Custom Design

Hey MCM, Donna Karan called. She wants her bag back.

I’m a firm believer that there is nothing really new under the sun, and that well-worn Biblical adage is doubly true when applied to the fashion world. Everything is recycled, reinterpreted, or deconstructed, if not outright ripped off. The best designers manage to borrow from the past and create something new and interesting from their influences. The worst? Well, we might have an example of one of them here in the MCM Leather Crossbody Hobo. When I saw it, I couldn’t help but assume it was one of Donna Karan’s bags – her brand used EXACTLY the same dying technique on several bags last season. Obviously, I was mistaken.

Take a look at this bag. Also, this one. Now look at that bag up there. Those Donna Karan bags were released in the fall, which means that they had been in the industry pipelines for about six months after their initial presentation for buyers and editors. So, knowledge of those bags has been around for about a year, long before this bag was probably conceived.

Fashion’s timeline is wonky, and this could be an unfortunate case of the company sourcing the same leather in ignorance, but that’s just not passing the truth sniff test for me. In a competitive industry that values exclusivity so highly and where lead times are so long, you’d have to think that the Powers That Be at MCM were probably aware that someone else had used the exact same leather with the exact same effect in the exact same color scheme. Karan’s bags were all over the internet and on the websites of several of the industry’s largest retailers at the time that these bags were probably being designed, and if MCM wasn’t aware of them, then someone was seriously not doing his or her job.

Don’t get me wrong – I love this effect. I just loved it more when it felt original. Buy through Saks for $1195.

Original post by Amanda Mull

I’m too young to remember when MCM was a big deal the first time around, but I have been assured that it was and I have no reason not to believe it. I’ve seen those bags, though, and I have a hard time imagining them being widely popular, but, you know, the 80s were a weird time.

I’m thankful that their logo bags haven’t returned in the 80s nostalgia wave (a wave that I’m ok with, in general – I just bought another pair of Ray-Ban Wayfarers, after all), but if they keep making bags like the MCM North/South Leather Hobo, I wouldn’t mind at all if the brand became a trend all over again.

Since this bag is completely empty and not hanging on a shoulder, I think that the uber-slouchy, uber-soft leather would look a bit more tailored when worn. If it does, the bag would be nearly perfect for people that like a casual, easy sensibility to their personal style (or really, just about anyone that like wonderful leather in a neutral shade).

The knotting, tassel, and minimal use of hardware are enough to vary the texture and visual appeal of the bag. If tassels aren’t your thing, then it’s removable, but I’d recommend leaving it on – it lends a nice vertical line, not to mention a little bit of motion, to this beautiful, modern bag. There’s not a note of 80s tiredness anywhere near this one. Buy through Saks for $995.

Original post by Amanda Mull

I’ve heard that turquoise is the color of spring this year. Ok, well, I heard it from something that Megs said on Twitter, so maybe I can’t claim any original research in the “color of the season” category, but turquoise sounds just about as likely as anything else. I have seen a lot of hot pink bags for spring, though, so I’d like to nominate that for second place.

Anyway, turquoise: perfectly lovely, glad to hear that it’s going to be big in the next few months. I much prefer it to orange or an alternative that looks equally terrible next to my skin. So, time to find a good turquoise handbag, I suppose, and the Jimmy Choo Rahmyn Snake-Embossed Hobo is one of the strongest contenders that I’ve found.

Most of the Jimmy Choo bags that I’ve seen recently have been trying way too hard to be special and interesting, and the thing that I find refreshing about this one is that it isn’t striving to be cooler than it is. Instead of being covered with a ton of unnecessary embellishment and hardware, Choo’s designers chose to do expertly dyed leather in a seriously drool-worthy color and simple shape, and it works so much butter than trying to make an average bag spectacular with glitter and fringe.

Embossed leather is not my favorite option, but it looks like they did a fairly unoffensive job of turning this bag into faux snake, so I’ll let it slide this time. The contrasting snake trim is a nice touch, and the texture works to make the bag less boring than it would have been in regular leather. I can already imagine how lovely this will look against white linen when the weather turns warm. Buy through Nordstrom for $1495.

Original post by Amanda Mull

So this week (and in particular, this weekend) are all about red, right? Well, according to the people that have a vested interest in selling you (or, perhaps more accurately, your significant other) lots and lots of Valentine’s Day swag, anyway. We’ll have more on V-Day throughout the week, but for a moment, I’d like to celebrate something that’s red that has blissfully little to do with anything other than good taste: the Valentino Premier Bow Hobo.

Everyone that reads this blog has probably picked up on the fact that I have a strong personal bias both the color red and almost anything made by the fine folks at Valentino, so of course I can’t help but fall for this bag.

For those that don’t follow fashion closely, red is a Valentino tradition (which is putting it very, very lightly). Under the creative genius of the company’s namesake, the color became a metaphor for the brand’s vision and an omnipresent staple in the brand’s clothes, accessories and especially their evening wear.

So it shouldn’t surprise us that, despite the retirement of the brand’s founder, Valentino is still one of the few designers that manages to do a red handbag and do it right. That’s because the company will accept nothing less than the perfect shade of red for any of its products, and that’s exactly what they managed to get out of this leather.

I’ve already explained my love for this bag’s design back when the shape first came out, so I won’t rehash those feelings, which are very much still intact. I will say, however, that the bag’s deliberative pleating is much more handsomely displayed in Valentino’s traditional red. It doesn’t even need to be Valentine’s day to appreciate that – or should I say Valentino’s Day? Buy through Saks for $1895.

Original post by Amanda Mull

Get ready to be surprised and astounded, you guys: I’ve found a Valentino bag about which I am totally and utterly ambivalent. I know this doesn’t happen often, so if you feel like you need to take a moment to let that sink in, please go ahead and take one. We’ll wait.

