We hope you all spent Valentine’s Day with the people you love! For us it is all about being with our sweetie and eating lots of sweets. A very happy Valentine’s Day from all of us at PurseBlog to all of you.
Speaking of Valentine’s Day make sure you read our Tory Burch Valentine’s Day interview and enter our giveaway! You can buy my top pictured or any Tory Burch Valentine’s Day item via Tory Burch online.
Original post by Vlad Dusil
We brought you news of the Tory Burch and Leanna Shapton Valentine’s Day Collaboration. And after sharing the items with you, we thought it would only be fitting to feature an exclusive interview with famed fashion designer Tory Burch. Not only do we find out more about the collaboration, but we have the pleasure of getting a peek into the personal life of Tory Burch.
Tory Burch was able to find a few minutes in her hectic schedule and answer some questions exclusively for PurseBlog. Along with that, Tory Burch will be giving away two items from the line below. Remember to shop the Tory Burch Valentine’s Day Collaboration via Tory Burch online!
1) Tell us about your Valentine’s Day Collaboration with renowned artist Leanne Shapton.
Leanne’s work is so provocative and smart, and I’ve long been a fan of hers. We wanted to work with her and asked her to create an exclusive print for us for our first Artists’ Collaboration series. She designed a charming lip print and a beautiful version of our logo. They’re featured on pajamas, a great tote and two makeup bags.
2) What would be the perfect gift from the Tory Burch line to give for Valentine’s Day?
Leanne’s pieces are definitely great ideas, especially the red lipstick print. I also love our colorful heart sandals and wristlets—they’re chic and charming. I also think jewelry and accessories, like one of our statement necklaces or a luxurious tote is a great way to get into the spirit of Valentine’s Day.
3) What was your most memorable Valentine’s Day?
I loved Valentine’s Day with my father. He used to write poems for all of us.
4) How do you plan to spend Valentine’s Day this year?
With the same young men I spend every Valentine’s—my three boys.
1) What is your go-to handbag?
My go-to bag right now is our McLane tote. It’s done in a rich, slouchy leather with a gold chain, which is a cool combination. It’s one of our bigger styles, so I can carry my notebook and Kindle.
2) What can we expect in the near future from the Tory Burch handbag line?
Accessories is so important for us and we’ve had a great response from our customers. We’re definitely going to continue to grow the collection.
3) What are the three must-have bags from your own line? And why?
Our Bijou tote—navy is such a chic, versatile color. Our Carson Mini Bag is a great, modern shape and the perfect bag for day. Some of the women in our office wear it across their body like a messenger. Our Tevin mini bag is the quintessential day bag. It goes with everything, whether you’re wearing a boucle suit or jeans and a T-shirt.
Tory Burch wants to share a treat with you for Valentine’s Day! We are giving away the Tory watercolor logo tote and the lips prints cosmetic case (pictured above) from the Valentine’s Day collaboration line.
To Enter: Visit www.ToryBurch.com. Post below in the comment section, telling us your favorite item and why.
Contest ends on Sunday, February 21st, at 11:59 PM EST. One entry per person.
Original post by Megs Mahoney Dusil
When I first saw the Gucci G Coin Medium Hobo, I couldn’t help but think that the whole thing seemed kind of sedate for the Gucci aesthetic. I know that the brand has plenty of simple, clean-lined bags at a variety of price points, but whenever I see one of them, it just seems like they’re missing the point of being Gucci, for cryin’ out loud.
I’m one of the horde of Tom Ford fangirl holdouts, although I enjoy what Frida Giannini is doing with the brand more and more as the seasons go on. In fact, when I disregard the brand, I like what this bag has going on quite a bit.
The look this bag pushes is very tame, I’ll admit, but it’s also mature and not too showy. The namesake coin is the only branding that I can see from where I’m sitting, and the choice of shiny hardware instead of matte gives it a small pop of Gucci glam. As always, I also can’t say no to a good red bag. Good red is, after all, so hard to find. Buy through Bergdorf Goodman for $1590.
Original post by Amanda Mull
Along with his continual throwback to the’60s this spring, Marc by Marc Jacobs again channels color blocking in a clever combination of hues. The “R Special Color block” collection palette reminds me of the circa 1962 Eero Saarinen designed terminal at JFK. Or at least the colors of the very chic flight attendants of that era. Very retro, in a sophisticated kind of way. It may not be for everyone, but the graphic sensibility of a color blocked handbag really appeals to me. Definitely pair these bags for a casual downtown look. Think distressed boyfriend jeans and a cozy slouchy cashmere cardigan sweater. This summer wear it with flowy puffy sleeved a-line mini dresses and gladiator sandals. I am looking forward to NYFW in February to see what MJ has up his sleeve for us in Fall 2010!
Here are three bags from the Marc by Marc Jacobs R Special Colorblock group. First the roomy
Marc by Marc Jacobs R Special Colorblock tote (top, $478 at Endless.com). The simple shopper tote’s angular design touts supple like buttah leather on its colorblocked leather body. The Marc by Marc Jacobs R Special Derby (bottom left, $168 at Endless.com) is petite, but packs a punch with a cross body strap so that you can do the cross-body look with a strap included. Peek inside and you’ll find an M by MJ logoed lining. The sophisticated Marc by Marc Jacobs Envelope leather clutch ($180 at Net-a-Porter) has a fold-over flap and M by MJ embossed logo medallion on the front and the zipped back pocket is lined in Marc by Marc Jacobs signature logo twill.
