Custom Design

With cold weather approaching (it’ll get here eventually, I know it will, even if it doesn’t seem that way right now), most of us have started planning our winter wardrobes and maybe even amassing our favorite fall pieces to make sure we get our hands on them before they sell out. Almost all of the stuff I’ve acquired is black or dark grey, which reminds me: I need some winter white.

Winter white (which is just a warm tone of ivory, but we’ll go with the season-appropriate name) came around as a trend a couple of years ago and never really went away, and it’s a nice alternative to not only the dark colors of fall dressing, but also the outdated rule that one shouldn’t wear white after Labor Day. If any of the people who still subscribe to that notion can look at the Burberry Quilted Patent Tote and tell me truthfully that it wouldn’t be beautiful with a charcoal sweater and dark denim, I’ll be very surprised.

I might normally regard this bag as too simple for me, but the shiny gunmetal hardware has totally won me over. Instead of skewing traditional, as most people probably expect of Burberry, the clean-lined buckle takes on a modern military look that’s as cool as it is unexpected. The bag’s shape is classic, the color is lush and the details are trendy, which is a formula that almost always equals a great bag. Buy through Nordstrom for $1395.

Original post by Amanda Mull

Things from Jimmy Choo have been a bit “blah” lately. They’ve continued to make a lot of popular styles from previous seasons in new materials and finishes, which should make the brand’s devotees happy, but I always prefer to see something new alongside old favorites.

The Jimmy Choo Rosa Satchel maybe not seem all that striking or innovative to the casual observer, but for Choo, it’s something a bit different. Many of the brand’s bags have been a bit over-designed in recent seasons, and with that in mind, the restraint and editing that went into this design are admirable, not to mention very attractive.

Many brands have been looking to pare down their offerings into sleeker, more subdued shapes that will appeal to today’s recession-addled consumers, and this is the right way to do it. This bag doesn’t lack in glamour or sophistication, but its lines are a bit less aggressive than what we might have seen in 2006, for example. The embossed lizard gives the bag texture on top of the already shiny leather, and the way the light hits the finish of the bag creates a sophisticated shine that you just can’t get by dunking a bag in a vat of sequins or glitter. Well played, Tamara Mellon. Buy through Nordstrom for $1750.

Original post by Amanda Mull

Most of the shock value of Coach releasing a bag with a four-figure price tag wore off years ago, but the disparity between the prices of the Coach Madison Calf Hair Brynne Satchel and the Coach Madison Ocelot Sabrina Satchel truly caught be off guard.

The Brynne, left, is made of printed calf hair with leather trim and is 14 inches wide. The Sabrina, on the right, is nylon with leather trim and measures 12 inches across. If you had shown me the bags and asked me to guess, I would have pegged the Brynne at about $700 – one of Coach’s pricier offerings, but not out of the brand’s normal range these days. The Sabrina would have been much lower, probably about $300. On one count, I would have been remarkably close (not much of an accomplishment, considering that this is my job); on the other, not so much.

The nylon Sabrina, as I had guessed, is priced at $298. On the other hand, the slightly larger Brynne, rendered in calf hair, rings up at a whopping $1400. Surely there’s a large difference between the wholesale prices for calf hair and nylon, and likely increased difficulties in processing, dying and sewing calf hair, but an $1100 difference for a brand whose bags normally cost far less than a thousand dollars is a bit quizzical.

Coach has many, many loyal fans who love the brand’s bags (not to mention the many other products it now offers), and I can’t help but think that those enthusiastic Coach customers have to be the primary audience for such an expensive bag. For $1400, I’m running straight to Balenciaga. Then again, that’s my favorite brand, so I can understand the why Coach fans feel the way they do about their label. For that amount of money, though, I’d suggest they buy the Sabrina (which would even be useful in the rain!) and save the other $1100 for two or more other future Coach purchases.

$1400 via Nordstrom.

$298 via Nordstrom.

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

Confession: I don’t watch Mad Men. I know that I should. I know that I’d love it and become utterly and completely obsessed with Joan. I believe all of the people that tell me how great the show is. I have no excuse.

Thankfully, it appears as though Valentino’s accessory designers aren’t as behind the times as I am. Mad Men’s midcentury style has influenced designers far and wide since the show’s advent in 2007, and with the fourth season set to debut on AMC this Sunday, the show’s fashion caché is unlikely to subside anytime soon.

Fall runways saw a nearly universal embrace of 60s style, including shoes and accessories like the Valentino Jolie Framed Patent Bag. This prim, streamlined handbag would be right at home on Betty Draper’s gloved arm.

This design is a product of an era when women had few social responsibilities beyond their families and appearances. At just an inch deep, Valentino has hardly created an everyday bag for a mom on the go, yet it’s still too big to be used convincingly as a clutch. This is the bag you reach for if you’re truly dedicated to creating a retro look, but for most women, it will still only be a once-in-a-while kind of treat. Buy through Saks for $1895.

Original post by Amanda Mull

I am.

I mean no disrespect, of course – Dior is one of the most storied and important brands in the history of luxury as we know it, and they do a fantastic job with a lot of aspects of their business (I’m a particular fan of their makeup). When it comes to bags, though…what gives?

Along with the Fendi Baguette, Dior’s Saddle Bag helped launched the It Bag trend that got so many of us interested in designer bags. Since then, though, the brand has been a bit quiet when it comes to influential bag design. With the notable exception of the Guacho bag, it’s been mostly bags like the Dior Lady Dior Top Handle for the past five years.

