September 2012 - Page 3

Feel the hot hot heat with Matthew Williamson

Sep 20, 2012 by Amanda Mull

British designer Matthew Williamson is best known for his richly patterned dresses, but Williamson also knows that with every great evening gown, you need a great handbag. His bags exude the same type of ultra-luxe-hippie sensibility as his ready-to-wear, and they often also feature his bold, intricate prints and embellishments.

In a normal season, that can make Williamson’s bags a bit intimidating to customers, but patterned and embellished accessories are such a strong fall trend that the brand’s clutches have never felt more relevant. The Matthew Williamson Brocade and Suede Clutch is my personal favorite of the season – the orange colorway is particularly gorgeous because the orange stones pick up the warm undertones in the upper part of the clutch. The whole thing could combust at any moment.

Yves Saint Laurent Cabas ChYc will stick around after Saint Laurent Paris switch

Sep 20, 2012 by Amanda Mull

Fans of the incredibly popular Yves Saint Laurent Cabas ChYc Bag, you can breathe a sigh of relief: Hedi Slimane, Yves Sain- oops, Saint Laurent Paris‘ new creative director, is sticking with the brand’s most successful handbag. Women’s Wear Daily has an illuminating new look at what will change (lots!) and what will stay the same (not much!) going forward under Slimane, and although the handbag line will be otherwise completely refreshed, the ChYc’s unending love from fans has made it too valuable to discontinue.

Also sticking around? The forever-best-selling Yves Saint Laurent Tribute Pumps, which years ago ushered us into the era of enormous platform stilettos that we’re just now leaving. But will those styles remain unchanged? How far-reaching is the name-change going to be? And what about prices?

The Many Bags of Jessica Simpson

Oct 2, 2012Sep 20, 2012 by Megs Mahoney Dusil

I always knew Jessica Simpson loved designer clothes and accessories, I just didn’t realize her collection would be one of the best I’ve ever encountered. It really makes sense though – even way back when she was on Newlyweds and carrying Louis Vuitton Multicolore, bags always seemed to be her obssesion. Recently, Jessica welcomed her first child, a daughter, with her fiance Eric Johnson. What’s more, the Jessica Simpson brand has transformed from a budding shoe business a full-scale clothing and accessories line with a valuation over $1 billion. Jessica is an empire; she may have played a ditzy blonde on her MTV reality series, but this handbag lover is no dummy.

Jessica switches her handbags often, and it seems as though she leaves no major designer behind. She throws in a few of her own bags from time to time, but I seriously cannot get enough of The Many Bags of Jessica Simpson. Jess, come join us at the PurseForum – you’d fit right in. You guys, trust me, you don’t want to miss what’s going on after the jump.

Introducing Diane von Furstenberg Limited Edition Box Clutches

Sep 20, 2012 by Megs Mahoney Dusil

All these years later, my all-time favorite DvF bag is still the Stephanie. I own two of these bags, they’re my go-to when it comes to traveling. I love that for this bag, the shape is crescent-like, which means it’s so roomy that it fits everything I need. Furthermore, every time I carry my Stephanie, people praise it. It should follow suit that DvF continues to pump up her handbag game; she’s churning out lust-worthy bags each season.

Right now, my attention is drawn to the Diane von Furstenberg Limited Edition Box Clutches, which are so cute and quirky that they’re giving Kate Spade and Olympia Le-Tan a run for their novelty bag money.

Narciso Rodriguez debuts handbags with the Bowler Tote

Sep 19, 2012 by Amanda Mull

Narciso Rodriguez is a man whose clothes are known for their modern angles and respect for the natural contours of the body, so it only makes sense that his first handbags should have that same sensibility. Time and again, it’s proved difficult for American ready-to-wear designers to effectively channel their aesthetic visions into covetable handbags, but what I look at this bag, I see pure Narciso, particularly in the sharp black accents. That’s no small feat.

The bags, which are currently exclusive to Barneys, are expensive even for most designer bags – the all-leather bowler above costs $3,200, and the prices range up to nearly $8,000 for an ostrich satchel accented with lizard. I’ll abstain commenting on whether or not they’re worth it until I’m able to check them out in person, but it does seem like a lot of money for a debut, even if the orange-and-black version above is undeniably beautiful in a very modern way. Check out a few more of Narciso’s bags after the jump and let us know what you think, or simply pick up one of these for yourself for $3,200 via Barneys.

Olivia Wilde strolls through NYC and carries Proenza Schouler

Sep 19, 2012Sep 19, 2012 by Megs Mahoney Dusil

Last week I was sitting a few seats back from the gorgeous Olivia Wilde at the Ralph Lauren Spring 2013 show. I always arrive at shows early (it’s my type-A personality), and as I patiently waited for the show to begin, I enjoyed watching the celebrities arrive and be inundated by camera flashes. Olivia is one of those beautiful women that when you look at her, you can’t decide what exactly makes her so striking, but she simply is. She dresses impeccably well for red carpets and industry events, but as you can see in these photos she also enjoys dressing down and enjoying her day.

Olivia used to be married to a the son of a prince, but since her divorce last year, she’s been dating comedian Jason Sudeikis. In these photos, the pair was seen holding hands and strolling through the West Village on a dreary, humid, windy NYC day. Just as casual and functional as her outfit, Olivia choose to carry a saddle Proenza Schouler PS1 crossbody. Shop her handbag style via Proenza Schouler for $1,995.

Fashion Week Handbags: Mulberry Spring 2013

Sep 19, 2012Sep 19, 2012 by Amanda Mull

I’ve been a bit critical about Mulberry (specifically its marketing tactics) over the past season, so believe me when I say this: the Mulberry Willow Tote may very well be the best new day bag we’ll see all season. That’s a hefty mantle to bestow before the handbag heavyweights in Milan and Paris have even finished styling their runway looks, and I may yet be proved wrong, but the the big bag reveal of the Mulberry Spring 2013 show might just be good enough to go the distance.