Original post by Guest Blogger
Help me out folks. Would you pay $1295 for this tote? I realize it is a Marc Jacobs design, but still, I really can’t get passed this price tag. This price has me shaking my head with each stroke on my keyboard.
Alright, enough of my disbelief and onto the bag itself. This Marc Jacobs Love Bird Leather Tote is a bright and cheery tote that will add quite a bit of color to just about any outfit you might want to pair it with.
Marc Jacobs has partnered fluorescent pink, fluorescent yellow and black on this hand-painted oversized leather tote. The two black leather top handles have the slightest hints of gold-tone stud detailing. I was really impressed with the gold-tone studs down each side of this large tote. It’s not often that you see bags with this kind of detailing, so I welcomed it with open arms.
This is the kind of bag I would love to use as my carry-on during travel days. I could fit everything in it, including my laptop and still look really fashionable. I have seen enough boring black carry-on bags at airports and the colors on this bag are enough to boost the spirits of those in just about any security line. The bag is finished off with a designer-stamped padlock which is a nice addition, but it doesn’t make or break the bag. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $1295.
Original post by Shannon Mahoney
With all of the men’s shows happening in Europe this week, I’ve been thinking a lot about manbags. Historically they’ve been a fashion staple, but much like hats, they fell out of favor in the second half of the last century. At least in a small way, however, they appear to be back and gaining leverage over the past few years.
And where there’s an opportunity to sell things, those trying to sell an expensive version of those things can’t be far behind. There are now more choices for luxury manbags than ever before, and my personal favorite (of the day, anyway) is the Basil Racuk Hard Brief.
Something about the stark, minimalist lines of this hand-crafted bag, combined with the vintage, weathered finish really appeals to me. The two ideas seem a bit disparate in discussion, but when they’re combined, the product couldn’t be more modern and chic. I would date a man carrying a bag like this in a heartbeat, and I wouldn’t question his manliness over it for a nanosecond – in fact, it might mean that he’s less likely to make fun of my bag habit, as every man I’ve dated since the beginning of…well, since the beginning of EVER…has done.
The design features little hardware and few outward design flourishes, allowing the masterful leather finishing to take center stage, as it rightfully should. I’ve been looking at this bag for a while now, and part of me thinks that perhaps it will soon be fashionable for women to carry bags like this one, just as it has become fashionable for women to wear men’s watches. If you’d like to start that trend, you know what bag with which to do it. $810, Available exclusively via the Basil Racuk store, Berkeley, CA. More info available via BasilRacuk.com.
Picture via The New York Times.
Original post by Amanda Mull
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
The era of the all-encompassing It Bag has mostly come and gone, and with the breadth of designer possibilities available, more individualized trends usually rule the day. That is, of course, unless we’re talking about the Mulberry Alexa Satchel. If It Bags still exist, it absolutely deserves the moniker.
Named after It Girl Alexa Chung, this little number has been on the minds of fashionistas both in the US and across the pond since we initially saw Chung wearing it months and months ago. And really, is there a better way to attract attention for your new bag than by naming it after a rising star and then giving her one to carry everywhere? I think not.
The blue version that we have here is the larger “oversized” version, which I chose mainly because of its gorgeous color. Getting a good, medium blue or red is really hard with most leather, particularly if the look is also distressed, and Mulberry manages to totally pull it off with this bag. It’s a functional shape in a beautiful color, and the leather looks smooshy and luxurious. The book straps remind me a bit of the Proenza Schouler PS1 Satchel, but I think I actually like the slouchy, vintage look of this satchel better. Plus, it’s less expensive. Buy through Luisa Via Roma for $1731.
Original post by Amanda Mull
While Salvatore Ferragamo is known for some exquisite handbags, I love when I find something a little different than what I am normally expecting. This bag fits into that category.
I am always on the look out for hot handbags perfect for day time use. When I am at the grocery store or out running any kind of errand, I tend to see way too many ugly handbags. Trust me when I say I understand that not everyone can afford to drop big bucks on a handbag, but there are plenty of fabulous bags out there to choose from. Hey, even take a look at some hot bags and find something that looks similar at a different price point, you know what I mean?
Luckily, whether you can afford it or not, the Salvatore Ferragamo Miss Vara Calfskin Hobo is a beautiful handbag for both day and night time use. The reason I am spotlighting this bag as one you can find at a different price point is because it has everything you need from a great handbag: a fabulous shape, versatile and timeless. So many bags hit all of those marks.
But, now onto this bag. I love the touchable black calfskin with an ever so slight cinched bow at the middle of the bag. Without the cinched bow, the bag might be boring, but with out, it is a knockout. A single shoulder strap boasts O-rind details and bronze hardware. Dimenstions: 18.9″W x 17.3″H x 3.9″D and a 10″ drop. As any good hobo has, this bag has plenty of room for your daily as well as night time essentials. Once again Ferragamo hits the mark and I am not at all surprised. Buy through Bloomingdale’s for $1450.
Original post by Shannon Mahoney