Custom Design

We usually feature bags from Lockheart over on PurseBlog Savvy because of the brand’s very reasonable price points, but sometimes a mid-range bag impresses us so much that it richly deserves to make the jump to and be considered alongside much more expensive bags. The Lockheart Priscilla Fanfare Shoulder Bag is clearly one such occasion.

Lockheart is a master of intricate texture at a reasonable price, and the Priscilla Fanfare bag fits perfectly into the brand’s aesthetic. The use of black allows the pleated, ribbon-accented leather to do all the aesthetic work for the design, and the finished product looks very much like something Valentino would think up. The only difference is that the Valentino version, were it to exist, wouldn’t cost $345.

Not only is the bag reasonably priced for the amount of detailed leather work that went into it, but it’s really two bags in one. The shoulder strap comes off to reveal a perfectly detailed clutch for nighttime use, and at a little over twelve inches wide, the bag is the optimal size for use as either a day or evening option. Black bags can be boring, but this one is anything but. I’m guessing that most women could find a place for this purse in their closets, particularly at such a reasonable price. Buy through Neiman Marcus for $345.

Original post by Amanda Mull

If someone were to tell me that they were going to design a bag based on an oversized jewelry box, that might sound like kind of a bad idea. Surprisingly (or not so surprisingly, depending on how much you follow the brand), Maison Martin Margiela was able to do so with a signature minimalist flair. The Maison Martin Margiela Jewelry Box Clutch might look like it’s supposed to hold a pair of very, very large diamond studs at first, but it’s really meant to hold your night-out necessities. Personally, I’d prefer the giant pair of earrings…

This little bag packs a lot of wit into a small package. The interior looks just like the cases that you get when you actually buy a piece of jewelry, as does the domed, sueded exterior. Not only that, but the design seems totally functional as well – it would hold anything that your average box clutch could contain. My initial reaction to this bag was somewhat dubious, but the more I looked at it, the more I warmed up.

Until, that is, I got around to reading the description of the materials. As it turns out, the exterior material isn’t real suede – it’s the same fake suede that covers actual jewelry boxes. Although that design choice perhaps scores another point for witty realism, if Margiela wanted to transform a jewelry box into a luxury handbag, the editorial decision to use real suede should have been made. With the fake stuff, the price just doesn’t seem justifiable. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $1375.

Original post by Amanda Mull

…I just didn’t manage to get there with them.

Feathers and satin and chain sound like a recipe for a whimsical evening bag, but the actual end product of the Lanvin Pouchette Oulouette Clutch isn’t as fantastical as it may sound. When carried on the shoulder, the feathers hang down the front of the body in sort of a sad, limp way, and the promise that they can be removed to make a necklace or belt doesn’t make me feel much better about how this bag was executed.

I can see where it would be a fun, if slightly gimmicky, design challenge to make a bag whose strap had multiple other functions when not in use as part of the clutch, but I think the end result would have been better if the designers at Lanvin had focused more intently on making sure it looked better as a strap. If I want a necklace or a belt, I’ll buy one – when I want a bag, I want one that doesn’t sacrifice its aesthetic value to transform into a bunch of stuff that I didn’t want in the first place. I adore the color of this bag, but the feathers seem poorly conceived at best (and I’m usually a lover of fabulous little bits like feathers). Buy through Net-a-Porter for $1185.

Original post by Amanda Mull

In our never-ending periodic quest to find stylish options at a variety of price points, today we have a reasonably priced alternative to the Nancy Gonzalez Hand-Held Croc Clutch that I wrote about last month. I liked it so much that I went on a search for a budget-friendly alternative to add to my wardrobe, and the best contender I’ve found is the Rebecca Minkoff Lovers Clutch.

To me, the most important parts of the Nancy Gonzalez clutch to replicate the look were the contrast between a bright body and a dark handle and the exotic texture. Since detailed clutches in real exotic skins don’t come around very often at the price point I was hoping to find, embossing will have to do. The magenta of the Minkoff clutch provides a reasonable alternative to Gonzalez’s bright blue, and the color’s contrast with the wood trim is similar to the contrast with the dark crocodile.

Exotic embossing almost always looks a tad cheap even on nice leather, but this example of it seems better than most. Either of these clutches are choices that would likely garner you a lot of compliments, but the Rebecca Minkoff version will run you a reasonable $240 (on sale from $325) compared to Gonzalez’s much steeper $3200 price point.

You can buy the Nancy Gonzalez via Neiman Marcus, or the Rebecca Minkoff via Luna Boston.

Original post by Amanda Mull

It’s so rare that Nancy Gonzalez makes a misstep. Her handbags may not be revolutionary, but it’s nearly impossible to go wrong with exotic materials, beautiful colors and simple shapes. It appears as though she has handbag design nearly down to a science.

The Nancy Gonzalez Hand-Held Croc Clutch is merely the most recent in a long line of sartorial successes from the brand, and as always, I’m drooling over it. Bicolor bag design is difficult to do well (as we’re also discussing over at PurseBlog Savvy currently), but I have absolutely no complaints about this clutch. Well, other than the fact that it isn’t in my closet, of course.

