Custom Design

It seems as though there are few animal-derived materials from which a designer has not attempted to make a handbag at some point. We’ve seen a zillion different versions of leather and fur, comprising almost any animal you can somehow raise on a farm, plus eel and stingray. Missoni makes a bag partially comprised of the skin from chicken feet. There is nothing new under the sun.

Except for maybe horsehair. It’s been used for centuries to make bows for string instruments, but Akris appears to have cornered the modern market on luxury horsehair purses with their line of Akris Ai Tote Bags. As far as I’ve been able to find, other brands have used horsehair to accent their designs, but this is the first bag in a while to use the material as the main attraction. The upside is that using the material doesn’t harm the animals in any way the downside, unfortunately, is that the medium version costs a whopping $4400.

Horsehair is an interesting material for sure. I played classical strings for the better part of a decade, so I know how even and uniform it can look when treated and pulled tight, and it’s more or less endlessly renewable. The weaving on these bags looks impeccable and the simple style of the bags has already inspired lots of knockoff totes in less interesting materials. For the price, perhaps one of those is your best bet. The idea intrigues me, but I can skip it for that kind of money. With $4400, you’re well on your way to a Birkin. Buy through Saks for $4400.

Original post by Amanda Mull

I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m craving winter so badly. Yesterday I wore jeggings (don’t judge me) to the mall in silent protest of the 95-degree temperatures we’ve been having since…May. It’s been a long summer.

I live in Atlanta, so I have about six more weeks of genuinely warm weather before I even get to think about breaking out any kind of long-sleeve options for daytime wear (and even then, that’s only if I’m lucky), but the sight of the Yves Saint Laurent Studded Suede Roady has me wanting winter even more.

Something about the combination of rich suede and the way that the studding is organized in a triangle pattern just screams “cold weather” to me. Perhaps it’s because the triangles are a bit reminiscent of the patterns on traditional sweaters, but whatever the reason, I imagine this bag being worn with a fluffy scarf and knit hat at all times. What I wouldn’t give to be in need of those items (and this bag, of course) right now…Buy through Saks for $2295.

Original post by Amanda Mull

As I continue to read the endless Twitter details of all my friends’ summer vacations (and then see the inescapable pictures on Facebook afterward), I can’t help but turn my attentions to travel. I still make due with the same black Samsonsite suitcase that accompanied me on my first jaunts to New York City, Boston and Chicago as a teenager, but surely there are more interesting (and expensive) options out there for a traveler who wants the best suitcase on the luggage carousel.

With that curiosity in mind, we’ve picked some options for your perusal from Louis Vuitton to Bottega Veneta, spanning a price range from $500 to $50,000 (yes, that’s the correct number of zeros) for a suitcase. Let us know which one you like best and what your current luggage of choice in the comments.

The Louis Vuitton Pégase 55 is probably one of the more well-known luxury suitcases on today’s market, and Vuitton is one of the first brands that customers think of when designer luggage is mentioned. Many people opt for the less expensive monogram canvas, but that has always struck me as a sure way to get your luggage snatched at the airport. The more discreet Epi leather version would be my personal choice. Buy through Vuitton.com for $3230.

Whether you love or hate Prada nylon, you have to admit that the material is a fairly sensible travel choice. The Prada Nylon Wheel-Away Trolley Case is probably too expensive when compared to most nylon (or leather) luggage, but if you want the logo and have the extra cash, Prada is more than willing to provide it. Buy through Neiman Marcus for $2035.

The Tumi Medium Trip Packing Case maybe not be a “designer” suitcase in the same way that the others on this list are, but I think that the brand and this type of luggage are worthy of a mention. On my first-ever plane ride when I was a kid, I remember seeing a guy with a briefcase made out of this material and thinking that it was the coolest and most awesome thing I had every seen. The material makes the suitcase look like it contains nuclear secrets, even if the only thing inside is your sweatpants. Buy through Saks for $495.

For a logo-covered suitcase, the Gucci GG Coated Fabric Trolley is probably as discreet as it gets. Still, I imagine that the same thing would happen to this case as certainly befalls loads of Louis Vuitton luggage every year: mysterious disappearance during baggage handling. Buy through Saks for $2350.

If you’ve ever needed something to justify the cost of a Vuitton leather suitcase, we’ve got just the thing: the Valextra Small Trolley Case. This suitcase, which is small enough to use as a carry-on, will set you back over seven grand. For that, you could have two of the Vuitton Epi suitcases at the top of this list, plus enough left over to buy a handbag. Buy through Barneys for $7450.

And now for something to make the Valextra suitcase seem reasonable: the Bottega Veneta Nero Soft Alligator Suitcase will set you back as much as a new BMW, but your manservant sure will look sharp while carrying it to your private plane. Buy through Bottega Veneta for $53,500.

Original post by Amanda Mull

I remember a time when everyone wanted a little Prada backpack. I was in my senior year of high school, and girls in my affluent suburb were just starting to figure out the concept of accessories as status symbols. It was the early 2000s, so we couldn’t have picked a better time to start lusting after logo bags. I was the first of my friends to embrace the trend (how fitting) with a Prada Tessuto Nylon Messenger Bag, which I received as a graduation present from my cousin Deb.

I’m no longer in high school, so it’s impossible to say if the seniors of 2010 want the same types of things that my class did, but Prada still continues to make the nylon bags that they’ve produced since 1985. The company is mum on how well they bags are selling compared to the style’s heyday, but we wanted to do a little survey of our own:

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

From left: Prada Nylon Pocket Tote, $550 via Saks; Prada Vela Backpack, $710 via Saks; Prada Vela Messenger Bag, $550 via Saks.

