Diane von Furstenberg

I spent the vast majority of my life as a competitive athlete. In fact, PurseBlog wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for me being an athlete; Vlad and I met on our college swim team. The day I was done swimming, I was done swimming. Actually I was done working out entirely. I was burned out and ready to veg out on the couch for years.

Recently, I started to get the urge to get back in shape and going to the gym involves picking out a gym bag, which was a great way to entice myself. Right when I spotted the Diane von Furstenberg Sporty Drew python-effect leather tote, it struck my fancy. Easy to use as your city-schlepping bag, this bag will look cute while being practical to carry workout essentials. (more…)

Images via Vogue.com

Fashion can be divided into two groups: conceptual and literal. Conceptual pieces hint at their inspiration or theoretical underpinnings, while literal things just go right out and tell you where they came from and why they’re here. For the handbags of Diane von Furstenberg Fall 2012, things got very literal.

That’s neither praise nor a critique; as a descriptor, “literal” is value-neutral, and whether it’s good or bad depends entirely on the intent of the designer. With clutches in this line ranging from clocks to hearts to dominoes, I can say with confidence that von Furstenberg very much meant for us to chuckle a little bit when we saw what was in her models’ hands. Indeed, the cute little clutches were the star of the show, but I’m more interested in the richly textured burgundy bags, trimmed in fur and contrasting leather. Those are the kinds of pieces that get you through a long, hard winter, even if a little cloud clutch might be cute to see on the runway. (more…)

Images via Vogue.com

As we already discussed in our general review of Diane Von Furstenberg Spring 2012, DVF was all about lightness for spring, much more so than usual, and that choice certainly carried over into the season’s handbags. There are a lot of whites, ivories, lilacs and dove greys to be found among these leather goods, with an occasional shot of emerald or cobalt to make sure that everyone stays awake.

Not that it would be a problem without the brights, of course. Von Furstenberg’s company has shown great growth in its handbag designs, and although I’d chuck the folded, hand-slotted clutches out of this collection entirely, everything else makes beautiful sense, both in the context of the clothes and the season itself. Pay special attention to one of the newcomers: a ladylike, structured shoulder bag with an elongated top flap. I can’t wait to see the full range of colors it will be available in at retail. (more…)

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. (more…)