August 2011 - Page 4

In Case of Emergency: Bags that double as weapons

Aug 10, 2011 by Amanda Mull

Is it just me, or is the world on fire? Rioting, political unrest, pop stars being beaten in the streets of New York. What’s a girl to do, in the face of modern society ripping itself apart at the seams? Arm herself, of course.

I’m not talking about getting a gun or a knife. No, those are dangerous and it takes time to fish one out from the bottom of your bag. I’m talking about getting a handbag that can also be used in self-defense maneuvers of all kinds, so that if the apocalypse should rain down while you’re at the movies, you’ll be prepared to survive in the dystopian hellscape that you encounter when you leave. Or, you know, you can use most of these bags to whack a mugger in the head. But doesn’t the former somehow seem more likely than the latter lately? In all seriousness, though, be safe out there ladies. Particularly our readers in London.

PurseBlog Asks: How young is too young for a designer bag?

Aug 9, 2011 by Amanda Mull

Gucci Zoo Children’s Bag, $495 via Gucci

Designing for kids is all the rage lately. Brands who haven’t had children’s lines in the past are all lining up to expand into the marketplace, with Lanvin in particular launching a much-lauded collection for tots in the past few months. Which, naturally, brings about lots of questions about what role luxury goods should have in the lives of kids.

I’m not here to tell anyone how to spend their money (well, actually, I guess that is part of my job), but things like the Gucci Zoo Children’s Bag make me a little uneasy. Part of my love of designer bags came as a result of my parents’ insistence that I save my own money to buy my first one when I was in high school; working toward being able to afford a special item that you want is a great lesson for children, no matter the tax brackets of their parents.

Bottega begs the question: Is it fall yet?

Aug 9, 2011 by Amanda Mull

Bottega Veneta Large Hobo Bag, $3250 via Saks

Even though rust is an objectively negative thing outside of the fashion world, there’s no color that reminds me of cool evenings and changing leaves like that slightly dirty burnt orange that shows up when iron starts to oxidize. Bottega Veneta knows exactly what I’m talking about.

The Bottega Veneta Large Hobo Bag (why won’t Bottega give us better names?) has exactly the functional structure and traditional intrecciato leather that we’ve come to expect from the Italian accessories powerhouse, but that color. That color. Can you tell I’m ready for the weather to cool down, like, immediately?

This Louboutin clutch looks a little too much like a Pomeranian

Aug 8, 2011Aug 8, 2011 by Amanda Mull

Christian Louboutin Anastasia Clutch, $2345 via Neiman Marcus

If you’re a regular PurseBlog reader, you know how I feel about fur bags, even though I’ve softened enough this season to allow fur accents without too much griping. And then I see something like the Christian Louboutin Anastasia Clutch and I remember why fur bags are a bad idea all over again.

Only one word came to mind when I saw this bag: Pomeranian. Because the bag is made out of fox fur, it already has the look and color of a canine to it, and the coppery shade and length almost exactly match the tiny dogs beloved by people who want to carry their pets in their handbags. Unfortunately, this clutch looks like you’re trying to carry your pet as your handbag. I’m just waiting for it to poke its little head out from under the fur and start begging for a Snausage.

Chloe’s bucket bag is a study in colorblocking gone wrong

Aug 8, 2011 by Amanda Mull

Chloe Gabby Bucket Bag, $2395 via Saks

It should be noted, before we continue, that this Chloe collection got at least one designer fired. Hannah MacGibbon, who had been creative director for the brand for several years, was shown the door after Chloe Fall 2011 was roundly panned. Other shuffling in the brand’s ranks weren’t announced, of course, but based on how much better Resort 2012’s accessories are then those of Fall 2011, one can only imagine that a significant shakeup did occur.

The problem, though, is that we still have to wait a few months for the new stuff to come out while bags like the Chloe Gabby Bucket Bag populate the brand’s shelf space at department stores. Ladies, this is a runway bag. Someone put this on the runway. I’ve known that for almost half a year now, but the mind, it still boggles. Try and remember that better Chloe bags are around the corner, ladies. They’ll be here soon.

Givenchy unexpectedly embraces pastels

Aug 5, 2011 by Amanda Mull

Givenchy Pandora in yellow for $1924, in purple for $2155 or in green for $1744 via Luisa Via Roma

If you’re a fan of Givenchy mastermind Riccardo Tisci, you know that he’s remade the brand’s image into that of a luxe-goth powerhouse, complete with references to Catholicism and more black leather than you can shake a stick at. (Side note: What does that saying even mean?) It’s easy to look at a garment and tell whether or not it’s Givenchy.

