Gucci creates one-of-a-kind crocodile bag for its Korean flagship store

For a handbag collector, having a one-of-a-kind bag from your favorite brand is something you always hope to be able to do. Getting the opportunity, though, can be costly. Most major firms will make certain bespoke items for their VIP clients, but attaining that status requires a long history of major purchases before the privilege of buying such a bag is even granted, not to mention that the bags themselves usually cost well above the brand’s other pieces because of the costly process of producing a one-off design.

If you’d like to skip that and merely shell out the back-breaking price for a piece that no one else will have, you might want to get in contact with Gucci’s Seoul flagship store. Gucci recently revamped the location, and to celebrate, the brand launched both the Gucci Bamboo Crocodile Satchel above, a one-off piece priced at approximately $23,000 US, and a special line of Flora bags and accessories featuring the national flower of Korea, the Mukunghwa. Check out some of those pieces after the jump!

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The 5 Best Floral Print Bags for Spring

Mother Nature seems to have skipped over winter and went straight into spring this year. Today is the first official day of spring, and I have no idea how that happened or how it is already here, but I’m not complaining. NYC has been bursting with signs of spring for a while now, but especially in the past few weeks I have noticed flowers blooming and the weather making a turn for the better. I am planning to change out my winter wardrobe and bring out all of my warm weather clothes in the next few weeks.

Spring is synonymous with flowers, and there is no better way to kick off the first day of this season than with the 5 best floral print bags for spring.

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Tee off with Alexander Wang

When you think of golf, what designers do you think of? I’m guessing that your mind probably went immediately to a company like Ralph Lauren or Lacoste, both of which go out of their way to associate themselves with the leisurely sport. If you’re super preppy, maybe you even thought of Lilly Pulitzer and her bright printed shorts. The last person on your mind (other than maybe Rick Owens) was likely Alexander Wang.

And yet, fans of the brand know that on his Spring 2012 runway, Wang was inspired by a number of athletic activities, and the golf influence among his bag designs was impossible to ignore. In fact, some of his handbags looked nearly big enough to hold an actual set of clubs, with the Alexander Wang Small Golf Bag providing an alternative that can actually be carried. The question is, though, would you carry it?

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Who Carried It Better? Kim Kardashian vs. Petra Ecclestone

There is perhaps no more beloved celebrity handbag than the Hermes Birkin. By herself, reality star and objective of Internet anger Kim Kardashian has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on goodies from the French house, chiefly among them her seemingly ever-growing collection of Birkins. Say what you want about everything else she does, but homegirl has her bag game locked up.

Hailing from the other side of the pond, Petra Ecclestone is a 23-year-old heiress to the Formula 1 Racing fortune and the new owner of the Spelling Mansion, the most expensive piece of private, residential real estate in the country. When your family money can buy those kinds of digs for you and your new hubby, just imagine what kinds of bags it can fill it with. By the looks of it, Petra may have turned Candy Spelling’s famous gift-wrapping room into a Birkin room. (Or maybe Candy already had a Birkin room; the details are unclear at this time.) Who wore it better? Check out the larger pics of both ladies after the jump and then vote in our poll.

[poll id=”90″]

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CFDA launches second “You Can’t Fake Fashion” handbag event on eBay this morning!

When we told you about the CFDA’s and eBay Fashion Vault’s inaugural You Can’t Fake Fashion event to combat counterfeit handbags, the response was overwhelming. eBay’s litany of designer-customized totes sold out in minutes, which raised lots of money for the CFDA Foundation. The fundraiser is now back for its second time around the block, this time with one-of-a-kind totes from more than 75 American designers, in addition to the canvas tote on which totes on which those designs are based.

If you missed out last time, today’s your luck day – the limited edition bags launch on eBay at 11 a.m. on the East Coast, 8 a.m. on the west, and they feature looks from designers like Tory Burch, Ralph Lauren and CFDA president Diane von Furstenberg. The designer totes will cost $200 and will likely sell out quickly, but if you miss out, don’t fret – plain totes in several shapes with the event’s logo will be available for $45 while supplies last. Check out some of the designer totes after the jump, or head straight to eBay to snag your favorite at 11!

