January 2011 - Page 3

Check out Kimora Lee Simmons’ closet, including a bevy Birkins

Jan 20, 2011 by Amanda Mull

BlueFly’s series of celebrity closet confessionals is like a fashion ice cream float – frothy, fun and a bit of a guilty pleasure. Staring agog at the possessions of others may not be anyone’s finest hour, but it sure is entertaining, particularly when the person possessing the items is someone with as many crocodile Birkins … Read more

Brighten up for spring with Jil Sander

Jan 20, 2011 by Amanda Mull

If you follow fashion shows, you know that Raf Simons’ Spring 2011 collection for Jil Sander was one of the most well-received and directional runway presentations of the upcoming season. Featuring traditional shapes in eye-poppingly vibrant shocks of color, Simons set the tone for spring and had everyone in the industry dreaming of pinks, oranges and kelly greens. Most of us are still dreaming, in fact.

To get the look without investing in expensive ready-to-wear, look no further than the Jil Sander Market Bags in the same bombastic brights as the line’s clothing. With great leather and a three-figure price tag (not to mention the cache of being from one of the season’s most important collections), I anticipate that these bags will sell rather quickly.

Our Spring 2011 Picks for New York Magazine’s Shop-A-Matic

Jan 20, 2011 by Megs Mahoney Dusil

A daily must-read, New York Magazine, asked us to guest-edit their Shop-A-Matic section with Spring 2011 handbags for men and women that you wonâ€™t want to miss.

Gucci presents the perfect purple for Spring 2011

Jan 20, 2011Jan 19, 2011 by Amanda Mull

I don’t know what a “snaffle” is, but if the Gucci Snaffle Bit Small Leather Shoulder Bag is any indication, I like it. This shoulder bag capitalizes on the tropical embellishments from Gucci’s Spring 2011 runway show and adds a shot of bright color to create one of the season’s best casual bags yet

It’s still early, of course, so that designation may change, but somehow I doubt it. Gucci often tends to do its own thing regardless of accessories trends, and this design, with all of its details and stitching and stuff, feels refreshingly different from the sleek bags other lines are offering.

Behold: Hermes Paris unveils its Winter 2011 window display

Jan 19, 2011 by Amanda Mull

We’ve covered the exquisitely detailed work of Hermes Window Design Director LeÃ¯la Menchari previously, and she continues to create unique, spellbindingly intricate designs for the brand’s Paris flagship with the change of every season. Hermes released this photo of Menchari’s Winter 2011 work on Facebook yesterday, leaving all of us playing a dazzling game of … Read more

If Cher Horowitz were around today, she would definitely have the Alaia iPad case

Jan 19, 2011 by Amanda Mull

Totally important designer Azzedine Alaia does not have a website, but that doesn’t mean that the brand eschews technology, particularly when technology might enable it to sell a few more accessories. Every brand under the sun has hopped on the iPad case trend, and the Azzedine Alaia Laser-Cut iPad Case is among my favorites, but unfortunately, it’s also among the most expensive.

A basic iPad costs $500, but having guessed (correctly) that vanity gadgets appeal to those who might also want to expensively accessorize said gadgets, designer cases have skyrocketed in price. This two-tone beauty is one of the most expensive that I’ve seen in non-exotic leather, and with a price in excess of $700, it appeals only to those most committed to the fusion of fashion and technology. And perhaps those who should actually be committed. (I kid, I kid.)

Proenza Schouler Pre-Fall 2011

Jan 18, 2011 by Megs Mahoney Dusil

We have a first look at Proenza Schouler Pre-Fall 2011 and all I can say is amazing. If you can not already tell, we are seriously Proenza Schouler obsessed. Their handbags exude this downtown cool vibe that is hard to match. For the pre-fall 2011 collection, Proenza sticks with warm hues that we expect for fall on designs that we already know and love.

The coveted PS1 is re-done in black calfhair, adding an interesting dimension. There is a PS11 wristlet version with stripes that I am truly adoring along with a PS11 tote. And then we have the amazing PS1 Weekender, a bag that both Amanda and I are currently obsessed with.

Bottega Veneta frays their classic Veneta

Jan 18, 2011 by Megs Mahoney Dusil

Sometimes it is far better to leave a classic untouched versus trying to amp it up with interesting renditions for each new season. Bottega Veneta is synonymous with both their intrecciato woven leather and classic Veneta shape. For Spring 2011, Bottega Veneta decides to stick with clean white intrecciato leather along with frayed accents, leaving us with a bag that looks a tad unfinished.

Actually, the bag just confuses me. Of course I have zero doubt that everything about this bag in person will be luxurious; the leather, attention to detail, and even the fraying. But it is just so odd.

“We are all of us stars, and we deserve to twinkle.”

Jan 18, 2011 by Vlad Dusil

Buy the RM BF Pouch via RebeccaMinkoff.com.

Proenza Schouler PS1 in rose suede

Jan 17, 2011 by Megs Mahoney Dusil

Here I am again talking about the it-bag that was never supposed to be an it-bag which ended up making it an it-bag. Are ya following me? Because the duo behind Proenza Schouler exudes their genius by marketing a bag as an anti-it-bag that is anything but that.

If I were to personally splurge on any suede bag, it would be the coveted PS1. You all hear me constantly talk about the problem with keeping suede clean, and I fully understand that this rose hue would be that much more difficult, but I love this color for spring.

Victoria Beckham enters the handbag game with $14,000 worth of crocodile

Jan 17, 2011 by Amanda Mull

Five years ago, if you had told me that Posh Spice would be at the helm of a clothing and accessories line that people take seriously, I would have told you that you should probably consider laying off the drugs. It seems so utterly far-fetched that a 90s pop star would morph from a chaps-wearing WAG to a serious fashion person in the space of only a few years, and yet, Victoria Beckham has done just that. Not only are her collections shown at New York Fashion Week, but they are generally quite well-received and often worn by other stars on red carpets of all kinds.

I don’t know exactly how much designing Vicky B. does, although she’s said to be quite involved in the process, but at least she had the presence of mind to hire people who don’t suck to create her line, which is a move from which other celebs with clothing lines would do well to learn. And now that she’s doing accessories, the Victoria Beckham Matte Crocodile Shoulder Bag would seem to indicate that she took great care in hiring whoever’s designing her bags as well.

What’s In Her Bag: Rebecca Minkoff

Jan 16, 2011 by Vlad Dusil