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

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ago and never really went away, and it’s a nice alternative to not only the dark colors of fall dressing, but also the outdated rule that one shouldn’t wear white after Labor Day.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

Have you ever seen a bag in person, talked yourself out of buying it and then obsessed over it for months on end afterward, at which point it has become sold out and you can no longer get it? That’s the tragic story of me and the Celine Boston Tote.

I thought I had successfully put the bag out of my mind, but after seeing Leighton Meester carry hers two weeks ago and Tommy Ton’s great photos of Celine bags on Jak & Jil Blog (from whence the above picture came), my obsession is back to full power and it shows no signs of abating.

The bag is just…perfect. Oversized and attention-getting without being overworked or over-designed, classic but modern, graphic in its details but simple in shape. I’ve yet to see a color combination that I wouldn’t be proud to add to my closet, but the bicolor blue version in this photo has my heart the most. I don’t even like blue bags. How did Phoebe Philo manage to make me like blue?

My love for this bag defies both logic and budget, but the more I look at women carrying the Celine Boston Tote, the more I want to join their ranks. Depending on color combinations, the bag ranges from around $1800-$2500, and it’s sold out virtually everywhere. For more lovely pictures of women who are lucky enough to already have one, visit Jak & Jill Blog.

Original post by Amanda Mull

Much has been made over fall’s leopard trend (in fact, much has been made by us), but it’s been difficult to crown a clear winner when trying to decide on the best leopard bag of the season. When we did a decidedly non-comprehensive roundup of some of the season’s spotted bags two months ago, many people liked the YSL option that cost a very unfortunate $3500.

I’ve found a bag that I like even more than that one, and for nearly a thousand dollars less. The only problem is that I’ve only “found” it in a philosophical sense – the Mulberry Neely Tote is sold out everywhere that I can think to look, including Mulberry’s website. It appears as though the brand has successfuly capitalized on the Alexa’s popularity and created yet another it-bag.

The beauty of this bag is in the simplicity of the shape combined with the vibrant, tactile pattern. A bag with intricate structure only interrupts a good print, and setting the two up to compete against each other is usually a recipe for disappointment. You probably have to be a leopard lover like me to understand how deep and true my feelings for this bag really are, but if I could find one, I’d snap it up right now. I can’t even explain how perfect it would be with all my winter greys and blacks. The bag retails for $2650 when available, and you can get more details via Mulberry.

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

Suede, I have a serious love hate relationship with you. The soft texture always lures me in and completely reminds me of fall and winter. And I am a girl who truly loves fall and winter. But then there is the problem with upkeep and cleaning. Because of its texture and open pores, suede both gets dirty and absorbs liquids quickly and easily. A darker suede color like brown is a good choice, since it will not show wear or dirt as quickly as lighter suede colors. And because I have a thing for chocolate (the food and color), this Miu Miu bag is calling my name.

I rarely find myself drawn to chocolate brown bags, but the Miu Miu Horn-Strap Suede Tote is worth a gander.

I do like a deed chocolate brown color. I just rarely find myself buying it. And by rarely, I mean close to never (my closet and bag collection is devoid of a deep brown). But I feel like a dark brown color would suit my collection and me well. This Miu Miu Tote is a great option for a slight equestrian touch, with a fall feel, with a scholarly finish.

The bag features a suede body with leather accents. I really like that the leather touches are not tiny, but stand out at all corners of the bag, along with linear around the bag’s design. The two leather handles feature buckles with adjustable length options. The chain strap is removable and luxe, with a chain strap and horn embellishment. The entire feel fuses equestrian with a touch of military (khaki green cotton lining on the inside). I am digging the vibe of this bag. Buy through Net-A-Porter for $1,395.

It always seems that people tend to opt for brown hues or black hues: which category do you fit into?

