Fashion Week Handbags: Miu Miu Spring 2013

I find it a little bit tough to write about Miu Miu's handbags. I love the brand as a whole so much and have such a huge respect for Miuccia Prada, both as a woman and as a designer, that the state of Miu Miu's handbag business pains me a bit. Particularly for a brand that hits it out of the park so consistently with its shoes, it's been a truly unacceptable amount of time since Miu Miu made a handbag that made my heart skip a beat. Prada does it consistently, from its basics to its runway bags, so what's the deal?

Miu Miu Spring 2013 follows that pattern, unfortunately. The runway collection includes some solid choices, but none that are particularly interesting or directional, from a design standpoint. They should be the bread-and-butter bags that sell quickly in stores, not what appears on the runway instead of something more capable of setting a clear, strong tone. Of course, maybe basics are the tone here; if that's the case, the well done, I suppose.