Since Chanel showed its diverse, covetable selection of Spring 2011 handbags in Paris back in October, I’ve been waiting patiently (ok, not-so-patiently) for detailed shots of the designs to hit the web. Now that they have, I feel confident saying that along with Pre-Spring 2011, Chanel Spring 2011 is some of the strongest work from the brand’s accessories team in recent memory. There’s a little something for everyone here, from the staunch Chanel traditionalist to the young woman who wants to mix neon and tweed.

I’m particularly excited to see that the fantastic leather-bound book clutch has made its way to retail, as well as some of the utterly feminine scarf-woven bags. What I loved but didn’t expect to see was a slim black and white clutch detailing the ceiling of Paris’ Grand Palais, where Chanel presents its collections every season. Not only is it beautiful and neutral enough to actually be used, but I could see it quickly becoming a collector’s item among Chanel devotees. (more…)

I’ve already pontificated on just how much I love Fendi’s Spring 2011 handbags, but now that promo photos are out and we can all get a clearer, closer look at the bags than runway shots afford us, I feel the need to reiterate: This collection is great, and from a purely accessories standpoint, it’s one of the very best of the season.

Not only are these bags highly detailed and extremely well-designed, but they provide a momentary snapshot of where fashion is right now and where it may be going in the seasons ahead. The shapes are absolutely classic; these totes, shoulder bags and satchels don’t needlessly re-invent the wheel, but the ways that they’re finished give them a fresh, modern edge. The combinations of colors and textures in the leathers and hardware make the entire enterprise feel new and vibrant, even though these are the kinds of bags that generally become wardrobe staples. If you’re looking for one bag to buy for spring, buy it from this collection. (more…)

It’s exceedingly rare that I see a bag from Alexander Wang that I don’t like or appreciate in any way, and it looks as though Wang’s Spring 2011 bags will continue that trend in full force. His dark, sometimes-industrialist version of downtown cool certainly qualifies as “taste specific” and tends to skew young and urban, but for those of us who fit into his niche, Wang’s relatively well-priced bags are among the most anticipated of any new season.

The standouts of this collection are the belt-covered carryalls, which will likely elicit gasps of excitement from some and groans from others, and the large, metal-cornered satchels with rose gold hardware that will surely dot young, fashionable arms near you in just a few months’ time, but I’m more interested in the smaller bags. Specifically, the corner-capped wristlets, which look to be the perfect size for the phone-keys-cards combo that we all need to be able to grab quickly to run out of the house. I’m already plotting which one will be mine. The bags will make their retail debut in February, and we have full pictures after the jump. (more…)

Spring 2011 bag collections have already started to emerge for preorder on all of the major luxury retail websites, but some brands are quicker about having their items posted than others. I have yet to find any Alexander McQueen Spring 2011 handbags up for grabs, but I was able to find a few press pictures of the collection for our mutual enjoyment.

McQueen’s new creative director, Sarah Burton, only showed one bag during the line’s runway presentation, so finally getting to see these promo shots is enlightening indeed. Alongside the requisite fantastical skull clutches, the brand is also offering several pieces that look downright functional under their leather foliage. If these pieces are an indication of what is to come from the brand’s handbags, then Alexander McQueen certainly remains in capable hands. As if spring’s runway show even left any doubt. (more…)

At this point, it might be entirely useless to try to review Nancy Gonzalez’s Spring 2011 handbags, or any set of handbags from the Colombian accessories maven. She does one thing (exotics), and does it extremely well. You’ll find no trend-chasing or gimmicks within this line, just piece after piece of luxurious exotic leather formed into handbags of every size, shape and color imaginable.

Spring 2011’s pieces run the gamut from staid, perfect neutrals to bold brights to glam metallics and everything in between, including latice work and weaving on some of the collection’s more casual pieces. All of this stuff is vintage Nancy Gonzalez, and although her collections may not change a great deal from season to season, there’s something almost comforting about her consistency. And if you’ve never inspected one of Gonzalez’s bags in person, I highly recommend it; they’re among the best-planned designs on the market, which is just another reason to love what she does. (more…)

Over its ten year history, the great strength of the Balenciaga motorcycle bag has been its ability to be something of a sartorial Rorschach test. Because of the design’s simple lines and ability to morph from shape to shape while still being unmistakably Balenciaga, a prospective customer can see in it whatever she would like to see, and Nicolas Ghesquiere & Co. have taken to releasing it in every color, material and silhouette possible. All the better to collect, my dears.

