June 2011 - Page 4

The Net-A-Porter Bloggers Issue: The Bags

Jun 10, 2011 by Megs Mahoney Dusil

Shop the Net-A-Porter Bags Selection Net-A-Porter always updates their site with the best magazine issues. This week’s issue focused on Bloggers, spotlighting the top (street) style bloggers and has a few bloggers guest editing their favorite picks. I was delighted to be asked to share my bag picks with Net-A-Porter and had a lot of … Read more

Sneak Peek: Nina Ricci Resort 2011 Handbags

Jun 10, 2011 by Amanda Mull

Although French brand Nina Ricci has more of a niche following than some of the huge global powerhouses that we cover, its fans are no less devoted and its bags no less gorgeous. Ricci is known for its unabashed and unfettered Parisian girlishness, which makes for incomparably gorgeous ready-to-wear that’s a favorite among fashion’s big-budgeted elite. For those who don’t have a day-to-day need for a cocktail dress made of delicately frayed grosgrain ribbon, the Nina Ricci Resort 2011 offers a more functional option for those who want a piece of modern French femininity.

This collection strikes me as more joyous than Ricci bags from the past, and the frills and frays seem easier and more natural. The brand’s accessories department may well be hitting its stride, and if this is a preview of the Spring 2012 line to come, I can’t wait to see it. The ivory python satchel and ruffled orange shoulder bag are the obvious winners of the group.

Kick off summer with a Proenza Schouler beach bag and towel

Jun 9, 2011 by Megs Mahoney Dusil

If you are in the Northeast, then you are part of this intense heat wave we are all experiencing. I may be from South Florida, but there is something about the heat radiating off the buildings and through this concrete jungle that intensifies the temperature in a way I can not describe. Oh, and the heat cooks the smells that are notoriously part of the city’s allure into a rather unalluring mixture of garbage and sweat. If you’re going to visit, wait until fall.

Here is the good news: With summer knocking at the door, the duo behind Proenza Schouler created a beach bag and patterned towel to make all of these hot days worth a trip to the shore in style. I used to think splurging on beach goods was silly, but with so many fashionable options at a variety of price points, we should all put a bit of thought into our beach wear.

Want It Wednesday: Lulu Guinness Lips Clutches

Jun 8, 2011 by Amanda Mull

Yesterday afternoon I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to meet Lulu Guinness at her Manhattan boutique and preview her upcoming collection, and although I came away from the event with many thoughts (Lulu and her team are lovely, I need more opportunities to drink prosecco in the afternoon, I can understand why West Village rents are so astronomical), the one thing that keeps popping into my head is how much I want a Lulu Guinness Lips Clutch. And since I can’t shake the feeling, there’s no better candidate for this week’s Want It Wednesday.

Alexander Wang wins CFDA Accessory Designer of the Year

Jun 8, 2011 by Amanda Mull

We’d like to send our warmest PurseBlog congratulations out to Alexander Wang, who was named Accessory Designer of the Year at Monday night’s Council of Fashion Designers of America annual awards gala, which honors achievement in American design. We think that the CFDA made a great choice; few designers have captured the rapt attention of the accessories world in as convincing manner as Wang.

If it were up to you, which American designer would you pick?

Billie Achilleos turns Louis Vuitton bags into animal sculptures

Jun 8, 2011 by Amanda Mull

Some accessories junkies look at certain handbag designs and see faces, but this exhibit by British artist Billie Achilleos takes that phenomenon to a whole new level. Louis Vuitton commissioned several animal sculptures from her made entirely out of Louis Vuitton handbags and accessories to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Louis Vuitton SLG Savoir Faire collection. What Achilleos was able to do with leather goods is amazing (not to mention amazingly adorable), and we’ve got more pictures of her creatures, plus a video of the construction process, after the jump.

Get Hooked with Mon Mode

Jun 7, 2011 by Megs Mahoney Dusil

I have to be completely honest: I’ve never been much of a bag hook girl. I completely understand the idea behind them and know that some people live for using their bag hooks, but not me. When I was first contacted by Mon Mode, I glanced over the email and gave the image a quick glance. What first caught my eye is the design of the Mon Mode Fashion Purse Hook, sleek and entirely fashion-forward with options of exotic skin and jewel like finishes. So I decided to try the hook out myself.

Who’s that girl with her Bottega Veneta Knot Clutch?

Jun 7, 2011 by Megs Mahoney Dusil

Sunday night brought us the 2011 installment of the MTV Movie Awards, which is always a treat to watch. I always wait and hope for something crazy to happen, but the high point this year was merely hearing Robert Pattinson blurt out the F word and slip past the censors. Otherwise, I was back focusing … Read more

Beat the seasonal transition with Alexander McQueen

Jun 7, 2011 by Amanda Mull

Alexander McQueen Calf Hair Crossbody, $2345 via Neiman Marcus.

That would be the summer-to-fall transition, not the spring-to-summer transition that we’re all experiencing right now. Is all this talk about heading into fall driving anyone else crazy? Even though I’m the one doing most of it in these parts, it’s about to shove me right off the deep end, so I know that some of you have probably noticed. Fall seems like a distant dream with temperatures rising and the unofficial start of summer just passing mere days ago, but fashion waits for no woman, and Pre-Fall and Fall 2011 are everywhere.

The Alexander McQueen Calf Hair Crossbody might not ship until early September, but at the very least, it’s the sort of piece that you can wear immediately upon arrival instead of waiting for the weather to turn genuinely cold. That might be of little comfort, but summer in the fashion industry is deathly slow, and we have to talk about something. So fall it is!

Diane von Furstenberg Sample Sale

Jun 6, 2011 by Megs Mahoney Dusil

This morning the Diane von Furstenberg Sample Sale opened its doors to the press. I rolled out of bed earlier than usual but it was all in the name of fashion, obviously worth it. The line was manageable, with only about 15 people in front of me, and I was allowed in soon after the doors opened at 8AM.

Sneak Peek: Dior Resort 2012 Handbags

Jun 6, 2011 by Amanda Mull

While none of us know for certain where Dior is headed, if the snaps that have come out of the Dior Resort 2012 handbags are any indication, accessories addicts don’t have much to worry about. During recent years, John Galliano’s Dior gave us season after season of mediocre accessories, never quite recreating the success that the brand had with the Saddle Bag years ago. I don’t see the Next Saddle Bag in this array, but I do see some very fun designs.

The Lady Dior bag with clear beads will remind a lot of people of Prada’s stellar Spring 2010 accessories collection, and there are certainly worse steps in which to follow while the brand finds its new direction. The rest of what we see so far is solid, functional and colorful in a way that will likely make it move off store shelves very quickly; the bags feel very of-the-moment, which is something that’s been largely missing from Dior accessories for some time. Several more pictures after the jump.

Gucci Resort 2012: Is zebra the new leopard?

Jun 6, 2011Jun 6, 2011 by Amanda Mull

Pictures of resort accessories can be difficult to come by because no such thing as Resort Fashion Week exists – shows are far-flung and photographed less extensively than traditional collections. We’ve come up with a few photos of the bags from the recently presented Gucci Resort 2012 show, though, and one thing is obvious: Someone out there is trying to make zebra happen.

And I feel more than fine about the advent of zebra; most of us should be stocked up on exquisite leopard pieces by now, and I’m itching for something a little different. I wish that Gucci had trimmed its zebra pieces in bright leather instead of neutral beige, but it does make the bags a bit more seasonless than they would be if the leather were colorful. Check out a few more pictures plus a python option after the jump.