Custom Design

Sure, alligator or crocodile versions of the highly collectable Bottega Veneta Knot Clutches might be enough to satisfty the luxury lust for some people, but for those who want something a bit more unique, the Bottega Veneta Sterling Silver Knot Clutch is just the ticket.

The idea of a sterling silver box clutch is not exactly a new thing, but as far as I can tell, this is the first such iteration of the famous Knot. In classic Bottega Veneta style, it’s styled to look exactly like one of the brand’s intrecciato knot clutches, right down to the raised textured on some of the “woven” metal strips.

Carrying this bag would sort of function like carrying a giant piece of jewelry, although the townside that immediately comes to mind is the unfortunate eventuality of smudgy finger prints on the smooth, shiny metal. I’m already a compulsive glasses-cleaner (I have the little spray in my purse and everything, it’s bad), so I could see myself sitting in the corner of a party with my silver clutch, obsessively wiping it down over and over again with one of those little microfiber cloths. A brushed finish on this bag might have been a wiser choice, but I like the clutch as a showpiece. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $8200.

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

For the fashionable student who has everything (Or maybe the intrepid fashion blogger on the go. HINT HINT.), we present the Alexander McQueen Skull Print Laptop Case, available exclusively via Net-a-Porter.

Emblazoned with the same skull motif as McQueen’s iconic scarves, this canvas and leather case will keep your laptop safe inside your school or work bag and look chic while doing it. If you like to get practical mileage out of your designer accessories or if you like the skulls but don’t want the scarf that everyone else already has, this is laptop case is certainly not a bad way to go.

The available information doesn’t specify which laptop sizes will fit, but based on its dimensions, it seems like it’s intended to accomodate a a 14- or 15-inch machine. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $395.

Original post by Amanda Mull

While the staff at Loewe has been working tirelessly to perfect its grocery bag handbags, designers at Valentino have been plying their trade at the opposite end of the spectrum. The Valentino aesthetic has always been feminine, detailed and utterly glamourous, and the brand has chosen to take those ideas to their absurd extreme with the Valentino Glam Zebra Tote. You have to give them points for just calling this bag what it is, even if the name gives me the mental image of a zebra dressed up as a drag queen (which is not an altogether unpleasant image, admittedly).

This bag is what the Fug Girls would refer to as a “scrolldown fug.” I’m loving how silly and shiny this bag is until we get all the way down to the bottom quarter, at which point things go seriously awry and the bag seems to grown some very shiny porcupine quills. One the one hand: they’re shiny! They fit the motif, whatever it might be! On the other: WTF.

I’m not sure why Valentino thought that silver-and-black sequined leopard print would become monotonous before everyone’s eyes got to the bottom of the bag and it needed something to break it up, but for better or worse, that was the decision that was made. If the bag had been entirely covered in sequined zebra, I would be totally on board for this shining example of in-your-face fashion fun. As it is, I’m only three-quarters of the way there. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $3495.

Original post by Amanda Mull

It’s an odd feeling to look at a picture of the Miu Miu Patent Ruffle Bag and get a strong sense that you’ve seen the bag (or one like it) somewhere before. Surely a black patent satchel with girlish leather ruffles in pink and purple has to have its own unique place in the luxury handbag market, right? Well, not really.

It took me a while to figure out exactly what this Miu Miu reminded me of, but I finally found it: the Marc Jacobs Vortex Tote. The material is regular leather instead of patent, but the black body topped with pink and purple ruffles is similar enough for my feeble little brain to conflate the two. It’s unlikely that the Miu Miu designers were inspired by the Marc Jacobs bag, but there are enough similarities to give us all a nice reminder that even a very quirky bag probably resembles something else out there on the mass market. There is nothing new under the sun, as they say.

The subject of whether or not I like the bag is a whole ‘nother kettle of fish. I don’t like it as it is in this photo – it looks a bit bloated and busy. Minus the stuffing and the detachable shoulder strap, though, it’s a fun take on the “lady scale” bags that have become so popular this season. Instead of going very proper and feminine with the design, as has been the choice of most designers, Miu Miu went young and girly instead. As a result, their entire Fall collection (and this bag) seems fresh and different. This design may not be practical for the average woman, but I bet we’ll see at least one editor or stylist toting it during Fashion Week. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $1050.

Original post by Amanda Mull

Not long after the annual summer release of a new iPhone comes an inevitable parade of ways to personalize and protect your new gadget. Those options range from rubber cases that can be had for $19.99 at your local Best Buy to Louis Vuitton monogram sheaths that cost more than the phone itself (with a two-year contract, of course), and the prospect of choosing one can be quite the task indeed for style-conscious gadget-lovers.

Since it seems as though the iPhone 4 is making a case more of a necessity than ever, now is a good a time as any to talk about the odd submarket that has opened up for designer tech accessories. Would you spend a couple hundred bucks on a case for your phone, or are such things absolutely frivolous in your mind?

In many ways, the purchase of an iPhone or iPad is a style-conscious decision from the outset. Not only are Apple products notorious for excellent industrial design, but the company actively markets itself to people that value aesthetics in everyday life. It only makes sense that some of those people also enjoy significant expendable income, part of which they’re willing to expend in order to make their favorite gadget as pretty as can be.

Are you one of those people? Surprisingly, I’m not. I don’t have an iPhone (I have philosophical issues with AT&T), but my Blackberry is eternally covered by a boring black case, mostly because I’m convinced that I will one day drop it in a toilet (I worked at Best Buy for three years in college, it’s astonishingly common). If that happens, I don’t want to be out as much as a couple hundred bucks for a ruined case as well as a phone.

(From left: Nancy Gonzalez, $385 via Net-a-Porter; Fendi, $60 via Net-a-Porter; Rick Owens, $150 via Net-a-Porter.)

Original post by Amanda Mull

Megs and Vlad got back yesterday from a trip to the Bahamas, and I couldn’t be more jealous of them if I tried. I just got done moving, and there’s nothing I would love more than to spend a couple of days staring at the ocean in a rum punch stupor. Someone has to hold down the handbag fort, though, so here I am.

Instead of going on vacation, I’m just going to fantasize about toting the Lanvin Suitcase Honeymoon Set to an exotic locale with a hot man in tow. That’s a suitable alternative to actually taking a trip, right?

Considering what you get with this set (a fully lined canvas carry-on suitcase, a patterned tote with an interior pocket, a matching pareo, and a set of sandals with a carrying bag) and how much Lanvin bags and shoes normally cost, the sub-$800 price point seems downright reasonable. Add a bikini and some sunglasses, and you’d barely need anything else to spend a couple days nestled in warm sand. Excuse me while I visualize. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $740.

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

Today Net-A-Porter updated their new arrivals section with an eclectic and large batch of handbags. Their are new bags from Lanvin, YSL, Miu Miu and designer Simone Camille who we covered before.

It looks like everyone is feeling shop-happy because quite a few of the new arrivals are already sold out! Good news is they aren’t all sold out. Which bags are catching your attention at Net-A-Porter today?

Shop New Handbag arrivals at Net-A-Porter now!

Original post by Megs Mahoney Dusil