Custom Design

It seems as though there are few animal-derived materials from which a designer has not attempted to make a handbag at some point. We’ve seen a zillion different versions of leather and fur, comprising almost any animal you can somehow raise on a farm, plus eel and stingray. Missoni makes a bag partially comprised of the skin from chicken feet. There is nothing new under the sun.

Except for maybe horsehair. It’s been used for centuries to make bows for string instruments, but Akris appears to have cornered the modern market on luxury horsehair purses with their line of Akris Ai Tote Bags. As far as I’ve been able to find, other brands have used horsehair to accent their designs, but this is the first bag in a while to use the material as the main attraction. The upside is that using the material doesn’t harm the animals in any way; the downside, unfortunately, is that the medium version costs a whopping $4400.

Horsehair is an interesting material for sure. I played classical strings for the better part of a decade, so I know how even and uniform it can look when treated and pulled tight, and it’s more or less endlessly renewable. The weaving on these bags looks impeccable and the simple style of the bags has already inspired lots of knockoff totes in less interesting materials. For the price, perhaps one of those is your best bet. The idea intrigues me, but I can skip it for that kind of money. With $4400, you’re well on your way to a Birkin. Buy through Saks for $4400.

Original post by Amanda Mull

I’ve never had much of a problem forming an opinion, but for some reason I have yet to make up my mind about the Valentino Aphrodite Satchel. Is it great, or is it ever-so-slightly off? Do all of the elements work together, or does it look like two disparate bags joined into one?

After the jump, I’ve listed the design’s pros and cons and also provided a convenient poll for your voting pleasure.

Pros:

1. Color and pattern: Lovely! The origin of the print is somewhat indeterminate (although it’s clearly some sort of cat), but the cream and black combination makes the overall effect a bit more ladylike than leopard. For the shape and design of this bag, it was the perfect choice.
2. Scale: The size of the pattern relative to the size of the bag is bold and graphic, just as modern animal print should be.
3. Shape: “Lady scale” bags are the new ish, apparently, and this bag fits fall’s 60s trends perfectly.
4. The Bow: It adds an unexpected twist to the bag and makes the design distinctively Valentino.

Cons:

1. The Bow: Is it a pro or a con? I can’t decide. This entire poll is really just a referendum on the bow. The color doesn’t appear elsewhere in the design, which is what gives me pause. Does the bow throw you off as well, or does the contrast add something?

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post’s poll.

Buy through Nordstrom for $2795.

Original post by Amanda Mull

I’m so relieved that Alexander McQueen (the brand) will continue to function after the death of Alexander McQueen (the man). He was a visionary, and his legacy deserves to be continued in the wake of his passing. By all indications, the McQueen clothing and accessories that we will see in the near future owe a considerable debt to the founder’s aesthetic, just as it should be.

Skull clutches have been a McQueen accessory signature for some time, and the brand looks to continue that tradition with the Alexander McQueen Union Jack Stud Clutch. Skulls, studs and Anglophilia were all motifs which McQueen embraced, and if this bag is any indication, they’re not going anywhere in the brand’s forthcoming work.

Before we go any further, however, it’s worth mentioning that the clutch in this photo appears to be damaged. Samples undergo a higher amount of stress and abuse than the average bag, but it still strikes me as odd that Neiman Marcus would photograph a damaged bag to be featured on their website, thereby possibly exacerbating whatever quality control concerns one may have when buying bags online and sight unseen.

From a design perspective, though, I really love this iteration of the skull clutch. The color combination of cream and gold is classic and a bit regal, but the twinkling skull eyes and punk motif create a nice aesthetic juxtaposition to any perceived conventionality. We may have seen a lot of studded bags lately, but the use of multi-sized studs to create a larger whole keeps the design fresh. Buy through Neiman Marcus for $1495.

Original post by Amanda Mull

One thing that I’ve always appreciated about Marc Jacobs is the sheer breadth of aesthetic choices that can be contained within his eponymous line at any given time. His clothes and accessories range from the somewhat classic and conservative to the utterly wild, often in the span of a single season, and I suppose that this is the point where I should say “variety is the spice of life” and all that.