Original post by Amanda Mull

It’s not often that a bag review requires me to gather my personal technology and a ruler, but the Christian Louboutin Eden Pompom Clutch is clearly a special little bag. Whether you take that to mean special! or “special” is, of course, up to you.

But when my very scientific measuring was done, I found a problem. At its very widest point, this clutch is barely five inches wide. Since it’s a sphere, the width of the clutch starts decreasing immediately as you move away from that narrow point. My phone, a relatively new Blackberry, is four and a half inches tall and almost three inches wide without a case. That’s a problem – smart phones are now more or less de rigueur among people with expendable income, and you certainly have to expend a lot of it to buy this clutch. Sadly, it seems as though never the two shall meet.

From an aesthetic standpoint, I don’t actually have many problems with this clutch. Sure, it’s kind of odd, but I’d rather carry something unexpected like a round clutch than the same basic envelope that every single one of your girlfriends probably pulls out every weekend (or maybe that’s just my girlfriends).

Any aesthetic interest I have in a clutch ends with the inability to pack my phone along for the night, however. I’m a 24-year-old single woman living in a large, at times unsafe city, and a cell phone isn’t a luxury item for me – it’s a necessity. I’ve had one since I could drive, and I’m not going to start leaving it at home in order to carry a (more-than-slightly silly) designer clutch. If you’re on a date and can slip your phone into your boyfriend’s or husband’s pocket, it might work, but I couldn’t see myself spending so much money on a clutch with such severely limited functionality. Buy through Saks for $1195.

Original post by Amanda Mull

It’s not often that a bag review requires me to gather my personal technology and a ruler, but the Christian Louboutin Eden Pompom Clutch is clearly a special little bag. Whether you take that to mean special! or “special” is, of course, up to you.

But when my very scientific measuring was done, I found a problem. At its very widest point, this clutch is barely five inches wide. Since it’s a sphere, the width of the clutch starts decreasing immediately as you move away from that narrow point. My phone, a relatively new Blackberry, is four and a half inches tall and almost three inches wide without a case. That’s a problem – smart phones are now more or less de rigueur among people with expendable income, and you certainly have to expend a lot of it to buy this clutch. Sadly, it seems as though never the two shall meet.

From an aesthetic standpoint, I don’t actually have many problems with this clutch. Sure, it’s kind of odd, but I’d rather carry something unexpected like a round clutch than the same basic envelope that every single one of your girlfriends probably pulls out every weekend (or maybe that’s just my girlfriends).

Any aesthetic interest I have in a clutch ends with the inability to pack my phone along for the night, however. I’m a 24-year-old single woman living in a large, at times unsafe city, and a cell phone isn’t a luxury item for me – it’s a necessity. I’ve had one since I could drive, and I’m not going to start leaving it at home in order to carry a (more-than-slightly silly) designer clutch. If you’re on a date and can slip your phone into your boyfriend’s or husband’s pocket, it might work, but I couldn’t see myself spending so much money on a clutch with such severely limited functionality. Buy through Saks for $1195.

Original post by Amanda Mull

Clearly, accessories designers at Tod’s have not set out to reinvent the wheel. They’re very happy with the handbag as we know it, and their designs celebrate the essential need that we all have to carry our belongings, combined with our desire to do so with a beautiful sartorial object.

The Tod’s Ivy Sacca Media Shoulder Bag is just that – a beautiful, simple object that performs its essential function without fuss or bother. For those who love Hermes but simply cannot afford to spend Hermes prices, a Tod’s bag like this one is perhaps the best alternative on the luxury mass-market.

I make the Tod’s/Hermes comparison because of this design’s emphasis on the beauty of the bag’s material. The putty-colored, pebbled Italian leather takes center stage, just as the unique and detailed leathers do on so many Hermes bags. And when you’re using leather as nice as both brands generally do, there’s no reason to guide the emphasis elsewhere. Tod’s isn’t innovative, but it makes beautiful, functional bags that don’t need any innovation. Buy through Saks for $1495.

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

When I recently wrote about Prada’s knitted leather clutches, two things were noticeably missing from the brand’s website: the same material rendered as a tote and my favorite color scheme from the Fall 2010 show. Luckily, both have surfaced in the form of the Prada Knit Nappa Tote.

I still love this bag just as much as I did on the runway, and the knit technique is so much fun to look at that I can’t wait to get my hands on one of these bags in person. The only thing that I find disappointing is the price: $4500 is a lot for any bag, particularly one with a very season-specific design that might look dated quickly. The all-black version would likely age more gracefully, if you’re so inclined, and this bag will surely turn heads when cold weather arrives. Larger photo after the jump. Buy through Saks for $4500.

Original post by Amanda Mull

If you’ll think back with me to the mid-2000s, to a time when Chloé was releasing Paddingtons with giant bedazzled locks and people were snapping them up left and right, it might seem odd that Chloé Fall 2010 is so…minimalist. Spare, even. But in the past five years, as economic and social conditions have changed across the globe, so have tastes. Many critics are hailing this collection and those like it as the antidote to “It Bag” fatigue.

But if these bags become widely popular, are they not still It Bags, just repackaged to fit current trends? That’s probably a question that fashion marketing pros hope you won’t ask, but either way, a return to classic shapes and colors will likely be welcomed by many. Me? I’m a little bored. We have bigger photos after the jump – let us know what you think.

Chloé Aurore Bucket Bag – $1695 via Saks.

Chloé Aurore Top Handle – $1995 via Saks.

Chloé Amy Crossbody – $995 via Saks.

Original post by Amanda Mull