Not that there’s anything wrong with this bag or this type of design – there isn’t. But there has been so little variation in vision coming from Dior’s accessories department in the past few season that I’m beginning to wonder if they still value their accessories division at all. Since Dior has such a successful cosmetics and perfume business, accessories probably aren’t as essential to the brand’s financial success as they are for most brands, but it still seems a bit odd.

Accessories are one of the most important ways that a designer builds its image, and most luxury brands that have done well during the recession have done so on the backs of their bags, shoes and accessories. In light of those things, I can’t help but wonder why Dior is phoning it in when they have the financial and design ability to make bags that almost all of us would probably want to buy. Buy through Saks for $2250.

Original post by Amanda Mull

Every time I see a patent hobo that’s supposed to slouch a bit in order to be wearable, I die a little bit inside. Why do designers keep doing this to us? Patent doesn’t slouch. That’s one of it’s innate qualities – it’s a structured, polished material for structured, polished bags.

I really like the maybe-tacky (shut up, I like tacky) effect of the burgundy zebra print on the Jimmy Choo Zebra Patent Hobo, but I can’t help but imagine that the stiff-looking handle would probably perch itself on my shoulder instead of molding to my arm, just like the body of the bag below it. As much as I try to make myself use bags like that because I enjoy them aesthetically, I just can’t do it.

Again, the color is totally to-die-for, and I think that a big, simple bag is the only way to properly show off the variation in the material. I would have preferred, however, that the bag was rendered as a tote – longer handles would take care of the need for the shoulder strap to bend and the body of the bag to sag. I like the shape of the bag as it is, but the combination of the shape and the material seem to be a bad idea. Buy through Nordstrom for $1295.

Original post by Amanda Mull

We’ve featured several non-leather clutches in the past few days that have had price tags north of two grand, and commenters seem displeased at such prices for bags that aren’t made out of some kind of animal-derived material. Well! We certainly don’t want anyone to be displeased, so I present for your consideration the Pauric Sweeney Tullio Lizard Clutch.

It’s made almost entirely of exotic lizard skin, it has clean, architectural lines, and the combination of neutral colors would go with a variety of nighttime looks. At only slightly more than $1000 for all of that, the price sounds positively fair when looked at in comparison with the clutches we’ve written about recently.

The clutch may be simple, but its details are perfect, and that’s what counts in any design. The smooth, black patent of the small top flap provides and excellent foil for the nubby texture of the tan lizard below, and the gentle dip in the metal bar separating the two is a well-edited flourish.

While this clutch may not be cheap, it certainly presents a better overall value than a lot of options that we’ve seen recently. Plus, the bag is timeless enough in its lines and composition to be a closet staple for years to come. Buy through Luisa Via Roma for $1088.

Original post by Amanda Mull

After viewing Prada’s Spring 2010 runway show, I couldn’t help but think to myself, maybe the handbags were a joke after all. Maybe they won’t produce them. Perhaps, if we’re lucky, they’ll ship the REAL bags to retail and we’ll all be left with the daffy memory of those silly-looking bags that Prada so irreverently sent down the Milan runway.

Well, my wishful thinking was all for naut – the plasticky, rhinestoned monstrosities have landed. The Prada Spazzolato Tote might be the best of the bunch, and to say that’s faint praise would be the understatement of the season.

I’m not sure why anyone thought that it would be a good idea to take patent leather (yes, at least this one is real leather) and make it look sort of like a cheap pleather imitation of carrera marble, but that appears to be exactly what they’ve done here, and they’d like you to pay upwards of two grand for it. In order to entice you more, they’ve taken a fistful of rhinestones and bunched them indifferently at the bag’s closure, for reasons that aren’t immediately obvious.

To be fair, the shape isn’t terrible and the bag is lined in leather, a detail that more and more designers are choosing to ignore. Also, this bag isn’t see-through like a bunch of the other ones from this particular collection. Those are absolutely the only positive things I have to say about it, though. Buy through Saks for $2395.

Original post by Amanda Mull

Gossip Girl was a repeat last night, and you do not even want to hear the string of profanity that came out of my mouth when I realized the kind of shenanigans that they were trying to perpetrate on me, and right before the holidays and everything. Don’t they know who they’re dealing with here?!?!

Ahem. Well, even though this all means that we can’t have a Gossip Girl recap, that doesn’t mean that I still can’t make a post that’s tangentially related to the show. I can and I will! And it just so happens that the Valentino Shining Flower Tux 360 Tote, which was the subject of a major plot point during Trip Vanderbilt’s election a few weeks ago.

And really, I think you need a bag this bombastic in order to inspire major primetime subplots. It’s looking a tad cheesy in these pictures, but based on what we saw on the show and how I bet it would look in person, I think this bag is completely gorgeous and really unique – something that Valentino manages to pull of again and again.

In fact, they may be the most innovative designer on the high-end bag marketplace, and seeing what will come out every season from them is one of my favorite parts of that very special new handbag time of year. They may not match everyone’s personal style, but the attention to detail that goes into some of their more intricate bags is head and shoulders above almost every other manufacturer on the planet, and they’re more willing to experiment with materials and embellishments than anyone else. The textural combination of sequins, ruffles, and crystals is definitely an attention-getter, though, and I love that they go all the way for their looks instead of trying to stay mediocre to expand their respective audience. Buy through Neiman Marcus for $4495.

Original post by Amanda Mull