July 2011 - Page 4

CFDA and eBay join forces, launch line of totes to combat counterfeiting

Jul 11, 2011 by Amanda Mull

If there’s one thing on which we can all agree around here, it’s that fake bags are the opposite of awesome. Both eBay and the Council of Fashion Designers of America are on board that ship as well, and they’ve gotten together to start the “You Can’t Fake Fashion” tote bag campaign, which launches at 11 a.m. today on the eBay Fashion Vault.

To mark the launch of the $35 anti-fake tote bags, whose proceeds benefit the CFDA Foundation, eBay and the CFDA asked 50 American brands and designers to customize one-of-a-kind totes that will retail for $150 each. From a minimal, modernist version by The Row to appliqued black lace from Jason Wu to illustrations by Rodarte, the designers came through. Some of the designs are better than others, of course, but we’ve got pictures of all of them after the jump. Which one is your favorite? If you’d like to purchase one of the regular or customized totes to support eBay’s and the CFDA’s fight against fakes, visit the eBay Fashion Vault at 11 a.m. today.

Weekend Obsession: Ferragamo Alligator Tote

Jul 11, 2011Jul 9, 2011 by Megs Mahoney Dusil

Hats off to Amanda for holding down the PB fort as Vlad and I partake in a “vacation.” So far on this particular trip, we rarely check our email and keep swatting one another’s hands away when we see the other attempting to slyly work via our iPhones. But today, after a long day in the sun, we both caved and decided it was time to check in with you all. And this is a particularly fun check-in, because I come bearing handbag eye-candy.

Behold, this amazing oversized Salvatore Ferragamo travel tote. A few years ago Ferragamo caught my eye with its Carlotta tote and I was in love. I imagined it being my weekend bag in the back of my super cool imaginary convertible on our way to our imaginary Hamptons home. But I have found a replacement to drain my imaginary bank account filled with copious amounts of imaginary money, and it’s this exotic Salvatore Ferragamo Alligator Travel Tote.

Would you pay over five grand for a non-leather Hermes bag?

Jul 8, 2011 by Amanda Mull

Photo via Style.com

I love a good print as much as anyone in the world, which means that things like Style.com’s recent feature on the resurgence of traditional scarf patterns are like crack to me, particularly when they they lead off with a printed handbag. As is likely predictable when the worlds of purses and scarves collide, Hermes is the culprit. As is also predictable with the brand, the price for the Hermes Catenina Silk Bag is astronomical. But at $5450, the number even caught this veteran accessories fan off guard. Is there any way that you’d plunk down that much for a bag that wasn’t leather, encrusted in Swarovskis or some combination of the two?

Now this is a Marc Jacobs bag I can get behind

Jul 8, 2011 by Amanda Mull

Marc Jacobs The Ace Messenger Bag, $1150 via Net-a-Porter

My enthusiasm for the Marc Jacobs The Ace Messenger Bag comes from one thing and one thing alone: My ability to imagine it in other colors. Not that there’s anything wrong with greige, per se, but I prefer the statement-making ability of a good bright bag, particularly when it offsets the tendency for a crossbody to hide within an outfit because of its usual place on the back of a woman’s hip. Because Jacobs almost always makes his leather bags in multiple colors, I trust that a bright version is forthcoming. And if it isn’t, it should be.

Check out Loewe’s Fall 2011 ads, featuring the brand new Flamenco Bag

Jul 8, 2011 by Amanda Mull

When I posted excitedly about the Loewe Flamenco Bag’s introduction last week, most of you felt as enthusiastic about the new addition as I did. Apparently Loewe saw our love for the design coming from a mile away, because the brand’s Fall 2011 ad campaign features the bag posed strategically over the gorgeous Mariacarla Boscono’s, err, intimate parts. Shot by Mert & Marcus and styled by Katie Grand of the Love magazine, the shoot took place at the famous Ritz hotel in Spain, as a nod to the brand’s Spanish roots. Add this campaign to the list of those that I’m digging for Fall 2011, without a doubt. More photos after the jump.

Take a backstage tour of the Louis Vuitton Spring 2012 Men’s fashion show

Jul 8, 2011 by Amanda Mull

Because Monday was a holiday, we skipped Man Bag Monday this week, but that doesn’t mean we don’t appreciate our male audience. Au contraire! And for our female audience, we figured you would probably appreciate the male model eye candy in this behind-the-scenes look at preparations for the Louis Vuitton Spring 2012 Men’s show. And … Read more

Bottega Veneta continues its reign as the king of subtle luxury

Jul 7, 2011 by Amanda Mull

I suppose it could be argued that more subtle or more luxurious brands exist on the high-end mass market, but few brands garner such a large following as Bottega Veneta while still holding the attention of such a large audience. If you’re wondering about the source of that success, look no further than the Bottega Veneta Roma Accordion Tote.