The tote, pictured above, marks a movement toward increased sophistication for the brand that will likely be welcomed by consumers who shop at Mulberry’s chosen price point. The bags in this collection still have the signature Mulberry branding, but they’re more refined, more chic. (If “chic” isn’t overused to the point of non-meaning at this point, which it probably is.) It’s not just the Willow Tote, with its genius zip-off front panel that doubles as either a clutch or an iPad case, depending on your need at the moment; the Del Rey Bag, of which I have never been any kind of fan, got a nice upgrade for spring with luxurious jacquard prints that take the bag’s somewhat bland structure and elevate it as a canvas for great textiles. Check out all the runway bags after the jump.

Gucci makes the queen bee of clutches

Sep 19, 2012Sep 18, 2012 by Katherine Callaghan

With New York City having been so recently overtaken by the glitz and glamour of New York Fashion Week, it seemed appropriate to spotlight a clutch that embodies the same kind of allure. My choice for this week’s show-stopping purse (drum roll please) is the Gucci Garcon Gold and Crocodile Clutch.

This clutch has everything you have ever dreamed: gold accents, a crocodile pouch and green Swarovski crystal decoration on the tassel and clasp. I mean, Swarovski crystal and crocodile finishing done on the same bag without it being too gaudy?! I’m basically drooling as I type. With a detachable gold chain, this clutch can be worn over the shoulder or in a cross-body style. Think the crocodile pouch is too much? No worries – it’s detachable, leaving you with a beautiful, all-gold clutch for a very special evening.

Oscar de la Renta Spring 2013: Functional meets Fun

Sep 18, 2012 by Megs Mahoney Dusil

Before I had ever attended one of Oscar de la Renta’s shows, I never thought the designer’s wares would speak to me. As it turns out, that could not be further from the truth – Oscar’s offerings are so drop-dead stunning that I have a hard time keeping myself from bolting onto the runway and taking outfits from the models bodies look by look. Oscar de la Renta Spring 2013 was met with one bit of drama, but everyone else has been praising the line, and I am too.

While most of Oscar’s collections are more demure and perfect for ladies who lunch (and go to evening galas), the Spring 2013 collection is FUN. Hot pinks and cocktail shorts appeared along with waist-accentuating suits, and colorful plaids took over the runway in a magical way. And you know what else there was, latex, and only Oscar can make latex be high fashion and chic.

Sarah Jessica Parker carries Chanel on a perfect New York day

Sep 18, 2012 by Amanda Mull

If you’ve spent any appreciable amount of time consuming celebrity gossip (or if you’ve been unlucky enough to encounter a roving band of paparazzi in person), you know that the people who make a living by taking pictures of movie stars taking out their trash aren’t art photographers by any stretch of the imagination. The idea is to make sure that the celebrity and what they’re doing is clear, not to make it beautiful. In spite of that reality, this photo of Sarah Jessica Parker carrying a Chanel Quilted Tote from the brand’s Spring 2012 accessories collection is proof that even a stopped clock is right twice a day.

We’ve had amazing weather in New York for the past week or so, and everything about this photo conveys what’s great about living in the West Village (SJP’s neighborhood of choice) on the cusp of fall. The warm, golden light, the tree-lined streets, the opportunity to wear real clothes instead of simply whatever will keep you warm enough or cool enough to be reasonably comfortable – it’s all there. I don’t know where SJP was headed with her Chanel bag, bouclé jacket (possibly also Chanel?), floral dress and Manolo Blahnik pumps, but I’m sure whatever event it was was impossibly chic. We just couldn’t resist sharing these photos with you (great handbag, great outfit, great style icon, great neighborhood!), so check out a few more snaps of SJP and her Chanel bag after the jump.

The Burberry Spring 2013 show unveils the Blaze Bag

Sep 18, 2012 by Megs Mahoney Dusil

No one puts together a runway livestream like the Europeans, and Burberry has set an extremely high bar this season. I kicked off my work week by watching the show yesterday morning, and from the setting to the attendees to the apparel, the entire presentation, from start to finish, gave the fashion world something to talk about. The coats and jackets in particular, for which Burberry is known, shone (literally) as they walked down the runway. I honed in on the accessories, naturally, and not only do we have photos to share, but Burberry is selling these items straight from the runway, right now. Looks like Burberry got the memo – we see it, we like it, we want it right then and there.

The big Burberry bag for their Spring 2013 season is the Burberry Blaze Bag, which comes in a variety of finishes, most notably with see-through colored vinyl with tonal metallic python trim.

Keeping Up With The Kardashians: “Kourtney just loves to pull out her own children”

Sep 17, 2012Sep 17, 2012 by Emily Anderson

Even though we’ve all been embroiled in a tumultuous love-hate relationship with the Kardashians since mid-May, the season finale of Keeping Up With The Kardashians still managed to sneak up on us. But it’s September and all your favorite shows are returning to the airwaves this week, so it’s time to say goodbye to fluffy summer filler. And that, of course, includes the entire Kardashian clan its shameless shenanigans factory.

This episode was nothing if not light and fluffy, except for a few minor family hiccups. Since no Kris Humphries-esque drama drove the season to its epic conclusion this year, it ended with the only shoe that needed to drop: Kourtney’s baby. FINALLY. Kourt’s pregnancy hormones have practically scripted the entire season, but after months of waiting, she finally pushed out baby Penelope on this episode. That’s right ladies, Operation Disick Drop is a GO.