has often told his wife Trudy Campbell on AMC’s hit series Mad Men, then you would be correct. I have a hard time thinking of anything other than Mad Men when I hear the name Trudy. Trudy plays the perfectly-put-together striving-to-climb-her-way-up housewife on the series. The handbags during that era were much more compact, structured, and ladylike. In fact, they are what designers are dabbling with more today.

The Alexander Wang Trudy Tote not only does not match with what I could expect Trudy Campbell to carry but also is a much more bland accessory for the brand.

Club Monaco offers minimalism for a minimalist price

May 9, 2011Nov 16, 2010 by Amanda Mull

Now that PurseBlog favorite ShopBop carries Club Monaco clothing and accessories online, a whole new world of contemporary, mid-priced clothing is open to people who are too lazy to go to the mall. (Raises hand.) The line offers a lot of covetable pieces, but for current trends, the Club Monaco Audrey Shoulder Bag is among your best bets, particularly for less than $300.

Fall collections are all about clean lines and camel, and for anyone who isn’t ready to buy into those ideas with a larger cash investment, this bag offers a functional, on-trend solution at a reasonable price. Plus, it’s real leather, and we all know that some brands want you to settle for PVC for a bag this size at this price point. Don’t settle.

Prada rings in Resort 2011 with exotically accented linen and straw bags

Nov 16, 2010 by Amanda Mull

It’s almost unfair to sit here in the doldrums of November and be forced to look at Prada Resort 2011 handbags, and days like today make it all the more clear that fashion’s season cycle is set up to make consumers (and bloggers) continually want what we can’t quite have or use. Even if Prada’s python- and crocodile-accented linen bags were available today, I wouldn’t have anything to do with them. They’d just sit next to me on the couch while I complain about the weather on Twitter. Under lots of blankets, of course.

But one day, the sun shall shine again and I shall leave the house without a coat, I know it, and for those days, one of these little bags would be a fun thing to have. I don’t think I could ever justify spending Prada amounts of money on linen or straw, but if money were no object, I’d love to have all three of these bags for the imaginary midwinter cruise that I’m going to be taking in my head. Wait, never mind, not an imaginary cruise. I don’t want to get stuck at sea and have to eat my imaginary Prada bag to stay alive. It’ll be an imaginary flight to the Bahamas instead.

Larger photos and purchasing information, after the jump.

Proenza Schouler releases video for launch of patent PS1 satchel

Nov 15, 2010 by Amanda Mull

Style.com just posted this exclusive Proenza Schouler promotional video to mark the launch of the much-anticipated patent leather version of the brand’s must-have PS1 satchel, and although it’s shot through a grainy vintage camcorder and perhaps slightly Dadaist in its copious oddity, we recommend you take a look and cringe together with us when they … Read more

Louis Vuitton celebrates 100 Legendary Trunks

Nov 15, 2010 by Megs Mahoney Dusil

The Louis Vuitton name has become ubiquitous with the art of travel. Their lineage of creating trunks and luggage for travelers traces back to 1854, when Louis Vuitton began offering elegant and pragmatic trunks. Since then, the House of Vuitton made trunks for explorers, adventurers, princes, elegant ladies, and artists. Over time the trunks have evolved and this month Louis Vuitton is releasing their book: Louis Vuitton: 100 Legendary Trunks.

I prefer picture heavy books, and this is precisely what is being presented. The book showcases some of the most beautiful creations from the House with over eight hundred photographs. This way you can see many of the trunks over time, whether it be a trunk-bed, steamer, caviar box, circus trunk, or a toiletry kit to name a few. The book also delves into the process of how Louis Vuitton makes their trunks.

Rebecca Minkoff NYC Sample Sale (VIP PB + tPF night)

Nov 15, 2010 by Megs Mahoney Dusil

Rebecca Minkoff‘s Sample Sales are notorious for exponentially long lines and amazing loot. Vlad and I have never been able to make one of the infamous Rebecca Minkoff Sample Sales and this year we finally will be able to not only make the VIP night but also co-host it with Rebecca.

Because of the amazing support PurseBlog + PurseForum has shown to Rebecca Minkoff, she has a special VIP night for our readers and members. You can all shop her sale before the rest of the handbag loving world. Join us Tuesday night if you can make it, and if not check out her Sample Sale the rest of the week! Details below…