Fresh off the metallic parachute bags and foot-long fringe from last season, Jacobs has decided to make a 180-degree turn and go for something entirely different: retro, ladylike handbags. The Marc Jacobs Gene Satchel in particular is strongly reminiscent of the accessories from the Louis Vuitton fall line, which is also under Jacobs’s stewardship. Is that a good thing? In this case, absolutely.

At one point in the not-so-distant past, I wasn’t a big believer in bicolor bags, but this one in particular is a great example of why my feelings have changed. The cream and greige colors compliment each other beautifully and the juxtaposition of the two shades helps bring out the richness in both, as do the differences in texture. Because of the relative neutrality of both shades, there are few outfits that would clash with the bag purely as a result of the use of more than one color, which is usually a concern that I have with bicolored bags. As it is, I have no concerns at all, only lust. Buy through Saks for $1195.

Original post by Amanda Mull

Soft, slouchy, quilted lambskin in a creamy shade of ivory? Where do I sign up for the Burberry Quilted Leather Tote? Do I need to get on a list or contact the proper authorities? Is there a special code I have to say?

I’ve got to admit that, between Marc Jacobs and Chanel, it might be kind of easy to think that we’ve seen all the quilting that we need to see. Usually, though, those quilts are a bit more on the rigid side, whereas the ones on this bag look soft and lovely (and this bag is lambskin, so I bet it doesn’t disappoint in real life.)

This design isn’t groundbreaking, but it is pretty neutral and attractive. The quilting provides texture, and I particularly like the tied belt, which mirrors the closure method that a lot of women use on the company’s iconic trench coats. I wish that the leather trim around the top looked less stiff, but I’m willing to entertain the idea that it gives the bag’s opening a structure that a lot of hobos lack. I wish the handle was flat instead of rolled, but overall, this bag is a nice, neutral option for a lot of different women. Buy through Saks for $1095.

Original post by Amanda Mull

I say a lot more negative things about Prada bags than I say positive, but I promise that I don’t have anything particular against the brand. In fact, my first “designer” bag was a Prada crossbody, and I still have fond memories of it.

They’ve been doing more wrong than right in most of their high-profile bags lately, but they still make some great stuff that doesn’t grab as many headlines. I got a chance to examine a bunch of their bags up close this weekend, and I was particularly taken with the classic lines and superb construction of the Prada Saffiano Soft Frame Clutch.

Actually, “particularly taken” would be an understatement of my feelings. I’m in love with it – deep, inconvenient, all-encompassing love that I didn’t expect to find for a Prada bag. In my heart, that kind of love is usually reserved for Balenciaga or Valentino.

Please believe me when I say that the pictures don’t do this bag any sort of justice. I saw it in smooth black leather, which was ridiculously rich and perfect for this sort of oversized, take-anywhere, day-to-night clutch. It struck me as the sort of bag you’d look at and be able to tell that it was expensive, even if it had no logo. I’ll admit that it looks a bit boring in photos, but in your hand, it’s a great bag.

When I opened it up, I was even more pleased. The slightly retro, structured closure stands open to reveal a leather-lined interior (the black version has red, which is much more exciting than the taupe inside of the cream-colored version) with several pockets and enough space to hold more or less everything that you could put in a medium-sized shoulder bag. You probably wouldn’t want to fill it that full, but a little extra space in a clutch is never a bad thing.

Overall, I think I may have found the perfect clutch for me, and it was in one of the most unexpected places. Perhaps it was a cosmic reminder that in fashion, you should never count anyone out completely. Buy through Saks for $1350.

Original post by Amanda Mull

Is it possible that we don’t give Michael Kors his due when it comes to handbags? I think it might be. Or perhaps the problem is that his brand doesn’t emphasize it enough – I’m not exactly sure what the issue is, but the brand hasn’t “caught” as a major power in handbags like one would expect when you consider the huge financial and marketing arm that the brand has behind it.

I talk about Princess Michael Kors himself every week in my Project Runway recap, but it’s much more rare that we sit down and discuss one of his handbag designs in a serious way, despite the fact that His Royal Highness’s brand put out a big line of bags every season. By the looks of the beautiful and reasonably priced Michael Kors Tonne Leather Hobo, we should do it more often.

