Custom Design

Swoon.

You hear that? I’m swooning. Pretty hard. I’m a bit desensitized to beautiful handbags in the same way that I imagine fashion photographers are desensitized to beautiful women – when you look at them all day from a business perspective, it’s can be kind of hard to recapture the feeling of excitement that they once gave you. Well, folks, the Pauric Sweeney Metallic Python Shoulder Bag has me giddy like a schoolgirl all over again. How could it not? The charms of this particular purse are so many and varied that I barely know where to start.

I’d begin by talking about the material, but the reasons why I love the texture-rich python should be obvious. Instead, we’ll start with the color, since gunmetal is not only my favorite neutral, but also one of my favorite colors for clothing or accessories, period. The depth of the shade avoids the cheap look that can come with some metallics, and the finish here is particularly interesting – it’s sort of matte, isn’t it? A matte metallic sounds like an oxymoron, but somehow, Pauric Sweeney made it happen. And it’s beautiful.

A good color and material are nothing without a good design, though, and luckily this particular bag doesn’t lack in that department. The structure is a somewhat more modern iteration of the drawstring trend, with the one-piece modified box chain playing the part of the string. The chain can either be doubled as it’s seen here or used as a single, longer shoulder strap, depending on your preferences.

The only part of the bag that I don’t like, from a functional perspective, is the skinny flap over the opening. I like that the color and material provides a nice contrast to the rest of the bag, but that’s the sort of closure that NO ONE ever uses – it usually ends up flopped sloppily over the top. On a bag this slouchy, however, I’m not sure that’s as big of an aesthetic problem as it would be on a more structured design. On the whole, this is the best bag that I’ve seen in quite a while. Pre-order through Luisa Via Roma for $2276.

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

Now that we’ve seen one example today of metallic gone egregiously wrong, I though it might be nice to give some props to a brand that has managed to get it oh so right – Lanvin.

I don’t love all of the brand’s handbags, but given an opportunity to see them in person, the quality of materials and attention to detail really shine. I haven’t seen the Lanvin Amalia Cabas Metallic Tote yet, but I have seen the matte leather version, and the subtle glimmer effect of this leather only makes me love it more.

Since subtle metallics are about as common as subtle heart attacks, it’s nice to see that Lanvin used an appreciable amount of restraint in selecting the finish for this tote. If they hadn’t, the bag would have been an utter eyesore because of its large size; as it is, it’s beautiful and neutral with just the right amount of glamor. Lanvin’s bags are also known for being unbearably soft, so if you get the chance, I certainly recommend fondling one of these beauties. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $1795.

Original post by Amanda Mull

Oh dear.

We all know how much I love Marc Jacobs, which just makes it all the more sad when I dislike one of his bags. I’ve tried everything that I know how to do in order to convince myself to love the Marc Jacobs Parachute Stam Bag, but I just can’t do it. I won’t do it.

Real talk: the material out of which this thing is made looks like what you’d get if tinfoil and a garbage bag had a baby. It looks like that’s how it might feel, too. I kind of want to touch it, just out of curiosity, but it’s completely synthetic – will it give me a rash?

Ok, so that might be a bit harsh – I doubt that contact with this bag will make me itchy. But still, when compared to all the Stam bags that came before it, this is a disappointment from nearly every angle. The bunchy, shiny material loses the beautiful structure of the bag and the plasticky sheen makes it look like something that would come from Forever 21, not Saks Fifth Avenue.

A bag or two made out of this material were found in the Spring/Summer 2010 runway show, so I figured they’d find their way to stores eventually, but I just can’t get on board. At least Jacobs was conscientious enough to price it less than a regular Stam. Buy through Saks for $995.

Original post by Amanda Mull

It’s funny how six months to get used to the idea of a handbag changes things. When I first saw the fringed bags in the Marc Jacobs Spring 2010 runway show, I was a little unsure. Given more time acquaint myself with the design, however, I sort of love the bags. I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve merely become resigned to their existence or because I have actual affection for them, but I’m going to go with the latter.

The most prototypical example of this collection is the Marc Jacobs Boho Woven Hobo, and I think it’s also the strongest. I think I may have been correct when I predicted in my initial review of the bags that the fringe would be somewhat shortened for retail, and that allows the bag’s illusion of basketry to take center stage without the hanging leather creating too much of a distraction.

For me, this bag’s ability to create a luxurious leather version of a straw tote holds almost all of its draw. Straw bags from major designers can get obnoxiously expensive, and I’d rather pay a little more for a woven leather version any day of the week. The color variation in the two layers of leather is perfect – subtle enough to keep a somewhat natural color profile, but still different enough to make you want to figure out how the bag was constructed.

Then there’s the subject of the fringe. It’s the one aspect of the bag that many people complained about, but viewed in the context of impending warm weather, it looks appropriate and fun instead of somewhat silly, as it did during the September runway show (maybe, just a little bit). I’d prefer it if the bag’s strap was leather instead of nylon webbing, but it will undoubtedly feel pretty comfortable on the shoulder. So, who’s going to be the first to pick up one of these? Buy through Bergdorf Goodman for $1795.

Original post by Amanda Mull

You know what I really appreciate? The return of the oversized clutch. I’ve got lots of keys, a keyless-entry fob for my car and a Blackberry with a case on it, all of which have to leave the house with me no matter what. I’ve encountered a fair number of miniscule handbags that wouldn’t have fit one of those items by itself, let alone all of them together – don’t even think about adding in a lipgloss or card case.

The designers at Miu Miu know my struggle, obviously, which is why they’ve been so kind as to create the Miu Miu Oversized Sequin Clutch. Finally, I can carry a sparkly little bag that’s not actually too little to be useful.

Miu Miu did a good job of keeping the colors of this clutch neutral so that it won’t overwhelm an outfit – when a bag is this big and this shiny, also choosing a statement color would perhaps be too much for a lot of potential customers. The subtle gold, silver and green variation could go nicely with a lot of different outfits without upstaging the other elements of an ensemble. In addition to all of that, if you need your hands free for something, it has an optional strap. Sign me up, please. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $995.

Original post by Amanda Mull

The Juicy Couture Lock It Silverlake Clutch makes us love Juicy Couture [via PurseBlog Savvy]

Chanel Spring/Summer 2010 Ad Campaign [via Nitro:licious]

The new “It Bag”: Mulberry Alexa [via FabSugar]

Leulla launches a book [via My Fashion Life]

Original post by Megs Mahoney Dusil

Botkier Noa Tote, we love it! [via Purse Blog Savvy]

Kendall Jenner for Forever 21 Twist Collection [via Nitro:Licious]

Trend Alert: Fur Vests as seen on Nicole Richie [via Fab Sugar]

V magazine goes plus-size [via My Fashion Life]

Original post by Megs Mahoney Dusil

The Coach Parker Clutch is our new little obsession [via Purse Blog Savvy]

Jennifer Lopez rocks Elizabeth and James booties [via Style Watch]

Whose Travel Style Is Most Fab? [via Fab Sugar]

Congrats! Check out nitro:licious as Glamour.com’s Blogging Babe [via Nitro:Licious]

Original post by Megs Mahoney Dusil

Rebecca Minkoff’s Spring 2010 Collection at Satine Boutique [via Racked LA]

Freaky or Fabulous? Daphne Guinness in Alien Alexander McQueen [via Fab Sugar]

Would You Wear a Sheer Skirt Like Kristen Stewart? [via Off the Rack]

Will Lagerfeld live forever? [via My Fashion Life]

immy Choo for H&M Hits Stores Tomorrow [November 14] [via Nitro:licious]

Original post by Megs Mahoney Dusil