The slouchy finish of the blue croc attracts me to this clutch more than anything else. Crocodile is usually a material reserved for structured, rigid bags, and I always enjoy seeing it used in a soft and touchable way. And if you purchased this clutch, you’d be touching it a lot – not only is it beautiful, but at 16 inches wide, day-to-night transitions would be effortless. Buy through Neiman Marcus for $3200.

Original post by Amanda Mull

If you haven’t realized that leopard print is a huge and soon-to-be omnipresent trend for fall, you haven’t been paying very close attention. In fact, we discussed the impending importance of leopard bags just last month.

As with all things, though, bedazzler to the stars Judith Leiber is here to take the trend to its absurdly literal extreme. If you’re attending a very glamourous event this fall and want to be on-trend, these clutches are one of the best (and sparkliest) ways to do it. My favorite is the tiger – which would you choose? Pricing information and larger images, after the jump.

Judith Leiber Leopard Clutch, $5495 via Net-a-Porter.

Judith Leiber Zebra Clutch, $4995 via Net-a-Porter.

Judith Leiber Tiger Clutch, $5495 via Net-a-Porter.

Original post by Amanda Mull

We first caught a glimpse of Prada’s knitted leather during the brand’s Fall/Winter 2010 runway show in March, and I’ve been hungrily awaiting their arrival at retail ever since. Well, they’re here! Almost. Prada has close-up pictures of a few styles and colors on its website, and these Prada Knitted Leather Clutches in particular do not disappoint.

Sadly, my favorite color combination isn’t pictured, but if you imagine the one on the right with red instead of tan, you get the idea. The main thing that I’m taking away from this first look, however, is that I’m surprised by how much I like the black version – you don’t lose as much of the sense of texture as I had assumed when the design is rendered in a single, dark color. The clutch will retail for $2600 once it arrives in store. Larger pictures of both, after the jump.

Images via Prada.com
Shop curent Prada bags via Saks!

Original post by Amanda Mull

When we talked about the Louis Vuitton and Lanvin striped mother of pearl clutches last week, I still partly believed that the similarities of the two evening bags were a coincidence – after all, two bags does not a trend make. Three bags do, however, and that’s exactly what this Judith Leiber Resort 2011 is: a sign of a burgeoning trend.

The method of inlaying more closely resembles the Louis Vuitton, as does the diagonal inlay, while the color choice is more similar to the Lanvin. The major difference is that the bag is framed with gold, which unfortunately gives me flashbacks to the 80s – as a result, this clutch is my least favorite of the three.

This design doesn’t work as well as either of the previous clutches – it’s all Dynasty without much of the winking charm of a retro update, mostly because there’s little “update” to be found. Leiber is usually a master of the evening bag, but you’d be better suited to go with either the Louis Vuitton or Lanvin versions of this trend.

Price and release information are not yet available. Pictures via Women’s Wear Daily.

Shop Judith Leiber via Net-a-Porter!

Original post by Amanda Mull

I can’t think of many brands with more disparate accessory aesthetics than Louis Vuitton and Lanvin, but that doesn’t mean that the two luxury giants won’t intersect from time to time. While flipping through looks from the recent Resort 2011 presentations in Paris, I was surprised to see that the two brands seem to be on the same page in at least one noticeable way. Larger pictures after the jump.

The Louis Vuitton and Lanvin clutches have different feels, but the way that each one goes about achieving the finished product is markedly similar. Thin strips of multicolored mother of pearl (plus a little metal for good measure) make up both bags one feels a little 70s, the other, a little 20s. That the results are clearly different demonstrates the creativity of both brands.

Price and release information are not yet available. Photos via Women’s Wear Daily.

Original post by Amanda Mull

Normally when Marc Jacobs makes bags for his eponymous line, they’re a little bit more streamlined and subdued than his efforts on behalf of Louis Vuitton, but the bags that we’ve seen from him recently have been anything but simple. We’ve seen fur, sequins, metallics and exotic leather, all combined in various ways for maximum handbag impact.

Some people may tire of the complication, but I love it when designers mix materials. That also means that I love the Marc Jacobs 2010 Rockstar Clutch – it has all of the necessary elements to be a great statement bag that everyone will notice. Plus, this bag is a little bit more subdued than some of the fur-and-sequins bags we’ve seen from Jacobs lately, so it’s a good way to buy in to the look without committing to something slightly ridiculous.

Not only did Jacobs manage to mix a bunch of materials, colors and textures in this bag, but he managed to do it in a way that’s really visually appealing. The sapphire blue haircalf would have been beautiful on its own, but its juxtaposition with the grey and gold houndstooth leather only makes it more appealing. All three colors work together seamlessly, which is something that rarely happens when a bag mixes several shades and textures. Marc’s still got it, without a doubt. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $850.

Original post by Amanda Mull