For some reason, this had me fooled into thinking it was a Jimmy Choo bag for a moment – you know, a Jimmy Choo bag from back when their bags weren’t all covered in some combination of fringe, animal print and lightening bolts. My momentary joy at a reasonable-looking Choo bag was dashed, however, but it was replaced by considerable happiness that the designer was actually Kors. His handbags are almost always much less expensive, after all.

This particular hobo is even less expensive than I would have guessed. For less than $800 retail, you get a creamy, soft hobo that’s incredibly elegant and clean-lined, while still being totally functional. You also get some of the best bold hardware in the business (really, this is where Kors has shined for the past few seasons), ringed in real python and framing a handle that somehow manages to be both minimalist and detailed at the same time. The finished product feels like a surprise weekend trip to Palm Beach, but it’ll serve you well in pretty much any city that I can think of. Buy through Saks for $795.

Original post by Amanda Mull

One thing that a lot of designers seem to have a very hard time doing is creating a bag that is both expensive-looking and covered in animal print. It’s not surprising since animal print is historically “tacky chic” at best, and at worst, just plain tacky. Getting past the initial “eww, is that zebra?” thought is a difficult sell for a lot of handbag customers in particular, since most people prefer their expensive bags to be neutral and timeless.

Somehow, though, the Roger Vivier Zebra Tote manages to look luxurious and chic in a traditional way, while still being boldly and obviously animal print. How did the designer pull it off? I have a theory, of course.

The folks at Vivier did two things very, very right with this bag: first, they kept the materials high-end. Most designers resort to non-leather materials when they want to make animal print because leather is difficult to dye in precise patterns. Choosing something like cotton canvas automatically downgrades the look, making the print look cheap by association. Instead of making that mistake, the designer used calfskin, giving the bag a richness that it would likely not have otherwise.

The second thing that the designer did correctly was not assume that simply using a pattern would be enough attention to detail. If the goal was to make something modern and minimalist, that would have been fine, but in this situation it probably wouldn’t cut it. Instead, the fine color variation in the dye makes the bag look well-crafted and beautifully wrought, increasing the style quotient exponentially. Vivier should teach classes in this sort of thing. Buy through Luisa Via Roma for $2451.

Original post by Amanda Mull

I’ve got to say at least one nice thing about this bag: Dolce & Gabbana, I like your enthusiasm.

No, actually, I love it. Because the kind of chutzpah it takes to put together seven (that I can count) types of fuzzy animal print onto one bag is the kind of chutzpah that it takes to occasionally create a stinkin’ awesome bag. But at this point, ladies and gentlemen, I have but one caveat: the Dolce & Gabbana Miss Martini Flap Bag is not that bag.

Oddly enough, I think that what this bag suffers from the most is not that there are too many patterns, but that all of the patterns are too similar. Instead of creating contrast and visual interest, they all sort of meld together into one big tan animal print glob, and the result is decidedly “craft store.”

Not that it would have been any better had they added in, say, zebra print or snake print. This idea was more or less dead in the water from the get-go, but if it takes making a thousand ridiculous bags to finally get to one that’s genuinely great, then I’m okay with that. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Buy through Nordstrom for $1075.

Original post by Amanda Mull

MCM (Mode Creation Munich) is making a comeback. The renowned European luxury brand has taken major strides recently in the accessories market. Our take on it all: Bravo. We are really digging what MCM is doing. Quality, luxury, and craftsmanship goes a long way in a handbag. Best part is the price point for most MCM bags stays on the affordable end of the spectrum.

Take the MCM Notte Large Leather Hobo for example. The leather is exceptional in the soft shape while the double chain-link strap gives an edgy and current touch. What is not to like about this bag? As far as classic black bags go, this is an ideal buy. The inside is lined in suede and there is a zipper and two open pockets. Dimensions are 15″W X 10″H X 5″D.

While I have never seen an MCM bag in person, this week that will change. There is a MCM store in our hotel in NYC that we are planning on stopping by to see the bags in person. Once we get to touch the bags and see the quality for ourselves, we will report back with more information. Buy this MCM hobo via Saks for an affordable $925.

Original post by Megs Mahoney Dusil