Balenciaga’s Spring 2011 handbags continue that tradition in leather both perforated and traditional, suede, straw, python, crocodile, velvet and canvas. Did I miss any? I might have. The collection also ranges in color from subdued, rich carmel to acid green snakeskin and hits just about every note in between. Whether your personal style is prim, punk or such that you might be compelled to buy a very expensive fanny pack (please don’t), there’s an option for everyone who has ever loved a motorcycle bag in this massive line. Over 40 pictures, after the jump. (more…)

For one reason or another, some designers go absolutely bonkers when it comes time to decorate a simple little box clutch. I’m not sure if it’s because the small proportion lends itself more easily to making big ideas wearable or if the structured feel of the bags makes them easier to decorate intricately, but it seems as though Corto Moltedo Spring 2011 takes note of both of those advantages.

I took the liberty of using the spider clutch as a feature because Halloween is quickly approaching and it’s my favorite holiday, but the motifs you’ll find in this collection are as varied as a summer day is long. From a pale, modernist American flag to sunny painted python to sober forged metal leaves, relative newcomer Moltedo offers a little something for everyone. Everyone who likes a crazy clutch, that is. (more…)

In the past, Italian luxury brand Valextra might have seemed a bit boring to many shoppers (and it probably still does to some). The company’s emphasis on fine leathers and extremely simple lines has always appealed to a very specific customer, particularly in light of the brand’s sometimes astonishingly high prices. With the fashion world’s newfound embrace of minimalism (at least for now), though, Valextra’s contributions to the handbag conversation seem more important than ever, which is why we bring you a preview of Valextra Spring 2011.

Some of these bags will look familiar, particularly the unchanged iterations of the popular Babila tote, but the unfamiliar pieces like the satchel at top and its blue jean leather counterpart stand out above and beyond their collection counterparts. If you’ve never seen Valextra’s work in person, I highly recommend doing so – the brand’s precision work is pristine, and for a structured bag, it’s hard to do much better than one of Valextra’s products. Skip the Babila, go for the satchel. (more…)

For one reason or another, I just can’t get behind Longchamp‘s leather bags over the past few seasons, and sadly, Spring 2011 continues that trend. The pieces go from too mundane to overworked quickly, with only a seafoam python shoulder clutch holding any kind of middle ground between the two extremes.

Luckily for Longchamp, the non-leather patterned bags go a long way toward bailing out this collection. They have the easy French femininity that many of the other pieces lack, and the oversized scale of the flower print on the totes and suitcase ensures that they maintain a bit of modernity. (more…)

French accessories designer Jerome Dreyfuss may have one of my favorite contemporary handbag companies on the face of the planet, and I only wish that his accessories were more available in the US. Seeing the simultaneously attention-getting and useable bags that Dreyfuss has created for Spring 2011 only makes wish it even more fervently.

I question the logic behind a couple of these designs – the hanging, fringe-y pocket of a perfectly wonderful leopard shoulder bag, for example – but mostly, Dreyfuss creates things that are exceptionally well-suited for young urban women with eclectic tastes. As always, his work with exotics (and python in particular) shines in this collection, but even the regular leather begs have enough personality to stand on their own with any casual outfit. (more…)

All it takes is one cruise through Roger Vivier‘s website to know that the company highly regards the use of wit and whimsy in its shoes and bags, and its Spring 2011 handbag collection follows that path into very literal territory. Whether you enjoy the results or not probably depends heavily on how you feel about your luxury goods having a sense of humor.

For most of these pieces, I find great pleasure in looking at them, and would probably enjoy carrying them every now and then, but their prices will likely be too high to justify buying a bug-covered clutch or a bag that plays home to a school of one-dimensional fish. They’re all cute ideas, but for that kind of silliness, I’ll look to the much less expensive whimsy of Kate Spade. (more…)

When I think of Furla, I conjure up pictures of nicely made if slightly predictable leather goods for a mid-market audience. Furla’s designers would apparently like to tweak my notion of their brand just a bit, and adding in see-through vinyl bags in candy colors is probably about as effective a way to do that as I can think of.

At first I was kind of turned off by those bags but I suppose they’d be fun for summer use, so long as they’re priced accordingly. What I do like without reservation, however, is the highly Bottega-esque woven tote. It’s easily the highlight of this photo set, and if the price is right, it’s an impending addition to my wardrobe. Even if it isn’t all that original. (more…)