Custom Design

I am undoubtedly a Lanvin fan. However, the thing about that is that while I do love Lanvin handbags, I don’t necessarily always go out looking for a new Lanvin bag. The great thing is, they always seem to come to me. When I least expect it, a fabulous bag pops up and takes my breath away.

This is essentially what happened when I came across the Lanvin Pouchette Python Small Shoulder Bag. Admittedly, the first thing that caught my eye was the multicolored pompom. In fact, the pompom brought a smile and induced a bit of a giggle. I haven’t seen a pompom in so long and I actually loved the fun and flirty take on the otherwise high school-esque item. But, that is just one element; this bag is so much more.

After I moved passed my pompom intrigue, I found myself fixated on the blue shiny python material. This material hugs the shape of the small shoulder bag so perfectly that it seems like they were literally made for one another. I’ve mentioned it before, but I am always a little bit wary of large bags made out of python skin, I never want the python to look too flaky or like it was just slapped on the bag. This is not a concern that I have with this bag at all.

The bag has a shoulder strap with white chain-link ends, a fold-over flap and a press-stud fastening. To be honest, I am not really a fan of the white chain-link ends, they seem a bit plastic-y to me, but it might be something I can get over. It is the luscious blues and greens all over the bag that make the smallest annoyances worth looking over. This bag would be so cute with certain outfits while completely elegant with others. And once again, like most Lanvin bags, this is one that can be used for seasons to come. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $2695.

Original post by Shannon Mahoney

You might want to sit down, if you aren’t already. At first, I was really excited to see the Bottega Veneta Leather Fringe Shoulder Bag. But then, I saw it and I became extremely conflicted. As I’ve mentioned several times before, I am totally in love with the leather Bottega Veneta uses on its handbags. It is always supple, always gorgeous and always bumps up the bag design to the next level.

That lovely leather is can be seen on this bag as well. However, I am a bit concerned that it looks, hmmm, a bit unfinished. Yet, as soon as I type those words I go to the complete opposite end of the spectrum and begin to think that this pattern is an eccentric and unique play on the intrecciato weaving and slight fringe.

A zoomed in look at the bag demonstrates how the design actually is fairly thought out. Perhaps it is BV’s way of spicing up their collection a bit? The bag boasts a single shoulder strap with a 13″ drop, a flap closure and two zipper pouches under the flap. While I am still not sure this bag is for me, I can imagine those of you boho fashionistas out there would rock this bag with pride. So, tell me, what do you think: fab or drab? Pre-order through Saks for $1850.

Original post by Shannon Mahoney

We talk a lot about Bottega Veneta, and for good reason. They’re doing some of the most interesting things with some of the best materials on the marketplace, and their bags often have an element of visual trickery with them that I find delightful. If a designer can find a way to make a bag more than the sum of its parts, then he or she has done her job.

The fine folks at BV do their jobs very, very well. Their bags may not fit your personal style (they often don’t fit mine), but it’s hard to argue that they’re not at least producing some of the more interesting products on the high-end marketplace. The Bottega Veneta Oversized Intrecciato Shopper for example, features a weave within a weave that still has me trying to figure out exactly how the designers pulled it off.

The technique is pretty impressive and intricate when you look at it closely, but as a whole, the effect is deceptively simple. The dark and bright red offer enough contrast without being loud, and the shape is so clean (maybe even boring to some) that it doesn’t compete with the weaving-on-top-of-weaving for attention. It’s a grown up bag with an artistic sensibility, which is exactly what Bottega Veneta does best.

Original post by Amanda Mull

Hello, gorgeous. To be honest with you, I don’t necessarily go out of my way to find a great Gucci handbag. I know, seems kind of harsh, right? Well, I’ve just been underwhelmed with Gucci handbag designs lately. That is until today, when I found myself drooling on my keyboard over this Gucci New Pelham Large Shoulder Bag. I love everything about this bag, seriously, everything. I’d even considering making this bag my next big splurge.

