Prada Raso Jeweled Clutch, $2100 via Neiman Marcus

With Prada, resort collections are always a good indication of what’s coming when spring debuts, and the cutesy appliques on some of Prada’s Resort 2012 bags certainly belie the flames and cars we saw on the Prada spring runway. Among those very style-specific bags, though, are a few that will likely have a much broader audience.

My favorite of the group is the Prada Raso Jeweled Clutch above, which follows in the footsteps of previous Prada evening bags and covers its entire front flap in shiny, sparkly goodness. We have a sampling of the collection’s other distinctive bags after the jump, plus their price and purchase information. Not all of them have twee appliques, we promise. (Although we kind of like the lip bag? Maybe? A little bit?) (more…)

Images via Fashionista.com

Handbag lovers often get the shaft on the runway, but when it comes time to move some product and keep the company in the black (namely, ad season), brands are all about giving us lots of pretty pictures of exactly what we want to see. If you needed any convincing of that fact, just take a look at Prada‘s new Resort 2012 ads from the lovely ladies of Fashionista.com.

The shots, featuring model Lea Seydoux, at times literally feature more clutches than one person can hold. There’s great variety among the bags too – bright exotics, ruched leather flap bags, bejeweled box clutches. If you don’t look closely, you might miss a great piece, but don’t stop at the bags. Prada’s brand new jewelry line, launching next month, is also represented heavily. And are those a couple of Prada Bear Bag Tricks that I see? More photos and a behind-the-scenes video, after the jump. (more…)

Marc Jacobs Python Contrast Tote, $3795 via Bergdorf Goodman

Although I wasn’t a huge fan of Marc Jacobs’ Spring 2012 runway bags, his Resort 2012 collection has been on my radar for months. The mid-season line has some of Jacobs’ chicest designs in quite a while, mostly because the bags are without gimmicks. Instead, what you’ll find is clean lines and supple leather in the kinds of color combinations that feel very current.

The other notable thing about these bags is the return of the Marc Jacobs Venetia, but in an altered state. Back in the mid-2000s, the Venetia and its iconic buckled pockets were a staple of Marc’s in-demand accessories line, and now the shape is back, without its pockets, for a second tour of duty through the handbag wars. Check out more of the bags after the jump and let us know if any of them tickle your fancy. (more…)

Photos via Women’s Wear Daily

It would be easy for a brand in flux to get a little bit lazy with its accessories for a resort collection while new creative talent got comfortable and plotted a new course for upcoming collections, but Chloe Resort 2012 doesn’t strike me as lazy at all. When creative director Hannah MacGibbon was shown the door after a disappointing collection for Fall 2011, I assumed that the earliest improvements would probably be seen on the Spring 2012 runway. Perhaps that’s not the case.

Chloe’s resort bags aren’t revolutionary, but the have a cleanness and confidence that the brand’s previous several accessories collections have lacked. And while there’s a Paddington reboot in the mix, a habit of the brand that tends to irk me, the bright pink and minimal Paddington markings mean that, at the very least, it actually feels like a genuine reboot instead of a cynical cash grab. I’m suddenly feeling a lot more excited about Chloe’s upcoming spring show. More photos after the jump. (more…)

Image via Moda Operandi

Perusing the Judith Leiber Resort 2012 offerings now available for advanced order on Moda Operandi is almost soothing. In the giant, endless parade of new ideas that is the fashion industry, Leiber’s commitment season after season to the company’s whimsical crystal-encrusted evening bags are a shelter in the storm. You know what you’ll find, even if you’re not sure exactly how it will take shape.