At first glance, this design might seem unremarkable, but I can’t help but be impressed by the restraint Bottega shows in bags like these, season after season. The company may release a gimmicky bag here and there, but it’s always supported by tons of luxurious everyday bags that a woman could carry well beyond the immediate season.

Want It Wednesday: Everything Yellow

Jul 6, 2011 by Amanda Mull

Photo via Style.com

Normally for Want It Wednesday, we pick a specific item (which may or may not be a handbag – we like to switch things up around here sometimes) over which we’re lusting that week. But today, we’re doing things a little bit differently. While paging through Tommy Ton‘s always-excellent street style photos from Style.com’s Paris Haute Couture Week coverage, we came upon this photo of a group of young fashion luminaries that had us rummaging through our closets to see if we could recreate some of the colorful looks.

Miu Miu taps Hailee Steinfeld for its beautiful Fall 2011 ads

Jul 6, 2011 by Amanda Mull

If you didn’t see True Grit when it came out last year, it may be difficult to understand why the world is suddenly so taken with 14-year-old Hailee Steinfeld, but trust me on this one: Go see the movie, because not only is it great, but she will blow you away. And if the Miu Miu Fall 2011 ad campaign is any indication, she’ll be continuing to impress us all for the foreseeable future.

I like these ads for a variety of reasons: Unlike the similarly young models that are often used in fashion, Hailee looks her age in these photos and it seems as though the Miu Miu team took great care to ensure that they didn’t tart her up too much. The clothes, shoes and accessories are fantastic. Bruce Weber shot the images, and you can’t really go wrong with him. The ads don’t feel too precious or serious, which makes them all the more enjoyable. Mostly, they just make me want to don some Miu Miu and go buy the True Grit dvd, which is likely the effect that both Miu Miu and Steinfeld hoped they would have. More images after the jump.

Trend Alert: Fox Tails

Jul 6, 2011Jul 6, 2011 by Amanda Mull

Left to right: Henry Beguelin Croc Embossed Tote with Fox Tail Charm, $1645. Gucci Smilla Top Handle, $5200. Henry Beguelin Fox Detailed Tote, $1520. All via Neiman Marcus.

I remember a couple of seasons ago when Louis Vuitton debuted detachable fox tails on the Spring 2010 runway and everyone threw a fit over how silly and tacky and unreasonable they were. Well, it’s a year and a half later and now it looks like Vuitton and Marc Jacobs were, once again, more than a full calendar year ahead of the curve. It’s gotten to the point that I don’t doubt the brand’s vision anymore; if Vuitton produces a bag I don’t like, I just assume that I’m not yet advanced enough to understand its brilliance.

And that may have been the case, if the industry’s sudden embrace of fox tail accouterments is any indication. Both Gucci and Henry Beguelin have produced bags adorned with tails (or tail-like furballs) for Fall 2011, and Gucci will sell you a loose tail charm to add to any bag in your collection as well. Suddenly Louis Vuitton seems like it was on to something. Would you wear this trend? What if the “fox tail” were faux? Mostly, I’m jealous that Megs picked up one of the hot pink Vuitton charms a few seasons back and I didn’t. Also, if any of you guys see a faux option out there, let us know.

Come, celebrate the insanity of this Miu Miu bag with me

Jul 5, 2011 by Amanda Mull

Miu Miu Pelouch Faux Fur Shoulder Bag, $1250 via Net-a-Porter.

We all know how I feel about fur bags, but sometimes a fur design is so deranged that it loops back around to awesome, and those bags need to be embraced and celebrated in all of their insane glory. With purple leather trim and fake fur dyed so unevenly that it looks like it was aggressively rubbed against a brand new pair of orange jeans, the Miu Miu Pelouche Faux Fur Shoulder Bag is perhaps the reigning poster child for this phenomenon.

Kate Middleton supports British bag designers while touring Canada

Jul 6, 2011Jul 5, 2011 by Amanda Mull

Kate Middleton carries the Mulberry Polly Push Lock Satchel and Anya Hindmarch Fan Straw Clutch

These days, the best way for a piece of clothing to become scarce is for Kate Middleton (although that’s probably not her last name anymore, right?) to wear it publically. The Internet has been reveling in a deluge of the Duchess’s outfits while she’s touring Canada with Prince William, and as always, she’s been careful to choose pieces that both recognize her British roots and acknowledge the theme of whatever event she’s attending at the moment. Naturally, what we’re interested in are her accessories, and all of Kate’s notable bags thus far have been British: the Mulberry Polly Push Lock Satchel and the Anya Hindmarch Fan Straw Clutch.