For starters, the grey leather is fabulous. The pebble grain leather is the kind that will stand the test of time while looking better and better with each use. But it is the stitching and horsebit detail that really captivated me. In fact, the embossed Gucci script logo isn’t half bad either. Another thing you know I love, versatility, applies to this bag as well. This is the perfect transition bag. Go from day to night with just a switch of some jewelry or coat and this bag still fits perfectly. With these dimensions, 13″H x 15 3/10″L x 2 2/5″D the bag isn’t too big and definitely isn’t too small. Thank you Gucci, thank you for making a bag I actually like. Buy through Bergdorf Goodman for $1450.

Original post by Shannon Mahoney

We’ve been lucky enough to get our hands on some of the most beautiful Bottega Veneta handbags available. While I can’t get enough of the signature BV intrecciato woven leather design, I am always intrigued by some of the other intrecciato-less handbags available. Case in point, this luxurious Bottega Veneta Woven Shoulder Bag. I am absolutely in love with how buttery smooth this leather looks. Being part of the resort collection, this is one bag that will completely live up to its price tag.

I don’t know about you, but when I come across handbags that are part of a designer’s resort collection, I find myself looking at the bag and being whisked away to a gorgeous place where both I and the bag would shine. Yet the thing about this Bottega Veneta bag is that it is constructed for use all year long.

The truffle colored leather is paired with dark brass hardware. I love the detailing along the (makeshift) seams of the bag as well as used on the handle. This handle has a 12″ drop which I think is enough to fit nicely on your shoulder without it being too snug. Per usual with a bag this large, I would be careful how much you put in it so that it doesn’t become too heavy. This might be one of my new favorite Bottega Veneta bags. Buy through Bergdorf Goodman for $1750.

Original post by Shannon Mahoney

I have a hard time pinning down the Miu Miu handbag aesthetic. Their bags seem to roam freely between minimalist and intricate, taking a pit stop at every level in between. Since “brand cohesion” is probably only something that obtuse fashion people (like moi) ever think/care about, it doesn’t necessarily seem to be a bad thing – it certainly brings them attention from a wide swath of stylish girls and women.

The Miu Miu Lurex Jeweled Shoulder Bag is the brand at its most intricate extreme. Based on how successful the bag is, maybe they should spend more time at that end of the spectrum.

This lively clutch-alternative reminds me of the glory days of the early aughts, when brightly patterned Dior Saddle Bags and Fendi Baguettes rules the accessories roost. This bag is like those bags were, except with an elegant, ladylike bent that most of the accessories of that era sorely lacked. This is the Queen’s Baguette, if you will.

The lurex/brocade combination is just updated enough to be cool and modern while still an obvious retro reference, and the smokey jewels on the chain are just perfection. I know this clutch probably has too much personality to appeal to everyone, but that just means that there will be more for me. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $950.

Original post by Amanda Mull

Hey, Jimmy Choo. Listen and listen good. You’re trying too hard.

The Jimmy Choo Conti Snakeskin Shoulder Bag is…how to say this…a bit confusing. Also, it’s a bit gimmicky, and gimmicky and good design are, sadly, mutually exclusive.

One of the biggest rules of writing is “show, don’t tell,” and the folks at Choo violated a similar design rule in making this bag. Instead of creating something that is so painfully cool that it oozes “rock star” out of its little bag pores, they merely chose to slap an animal-print lighting bolt on a snakeskin bag that would have been gorgeous otherwise.

In doing so, they created a bag that screams, “Look at me, I’m so EDGY,” on the owner’s behalf, and that’s too obvious of a statement for any truly stylish person to want to make. In fact, the design almost comes off as insecure or self-conscious; it appears to be so nervous that other people won’t find it cool enough that its entire existence seems to be predicated on reminding people of that fact. Of course, when something has to broadcast how cool it is, the effect is totally lost. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $2095.

Original post by Amanda Mull

After having endured nine hours of final examinations in the past two days, there’s little that could lure me out of my practically brain-dead state. This Marni Leather Frame Bag, though, has managed to make me as alert as a puppy who’s been lapping up coffee.

I’ve long been a fan of Marni, what with their tendencies to add wonderfully quirky and eclectic touches and colors. This bag, though, has more of a sensible feel, though the black acetate ball clasp adds an unexpected dash of fun. The dark, dusty flesh color combined with the rustic brown strap make for a color combination that’s both unique and flattering? And because I’ve been lugging books around campus all week, I can’t help but add that the bag’s size is perfect for spiral notebooks.