For Resort 2012, the theme is…resorts. See? Pleasantly straight-foward. There are shell clutches as well as a few box minaudieres named after famous streets in American resort towns (and inexplicably, one named after a mall in Atlanta). The collection also include a full line of evening bags dedicated to the twelve signs of the zodiac, perfect for the astrology nut in your life. (But seriously, Mercury Retrograde is not something to mess with.) If you have a Moda Operandi membership, you can pre-order the bags there until July 28th. If not, we have more highlights from the collection after the jump. (more…)

When was the last time you looked at a Marc Jacobs bag and thought, “Whoa, that’s a great bag?” Sometime around the entré of the Stam, right? Well that’s exactly what I said, out loud, by myself, to my computer in sudden fit of excitement when I saw the colorblocked satchel at top left from Marc Jacobs Resort 2012. I mean, that’s a good bag, right? My level of enthusiasm for that design has left me confused and excited.

I mean, let’s be real here; most handbag addicts can spot a Marc Jacobs bag from a mile away, and whether or not that’s a good thing depends on how much you like the designs that Jacobs puts out every year. They often don’t vary much from what we’ve seen before except for a runway bag or two, and there are certainly some repeats in this group, but the new stuff looks fresher and more exciting than it has in more than a few seasons. Let’s hope that this is but a small preview of the accessories to come in the brand’s Spring 2012 presentation. More photos after the jump. (more…)

We all know Alexander Wang as The Boy King of Downtown Cool, which means that his clothes and accessories are often black, grey and sullen. And while some of us (read: me) like that look, it doesn’t really fit in with the idea of a resort collection or what most people want to wear when weather first starts to turn warm. And apparently Wang has figured that out, because Alexander Wang Resort 2012 has a lot more color to it than we’ve come to expect from the young designer.

Bright blue is the star of the show here, accented by sharp silver hardware that Wang’s fans will remember from his previous two collections. There are one or two new shapes in this series of bags, but there are also some fun takes on old favorites like a pale yellow Diego Bucket Bag and Wang’s new small leather goods in a variety of colors and textures. And yes, there’s some black and grey. Of course there is. More photos after the jump. (more…)

With head designer Stefano Pilati’s relationship with Yves Saint Laurent bigwigs rumored to be growing ever more tense, it’s always interesting to see what Pilati will turn out when it’s time for a new collection. I was lukewarm on his work for Fall 2011, but Yves Saint Laurent Resort 2012 is a whole different story. Not only were the nautical-chic clothes absolutely lust-worthy, but the bags and shoes, which are most brands’ chief moneymakers, will likely retail very well.

The bag that I’m most excited about is the Yves Saint Laurent Chyc Cabas, which you can see in one of its iterations above. The roomy tote has both functional and aesthetic appeal, and the frayed red straw accented with white leather and gold hardware makes me want to leave my apartment and make friends with someone who owns a boat. This collection will hit stores right around my birthday. Hint hint. (more…)

Just when I was beginning to wonder if Coach president Reed Krakoff could continue to replicate the smashing success that he’s had in the very short life of his eponymous label, Reed Krakoff Resort 2012 comes around to prove it to me. Ladies, this line isn’t just a flash in the pan.

When I was flipping through the press photos, it was the Reed Krakoff Boxer Bag that you see at left that really proved to me that there’s something major here. The design deftly takes the current trends of brights and colorblocking and translates them on the one of the brand’s signature pieces without losing the integrity of the Krakoff aesthetic or the excitement of the of-the-moment look. Combining two disparate ideas isn’t an easy thing to do, but that’s exactly how all of these bags feel: Easy. In the best possible way. More photos after the jump. (more…)

Every year, resort collections spring up at the beginning of summer like an oasis in the dessert. The fashion industry sometimes seems to come to a near-grinding halt during the warmer months while industry heavyweights are off sunning themselves in St. Barths, but the unorganized and sporadic resort show season seems to send us a new collection every time we begin to think that perhaps we’ll never write another interesting post again.

This time, Mulberry Resort 2012 is one of our saviors, and they’ve actually released stock images of their bags, which is something of a resort rarity. Most brands save their big reveals for the full spring and fall collections, but this mid-season group offers several covetable bags, particularly the ivory faux python Alexa and the green-and-black leopard tote, which would be perfect for weekend shopping. More pictures after the jump. (more…)