You back? Great.

In fact, I’m having trouble rustling up any thoughts about it at all. However, one continues to reoccur: for two grand, not only can you get a better bag in general, you can get a far more interesting Valentino bag.

The ruffles are suitably rich and textured, I suppose, and the graduated size from top to bottom is ok. Something about it is just not impressive to me at all, however, and maybe it’s because I’ve seen the brand do ruffles in so many more interesting and intricate ways. Perhaps the problem is that they do such an out-of-the-ballpark job with designs that are much more complex, and in comparison, it’s hard to celebrate their ability to pull off something so comparatively simple. Buy through Saks for $1995.

Original post by Amanda Mull

With so many handbags on the market, there are always options that can give you a look you love for less. Let’s face it, we don’t all have endless handbag budgets all the time. We have already given you a studded clutch option for less and a Chanel option for less. Now it is time to give you a Leather Hobo Look for Less.

As you know we are huge fans of YSL here at Purse Blog. I recently saw a leather hobo from YSL that was simply beautiful. The YSL Leather Hobo gives you a simple hobo shape, which is integral to your handbag wardrobe, in luxe taurillon leather (taurillion translates to bull-calf from French). The YSL Hobo features a 9″ drop, magnetic closure, and suede lining. Entirely effortless yet everyday usable. Price is $1595 via Saks.

If you love the look of the YSL hobo but do not feel like dishing out $1600, we have found a Look for Less. Bringing you a similar shape and size but a lesser price tag is the Hobo International Amelie Leather Hobo. Why did we pick this bag?

It also features butter leather, a soft and slouchy shape, and a single shoulder strap. The shoulder drop is 14″ versus 9″ from the YSL hobo. The lining is not suede like the YSL bag, rather cotton/rayon lining. But I will not gripe about the lining when the price is 1/6th of the price of the YSL hobo.

If you want to nab the YSL hobo look for less, grab this Hobo International bag via Saks for $268.

Original post by Megs Mahoney Dusil

I was really hoping to have more to report with the release of more Balmain Handbags to the public, but unfortunately, it looks like they’re sticking with the uninspired messenger bag style that we first saw with the Balmain Crystal Leopard Suede Bag.

Balmain is such an interesting, trend-setting line that I’m disappointed that they didn’t choose to do more with their handbags. This is just their first effort, though, so maybe we can expect more in the future. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $1915-$3925.

Original post by Amanda Mull

Call me crazy, but I can kind of see what Chloe was going for here. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think they accomplished it, but I think I know where they were headed.

See, there’s these people called “hipsters.” They’re the ones that have been wearing skinny jeans since 2003, and Wayfarers as well. They shop for lamé leggings at American Apparel and live in Brooklyn (or Silverlake or East Atlanta or any other number of enclaves) and are responsible for a lot of music, most of it terrible but some of it reasonably good. They also wear some ridiculous accessories and handbags, most of them vintage, and most of them looking strangely like the Chloe Polka Dots Leather bag.

And since these hipster people can be thanked as either the starters or early adopters of a lot of what we see going on in fashion today, I can’t blame Chloe for giving them a nod. The thing about borrowing from hipsters, though, is that you have to be very careful about what you take and how you interpret it, and this particular bag is probably a bit too far over the line to be successful. It’s kind of cute as a novelty piece, but as a bag for a serious purse lover, I don’t think it measures up. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $1450.

Original post by Amanda Mull

Get ready to vote! I’ve been hung up on the Emanuel Ungaro Studded Leather Clutch for over a week now. Net-a-Porter is one of my favorite sites to peruse. I love all of the amazing designer bags that the site consistently has in stock. Oh, and when I say “has in stock” I really mean tempt me to the point of Carrie Bradshaw spontaneous shopping sprees. Anyways, this clutch has got me all twisted around and I cannot decide if it is an edgy unique hit or a disastrous miss.

I’ve always resorted back to making “pro” and “con” lists when I find myself in this kind of predicament. So, I am going to do virtually the same here except it looks like my “pro” list is much shorter. I have total appreciation for the edginess that seems to ooze from this clutch. Black textured leather and brazen silver-tone stud embellishments all over the front, and just a splash on the back of the bag. The detachable chain handle shows how a bold statement can be carried from the bag through the shoulder and back. Chain detailing everywhere you look and bright fuchsia satin lining rounds out the bag.

So what do I not like? Pretty much all of it. I don’t think this is a look I can pull off, it is far too much. If you have that pushing the envelope side to you, then this could be a great addition to your closet. Oh and one more thing, it is uber expensive. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $2210.

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

Original post by Shannon Mahoney

I am constantly looking for a great black clutch. I am sure you are all too familiar with my absolute adoration for clutches. However, when I was looking in my closet over the weekend, I realized sadly enough, that I don’t have a good black clutch.

Of course my next thought was, do I need a fancy one or more of a casual one? Well, clearly the answer is I need both, but I think I’ll get more use out of a casual black clutch than a fancy one right now. Ask me again around the Holiday season and you are sure to get a different answer. So, going with the casual idea, I want to make sure it is fun and not boring.

This Tylie Malibu Runway Clutch is just what I need. Durable yet luscious black leather and hand laid pyramid embellishments play off of one another just as I would like them too. In fact, this is one of the few bags I’ve come across that has studding that isn’t a huge contrast against the leather. Certainly the studding is noticeable, but the idea of using dark colors adds a bit of mystery and intrigue. It is great to see a rocker vibe that is different from others that try to obtain the same look. Buy through Tylie Malibu for $564.

Original post by Shannon Mahoney