Alexander McQueen Wicca Velvet-Covered Leather Shoulder Bag, $1365 via Net-a-Porter
Designers seem to be trying to make velvet happen once again for fall, and despite being a child of the 90s and an unashamed fan of the era’s grungy, highly questionable fashion, I’ve been slow to warm to the almost-trend. I remember having velvet T-shirts and dresses too vividly in elementary school for velvet to be an automatic winner in my mind as an adult.
But I’m a McQueen fangirl of the highest order, which means that I’m willing to consider basically anything the brand designs with an open mind. As a result, I might kind of totally love the Alexander McQueen Wicca Velvet-Covered Leather Shoulder Bag. If only I understood exactly what “velvet-covered leather” means.
I’ve been at the whole handbag thing for a few years now, and in that time, I’ve seen almost every leather fabrication that you can think of. I’ve never heard leather be described as velvet-covered, though, and I have a few follow-up questions. Is the velvet somehow applied to the leather, or is it just a leather bag with a panels of velvet over it? Based on the pictures, it seems to be the latter, but I’d love it if someone could figure out how to make the former happen.
Either way, this bag appeals to me a great deal. The velvet is matte and lush, and thankfully it’s not the tacky crushed velvet that some brands have used (hopefully ironically). And you really can’t argue with this explosive shade of pink – heavily textured materials like velvet and suede tend to take rich color better than leather, and the end result is eye-popping. You win again, McQueen. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $1365.
