June 2011 - Page 3

Current Obsession: Reed Krakoff Resort 2012

Jun 16, 2011 by Amanda Mull

Just when I was beginning to wonder if Coach president Reed Krakoff could continue to replicate the smashing success that he’s had in the very short life of his eponymous label, Reed Krakoff Resort 2012 comes around to prove it to me. Ladies, this line isn’t just a flash in the pan.

When I was flipping through the press photos, it was the Reed Krakoff Boxer Bag that you see at left that really proved to me that there’s something major here. The design deftly takes the current trends of brights and colorblocking and translates them on the one of the brand’s signature pieces without losing the integrity of the Krakoff aesthetic or the excitement of the of-the-moment look. Combining two disparate ideas isn’t an easy thing to do, but that’s exactly how all of these bags feel: Easy. In the best possible way. More photos after the jump.

Hot off the presses: Mulberry Resort 2012 Handbags

Jun 16, 2011 by Amanda Mull

Every year, resort collections spring up at the beginning of summer like an oasis in the dessert. The fashion industry sometimes seems to come to a near-grinding halt during the warmer months while industry heavyweights are off sunning themselves in St. Barths, but the unorganized and sporadic resort show season seems to send us a new collection every time we begin to think that perhaps we’ll never write another interesting post again.

This time, Mulberry Resort 2012 is one of our saviors, and they’ve actually released stock images of their bags, which is something of a resort rarity. Most brands save their big reveals for the full spring and fall collections, but this mid-season group offers several covetable bags, particularly the ivory faux python Alexa and the green-and-black leopard tote, which would be perfect for weekend shopping. More pictures after the jump.

Louis Vuitton is Vespa-ready for Resort 2012

Jun 16, 2011Jun 16, 2011 by Amanda Mull

For the past few years, Louis Vuitton has been on such a great roll with resort collections, and for good reason. The brand’s identity is built around the idea of luxury travel, so it follows naturally that it would be particularly suited to a season that came about out of the need for pre-season travel goods for those who have the money and flexibility to escape the winter weather in less exotic locales.

Vuitton, in partnership with longtime muse and current aesthetic collaborator Sophia Coppola, have dreamed up a grand Parisian adventure from the back of a scooter for Louis Vuitton Resort 2012. Because of Coppola’s involvement, the bags include several colorful versions of her popular satchel, but the real standouts were the leopard print helmets. I wonder if LV will make any bags in that pattern? A girl can home. More pictures after the jump. (Warning: Some of the images are a tad small, we did the best we could with what Vuitton released for the media.)

Want It Wednesday: The Hermes Constance

Jun 15, 2011 by Amanda Mull

With all the thinking I’ve been doing today about Hermes, it seemed particularly serendipitous that I would come across this utterly lovely photo of a very fashionable lady carrying the Hermes Constance on photographer Tommy Ton’s Jak & Jil blog. While this design doesn’t have the ardent and ravenous following of the Birkin or Kelly, I think we can all agree that its lines are elegant in a way that only Hermes can pull off. The curve of the gussets, the sharp corners of the handle attachement – it’s all perfect. And what’s even more perfect is that the Constance costs thousands of dollars less than a Birkin. Maybe this is the Hermes bag for me.

Check out my top 10 bags of the moment at StyledOn!

Jun 15, 2011 by Amanda Mull

When our friends over at lovely fashion and lifestyle site StyledOn asked me to pick my ten favorite bags of the moment for their readers, I was more than happy to oblige – I look at it as part of my PurseBlog duty to spread the handbag gospel far and wide. The site did a … Read more

Valentino and I? We still get along sometimes.

Jun 14, 2011 by Amanda Mull

I’ve heaped a good bit of criticism onto Valentino and its design duo of Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli in the past, and I’m not the only person in the industry who has some questions about the direction of the brand and the aesthetic merit of the pieces it’s turning out. Particularly when you consider that the duo are accessories designers by trade, the bags have been a bit disappointing.

But every now and then, the brand still shows that it knows how to get things done. The Valentino Aphrodite Python Bag is all that it should be – ladylike, luxurious, on-trend and extremely elegant.