What I adore about this bag is that it is not clearly a warm or cold-weather bag. Rather, I can see it working with a simple summer outfit of soft boyfriend jeans and a tee as well as with a heavy woolen swing coat and furry earmuffs. While that’s a cause of rejoicing, I’m still excited by the fact that it fits books vertically rather than horizontally. For me, that’s the mark of a sophisticated schoolbag. Buy through Net-A-Porter for $1,480.

Original post by Anna Cooperberg Gonzalez

Y’all, I’m really hard to shop for. I have poor impulse control when I decide that I really must have something, and that leaves precious few gifts to buy at the end of the year. As if that wasn’t enough, my birthday is Christmas Eve, which only doubles the burden on anyone trying to buy anything for me, ever.

The safe money is usually on just taking me out to dinner and calling it a gift, but if anyone were to be confident or generous enough to try and buy me material goods for the holidays, here’s a sampler of what I might want. Unless, you know, I manage to buy all these things by the time this post runs.

1. Alexander Wang Donna Hobo: Of course, we have to start with the handbag. I’m a hipster at heart, as anyone that’s seen my current hair color or glasses could probably guess, and every hipster needs a black leather Alexander Wang handbag. The Donna is both impossibly cool and totally functional. Buy through ShopBop, $795.

2. University of Georgia “I Run This State” T-shirt: Totally not kidding. College football and my University of Georgia Bulldogs are my first love, even before handbags. Over Thanksgiving weekend, we knocked off the #7 ranked Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and shut up all the mouthy Tech fans on my Facebook news feed for another year, and I would like to have this t-shirt to commemorate that victory. In reality, I’m not much of a t-shirt wearer, so I’d like to have it in an XXL that I can sleep in. Buy through FootballFanatics.com, $24.95.

3. Apple 15″ MacBook Pro: I sit on my couch and type on my two-plus-year-old MacBook Pro 40+ hours per week, and I’ve knocked it off my ottoman more times than I care to mention. It’s scratched, cracked, and honestly kind of dirty, but still runs like a champ (well, the optical drive doesn’t exactly work anymore. Like I said, I’ve knocked it on the floor a few times). In a perfect world, though, I’d like a shiny new one on which to click-clack away. Buy through Apple for $1699.

4. Ray-Ban Propionate Aviator Sunglasses: I’m something of a Ray-Ban addict overall, and over the past few weeks, this particular model has come to my attention as a result of Elin Nordegren’s apparent affection for it and her unfortunate newfound tabloid presence. I have wire-frame aviators and plastic-frame Wayfarers, so…why not a plastic-frame aviator? Sign me up, although I can’t decide between black and tortoise shell. Buy through Saks for $130.

5. Target Zebra Decorative Pillows: I…I really can’t explain this one. I just want some zebra-print pillows for my bed. I’ve wanted some for like a year and a half, and someone finally decided to make some that are cheap and graphic and simple. I have black sheets and a chartreuse and white duvet and I just think it would look cool. Gimme. Buy through Target for $19.99.

Original post by Amanda Mull

Alexander Wang’s Coco duffle has been one of the most sought after bags of the season. Congrats to you if you can get your hands on one. It is sure to become a future classic. Wang’s relaxed, clean lined modern style has set the ball in motion for more handbag designs such as this slouchy shoulder bag ($780 at Net-a-Porter). Exclusive to Net-a-Porter, this Alexander Wang handbag is perfect for those of you on the wall as to whether you covet the blue denim printed suede or black stamped leather. Now you can have the best of both worlds – black leather and blue suede denim in one handbag. I am also on the fence about this bag, in one sense it is over-sized and unstructured which I love. I also am excited about the dual straps which open on either side instead of a single strap.

If you were to categorize this bag as a tote then it is more appealing, then it would worn in a more casual sense such as weekends. The shape kind of reminds me of those nylon travel totes used for grocery shopping. Not so appealing. If this bag were in the black stamped leather on both sides then I would definitely buy one. Now with the two-toned blue suede I am not so sure. It does look durable though and could hold lots and lots of essentials and perhaps even work as a weekender bag. That is if you are a strategic packer. What do you think of this bag and will you be ordering one from Net-a-Porter?

via The Find

Original post by Guest Blogger