Except, wait…are these pastel Givenchy Pandora Satchels that I see? That appears to be the case, even though they’re some of the prettiest and brightest shades that can really be referred to by that awful word. “Pastel.” Yick. These colors are anything but cringe-worthy, though, even if they’re not immediately recognizable as part of the Givenchy palette.

Celebrity Style: Is Amanda Seyfried’s new bag vintage or just made to look like it is?

Aug 5, 2011 by Amanda Mull

As many of you know, we also write a delightful little celebrity style blog called Bag That Style, where we attempt to identify the accessories (and anything else) worn by celebrities in their day-to-day lives. It’s not all that often that a handbag stumps me, considering that I spend most of my workday over here with you guys, but it does happen occasionally.

Today, it’s Amanda Seyfried who has a bag that I can’t identify. We’ve also asked for help from PurseBlog’s 35,000 Twitter followers, and they didn’t know either. That might be because the bag is vintage – it certainly looks worn in this shot, but who knows anymore – or because it’s brand new and not many people have seen it yet. Take a look at the close-up after the jump and let us know if you have a guess.

I think that the Proenza Schouler PS11 will be my next bag

Aug 4, 2011Aug 4, 2011 by Amanda Mull

Proenza Schouler PS11, $1850 via ProenzaSchouler.com

Nothing makes me happier than stalking my next purchase. With most things in life, I’m an impulse-buyer, but when it comes to handbags, I like to take it slow. Let the romance develop. Whisper sweet nothing to my new bag over candlelight before I make it mine.

Ok, this is getting weird quickly. I apologize. Pretend I didn’t say that awkward stuff about the candles. ANYWAY. I like to plot my purchases, and I often do it with Megs, because she understands this whole weird bag thing better than basically anyone else on the face of the planet. She and I were talking the other day, and I think my next bag is going to be from Proenza Schouler. The Proenza Schouler PS11, to be specific.

Lulu Guinness is launching luggage

Aug 4, 2011 by Amanda Mull

Lulu Guinness is set to launch her first collection of travel bags next week, and to celebrate the launch, she has released the above video in collaboration with British filmmaker Vicky Mather. I only wish that all of my handbags danced around so happily, not to mention that lips seem like a pretty good way to make sure your suitcase stands out at baggage claim. Photos of the collection, after the jump.

Want It Wednesday: The dress from Alexander McQueen’s Fall 2011 campaign

Aug 3, 2011 by Amanda Mull

Images via Fashionologie

You all know that I’m an Alexander McQueen fangirl, but I love the entire line just as much as I love the company’s accessories. I’m particularly fond of the artistic direction that McQueen’s ads have taken since his company changed hands following his tragic passing, and the Fall 2011 ad campaign is yet another reassurance that Sarah Burton was the right choice to lead the brand. The ball gown above is just as astonishing in photography as it was in the fall runway show, which means that it’s the object of my lust for this week’s Want It Wednesday. Two more campaign images after the jump.

Somehow, these two Dolce & Gabbana bags both come from the same collection

Aug 3, 2011 by Amanda Mull

We all know that this time of the summer is basically nonexistent in the fashion world. Megs and Vladi are on vacation, emails slow down to a trickle, it’s impossible to get ahold in anyone who works in an office after noon on Fridays. And here I am, plugging away, trying to conjure a blog out of thin air. But sometimes, the absolute stillness of the industry allows you to notice some things you might otherwise brush off.

Today, that means I noticed both the Dolce & Gabbana Miss Romantique Dome Satchel and Dolce & Gabbana Miss Sicily Tiger Sequins Satchel are, well, both made my Dolce & Gabbana. In the same season. Most brands certainly have a range of bags that goes from safe to flamboyant in order to satisfy a range of customers and purposes (some bags need to do the heavy lifting at retail, some need to garner editorial attention from magazines, still others need to get noticed by blogs like this one), but these two designs constitute about as wide of a range as I’ve ever seen from a single collection.

Check out the full Fendi Fall 2011 collection

Aug 3, 2011 by Amanda Mull

Images via Fendi

We’ve written about the Fendi Fall 2011 collection a couple of times before, but it’s difficult to scrap together a full photo set of any company’s bags before the brand is good and ready to release them. Fendi has posted these photos on its Facebook profile over the past month, capping off yesterday with more than 30 photos of the collection’s exotics and runway bags.

The season contains some bags that will be familiar to fans – the Peekaboo, Silvana and 2Bag, for example – with a newcomer in the Chameleon totes and shoulder bags that Fendi appears to be banking on as the brand’s new big thing. Do you think it will be? I prefer the patent runway shoulder bags, personally. All the photos, after the jump.