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The Gucci 1970 is the new must have bag

It’s been a while since a new bag design has moved me enough to believe it will be the new must have bag. Celine is the brand that truly got everyone’s attention and now that the Luggage Tote hype has dwindled a bit, there is room for a new bag to take center stage. I believe it may be the Gucci 1970 collection of bags.

Gucci delved into its accessories archives for their collection of SS12, and took inspiration from vintage pieces to create the 1970’s shoulder bags. The graphic gold plaques give an art deco nod while the opulent chain tassel detail adds a 1920’s flare.

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Holy snakeskin, you guys: The VBH Milano Sunbeam Snake Bag

As I’ve said often, VBH is my absolute favorite source for a category of bags that I like to call Birkin Alternatives. When you want a bag that screams luxury and good taste from a mile away but you don’t want everyone to encounter to know exactly what it is or exactly how much you paid for it, you skip the Birkin and go VBH. The brand offers many different bags in a similar east-west satchel shape and a somewhat similar (although noticeably lower, thankfully) price range, but the details of the designs are altogether more modern and a bit more subtle.

Take the utterly gorgeous VBH Milano Sunbeam Snake Bag, for instance. Instead of the cumbersome and traditional strap and lock closures that are a staple on Hermes’ most famous bags, this bag has an utterly modern zipper that serves as both semi-industrial design detail and totally functional handbag closure. Because of the modern nature of that element, I could see this bag being carried by anyone from an Upper East Side doyenne to someone with a wardrobe full of Alexander Wang.

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Today in random luxury minutiae: The Hermes Taillevent Notation Red Wine Rater

Every now and then, I like to dig through the Hermes website to find stuff I’ve never noticed before. The site has seemingly endless categories, some of which shuffle their contents quite regularly, and most of them hold something that’s bizarre in one way or another, whether it’s brand new or has been available for years. The Hermes Taillevent Notation Red Wine Rater is part of the latter group.

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Oscar de la Renta steps up his bag game with the Marelia Clutch

Oscar de la Renta has stepped up his accessory game. Over the past few collections, I have watched the bags get progressively better. While his clothing and gowns have always told the tale of beauty and grace, the bags never quite lured me in as much. But as of late, I truly can’t stop singing praises for Oscar’s bags. And that, dear readers, is the magic of this industry. A brilliant handbag designer can pop up in a second and lure us all in. Oscar is far from new to the fashion world, but his bags are new to my lust-worthy list.

Currently, I can’t stop ogling the Oscar de la Renta Marelia Clutch. Meticulously embroidered, this clutch is available in yellow and blue.

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CFDA announces nominees for Accessory Designer of the Year – who gets your vote?

The Council of Fashion Designers of America is a great organization – not only does it nurture young American design talent through grants and other programs, but it unites the American fashion industry behind the cause of fabulousness. Every year, the CFDA comes together to honor the creme de la creme américain, and it reserves one CFDA Award in particular for excellence in accessories. The group announced the 2012 nominees on Wednesday night, and you might recognize their work above. If not, we’ll fill you in after the jump and you can vote in our poll on who should win the prize!

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Who Carried It Better? Bethenny Frankel vs. Alanis Morissette

We talk about celebrities and their handbags all day, every day (well, we get weekends off) over at BagThatStyle, but from now on, we’re going to be bringing more stars with their bags to our lovely PurseBlog readers as well. After all, scrutinizing pictures of people carrying expensive handbags is near and dear to our hearts, even if I’m not exactly sure what that says about us as people. Don’t think about it too hard, trust me.

In that spirit, let’s talk about stars and Hermes, shall we? But not the stars or the Hermes that you’d probably assume. What’s the fun in looking at Victoria Beckham’s zillionth Birkin (actually, that would be pretty fun) when you can go a bit off the beaten path with reality-star-turned-booze-tycoon Bethenny Frankel and singer/songwriter Alanis Morisette and their lovely Hermes Evelyne Crossbody Bags?

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In my Bag: Plukka Attica and Ramses Rings

I love to accessorize. Rings and bracelets are my favorite jewelery items and I always have something extra floating around in my bag to throw on when needed. This week I was playing with these new Plukka Attica and Ramses Rings and I just couldn’t get enough.

I am always drawn to stand-out rings that completely catch the eye. Plukka designed the Attica and Ramses rings which are total statement rings. I paired the I and II next to one another, which gives the look of a super tough/luxe knuckle ring.

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