Original post by Megs Mahoney Dusil

As far as I can tell, Lanvin no longer produces the Lanvin Cabas Satin Logo Tote. For some of you that’s not exactly a problem, but if you wanted one and now find yourself without the opportunity to buy one, Kate Spade is here to help. And by “here to help,” I mean “here to make a very similar bag.”

The Kate Spade Seraphine Nylon Bow Tote is made of a different material and doesn’t have the slouchy charm of the Lanvin version, but for a much lower price and a brand with a very structured aesthetic, I’m not sure why anyone would expect anything different. The main points of the bags remain the same – they’re both brightly colored, leather-free totes with black, bow-adorned handles. Lanvin has been a very popular source of “inspiration” for less expensive brands over the past year or two, so it should come as no surprise that such a close approximation of its satin totes is readily available.

The Lanvin tote, which retailed for $795, is sold out. You can buy the Kate Spade version for $295 via Saks.

Original post by Amanda Mull

When we wrote about Proenza Schouler’s Pre-Fall 2010 accessories collection a month ago, a lot of people were excited about the brand’s upcoming paper bag tote. (A lot of people also hated it, but hey, that happens.) It was only a matter of time before it hit stores, and as of today, it finally has.

The tote, which is made out of treated leather instead of actual paper, is now available via Net-a-Porter for $615. I’m sure that some people will complain about the price for what is a fairly simple bag, but for the size and material, it seems pretty fair to me.

If you’ve been anticipating this tote’s arrival, check it out via Net-a-Porter.

Bigger picture after the jump!

Original post by Amanda Mull

It’s always a bit disappointing to be able to look at a bag and know immediately how it could have been better. I can understand that after a certain point, design teams are unable to be objective about their products and less-than-perfect bags get made by every brand, ever season, but I still get a little frustrated when I see one.

The Jimmy Choo Nica Tote would be a part of that group. I like nearly everything about it – the rough, tough finish of the leather, the chaotic tangle of chains that forms the handle attachments, the slightly unfinished feel of the design. All that stuff is great, but the proportion is totally throwing me off – if only the body of the bag had been a bit bigger and a bit wider, I would absolutely love this tote.

But the bag isn’t bigger or wider, so I’m a bit disappointed. I don’t know if it’s enough to ruin it for me, but I still notice the disproportionate handle no matter how long I look at pictures of the design. Perhaps I’m being too picky – it wouldn’t be the first time. I love the size and scale of the handle, however, and the fact that it’s not attached to a bag that does it total justice is really too bad. The price isn’t terrible, though, so if you don’t see the same problem that I see this would be a great bag for fall. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $1695.

Original post by Amanda Mull

If you were hoping that military chic was going to go the way of the dodo bird sometime soon, well, prepare to be disappointed. Prada’s fall collection just started trickling out to online retailers, and the most obvious element of the line so far is its use of camouflage. Whether this is good or bad probably depends on your feelings about military chic, but despite being a fan of the trend, I’m not entirely convinced.

I’ve always been of the opinion that camouflage is best left for actual troops and No Limit Soldiers only (ok, I admit that joke would have been funnier a few years ago, but I’ve been waiting forever for the right opportunity to use it and the waning cultural relevance of a particular hip hop crew is not going to stop me now) and I like my military-inspired looks to be more vintage-inspired than Iraq-inspired. With the Prada Large Saffiano Camouflage Tote, it appears that Miuccia does not agree with me.

Prada isn’t the first brand to recently go this route for accessories – Louis Vuitton did a Murakami pop-art interpretation of the pattern called Monogramouflage a couple of season ago, but Prada’s version is predictably more grown-up and streamlined.

I can’t help but think, though, that this take on military inspiration marks a missed opportunity – I’d love to see Prada’s interpretations of the officers’ uniforms from times past, when military dress had a sense of fashion and presentation. With Prada’s predilection for austerity and modernism, I think those bags would have been far more interesting than the camo tote that we see here. Buy through Saks for $2495.

Original post by Amanda Mull