Gasp! Here’s a glimpse of Celine Resort 2012

Jun 14, 2011 by Amanda Mull

Seasons come and seasons go, but in the fashion world, Celine is still the must-have bag for people who are interested in a bag’s must-haveness. The brand only has one US boutique at the moment (although it’s opening a New York City location in the coming months) and the bags are distributed through ultra-prestigious retailers in extremely small numbers. For my Spring 2011 Celine Luggage Tote in lipstick red, I sat on the Kirna Zabete waiting list for three long months after paying for the bag in full, sight-unseen. And I’m glad I did, because none of them ever made it to KZ’s sales floor.

Pre-season pictures of Celine’s designs are almost as difficult to find as the bags themselves, which is why I squealed in delight when Elle Creative Director Joe Zee tweeted this picture of Celine Resort 2012 Handbags yesterday morning during a market week appointment. Neons! Exotics! Is that blue crocodile I see? I’m calling Kirna Zabete to reserve my chartreuse Luggage Tote as we speak. Click for a larger view.

Alexander Wang to sell Fall 2011 runway leather goods on eBay

Jun 14, 2011Jun 14, 2011 by Amanda Mull

If you look at pictures of the Alexander Wang Fall 2011 show or read our recap of the accessories, you may have noticed something: There weren’t any handbags. Instead, Wang debuted his first collection of small leather goods on his fall catwalk. Starting this Friday at 6 a.m. New York time, that collection is going to be available to the public for one day only, exclusively through a very special partner – eBay.

Angelina Jolie for Louis Vuitton’s Core Values Campaign

Jun 13, 2011Jun 13, 2011 by Vlad Dusil

Angelina Jolie in Louis Vuitton’s Core Values Campaign. Click to enlarge.

The latest installment of Louis Vuitton’s Core Values Campaign features actress and UN Goodwill ambassador Angelina Jolie.

Angelina agreed to be captured by famous photographer Annie Leibowitz for the campaign in Cambodia, a country which she first visited in 2000 for her role as Lara Croft and later returned on humanitarian missions, raising awareness of the dangers of landmines. She subsequently adopted her first child, Maddox, from a Cambodia orphanage.

The striking capture shows Jolie sitting in a traditional wooden boat in the province of Siem Reap, alongside her vintage Louis Vuitton Monogram Alto Holdall, a bag she has owned for many years.

Burberry gets its groove back

Jun 13, 2011 by Amanda Mull

Burberry Buffalo Tote, $1095 via Neiman Marcus.

Like any brand, Burberry has created bags that I’ve both wildly loved and totally hated over the past few seasons. There have been moments of both happiness and confusion at the brand’s accessories, but based on the success of the bags in the Fall 2011 runway show and the beautiful Burberry Buffalo Tote from Pre-Fall 2011, I’m feeling nothing but optimism about Burberry handbags. Plus, I’ve seen a few shots of the brand’s Resort 2012 bags, so I have it on good authority that the dog days are over.

What’s In Her Bag: Kate Ciepluch of ShopBop.com

Jun 10, 2011 by Vlad Dusil

Ladies, what did I tell you about zebra print?

Jun 10, 2011 by Amanda Mull

Dolce & Gabbana Miss Sicily Satchels, $1407 and $2805 via Luisa Via Roma.

Sometimes when I write a post about something that I think might be a burgeoning trend, I feel as though I’ve participated in a bit of fashion-industry magical thinking. I speculate on something – shape, a color, or in this case, a pattern – and suddenly, I start seeing it everywhere. And that’s exactly what has happened since I recently wondered aloud whether Gucci’s zebra resort bags were an indication that fashion would be playing more heavily with an animal print other than leopard.

This morning I came across pre-orders for these two Dolce & Gabbana Miss Sicily Satchels in sequins and calf hair, and they have me more convinced than ever that we’re going to be seeing more zebra over the next few seasons. Like leopard, the pattern is versatile and has the potential to be used as a neutral, and it feels a little bit fresher because I haven’t seen it everywhere for the past year.