Posted: under Gucci.
Over the past couple months, I’ve written about a couple different Gucci Boston Bags – one had logo fabric, the other had a signature check flanking the webbed center stripes. I liked both, but I don’t make a habit of buying bags that cost more than $300 or so if the main material isn’t leather, so neither option was on my radar for personal use.
This version of the bag, though? This I can use. And would use. And maybe will use? $1350 isn’t a price tag to sneeze at, but for a classic, functional leather bag (with a little bit of flair) from a highly sought-after handbag brand, it’s not as bad as it could be. Particularly not when you consider how much a Louis Vuitton bag with a similar design would go for. (Hint: three times as much.)
Comparing this bag to the Sofia Coppola x Louis Vuitton collection is perhaps not entirely fair, but the similarities are inescapable. The Vuitton bags don’t feature the webbed stripes down the center, which are a Gucci signature, but I think I actually like it better this way. Solid leather mini duffels aren’t hard to find, even if finding them in leather as nice as that of Coppola’s bags can be a bit challenging. Gucci uses perfectly reasonably materials, though, and the center stripes give the bag a preppy-traditional flourish that an all-leather option would lack. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $1350.
Dec 03 2011
Posted: under Hermes.
If you’re not familiar with vintage powerhouses What Goes Around Comes Around, you should be. The New York-based retro aggregator, often abbreviated WGACA, searches out and resells some of the best pre-owned duds in the country, and today, that includes two lovely Hermes Vintage Crocodile Bags that are up for grabs via ShopBop. They’re very Betty Draper, right? Or maybe they’re more Trudie Campbell…
ShopBop doesn’t list the era from which either of these bags originated, but they look an awful lot like the small, structured, elbow-carried bags that were popular among wealthy women of the Mad Men era – the late 50s and early 60s. Hermes was at the top of the leather goods mountain back then as well (and the brand often plays a part in the show, come to think of it), so these two bags, which both lack external branding, are among the finest examples of the period’s luxury handbags.
Looking at these designs makes it easy to see where the inspiration for the currently trendy ladybags comes from, and then they’re Hermes croc on top of it. For $8000 apiece, you’d have the be a serious vintage hound or Hermes fangirl to buy one, but right now I’m missing Mad Men so much that if I were asininely rich, I might consider it. Then all I’d need is one of Joan’s dresses…well, and her hips. Buy through ShopBop for $8000 here and here.
Dec 03 2011
Posted: under Louis Vuitton.
Did you look through the show shots from Louis Vuitton Spring 2012 and think to yourself, “Self, there’s a whole boatload of crocodile in this collection, and I’m not just talking about bags?” If you did, Women’s Wear Daily‘s report that LVMH has invested heavily in a family-owned Singaporean crocodile tannery makes so much sense that it’s almost silly.
Indeed, the exotics in Vuitton’s show didn’t stop at bags; it seemed like every other model was wearing a powdery pastel coat or jacket made of yards of the exceptionally pricey skin, the MSRPs of which will surely boggle the mind once they come to retail. If Vuitton (and LVMH’s other leather goods brands, including Celine and Givenchy) intends to continue this uptick in crocodile design, then this investment could be the start of many beautiful accessories to come. Are you a croc customer?
Accessories companies like Louis Vuitton that have an enormous range of price points and enough cultural clout to pull people in who might not otherwise be luxury accessories customers usually make the bulk of their profit in the lower end of their price point, but the acquisition of the controlling share in the Singaporean Heng Long International tannery indicates that the company feels that it has opportunities at the higher end of the price spectrum as well. And they’re probably right; LV’s profits keep expanding, and several of the aforementioned brands that the company owns are having accessories heydays as well.
Perhaps unexpectedly, LVMH’s move toward exotics is particularly savvy in a faltering global economy. While the low-end customers may be feeling the pinch, those who might buy a $30,000 crocodile Speedy are raking in money at pre-crash rates. That’s why Hermes keeps expanding rapidly every quarter; it’s a company whose customers are generally in an economic class that doesn’t feel much of a pinch because of fiscal fluctuations. If I was a gambler, I’d bet that this acquisition is an indication that LVMH is trying to ensure that its brands move into a similar spot, if they aren’t there already.
Not to mention, of course, that vertical integration is good for business when you’re a company the size of LVMH. The more steps in the production process that it can control, the more affect that its decisions and policies can have on not only how much LVMH spends on raw materials, but also on global prices for exotic leathers. The rich just keep getting richer, and Louis Vuitton intends to get richer by supplying them with incredibly expensive leather goods.
Dec 03 2011
Posted: under Prada.
Good news: Megs and I have returned to Manhattan! Bad news: We’re still getting back up to speed, so things will be a bit slow today and then totally back to normal tomorrow, and we hope that readers who were affected by the hurricane are also well on their way back to normalcy. For now, though, I’d like to spend a moment touching on my aversion to black bags.
Black, as a color, is one of my favorites. It always has been, even during childhood when most little girls fawned over pink; when everyone else in my first grade class had a pair of white Keds, I had black ones. But now, because I wear so much black clothing, wearing black accessories and shoes just feels really…dull. Even a black bag as beautiful and functional as the Prada Calfskin Tote can’t make it into my wardrobe without a good game plan for spicing it up. I think that the Agent Provocateur Leopard Print Calf Hair Driving Gloves would do just the trick for fall.
For some reason, I took one look at these drool-worthy driving gloves and couldn’t think anything but, “These need a black handbag, stat!” The key word being “hand,” of course. The visual of red leather and leopard against a black background only works if the back is close by, so hobos and totes are out. But with a bag that’s carried in the crook of the arm or the hand, the whole look harkens back to an era when women wore gloves as glamorous accessories, not just protection against the cold. It’s very Mad Men, very Hitchcock, and I’m all about it. Buy the gloves through Net-a-Porter for $500 and the bag through Neiman Marcus for $2500.
Nov 14 2011
Posted: under Hermes.
This Halloween I am celebrating by dressing up as a lady who spas (meaning I’m putting on a much needed green mud mask and a soak for my hair while wearing a robe). The kids coming to our door may be a little confused as to what I am, but I think it works and I totally need some at-home spa treatments. And for their having to look at me, they will be rewarded handsomely with some of our favorite treats. From Crunchies to Smarties to M&M’s to Haribo Gummi candies, there is a treat for everyone that comes to our door.
My treat tonight is my Hermes Alligator Kelly Longue Wallet. Every year it is the best Halloween accessory a girl can ask for. And the lady who spas as a Halloween costume coincides well with a little piece of Hermes.
What are you dressed up as or who are you dressing up as what? Have a sweet, safe, and fun Halloween!
Nov 14 2011
Posted: under Gucci.
It always takes me a moment to warm up to a new combatant in the It Bag Wars. Nina Ricci is an extremely well-established fashion house, but its never been known for its handbags, and any brand charging well into the four figures out of the gate deserves a close inspection. Luckily, bags like the Nina Ricci Liane Satchel pass with flying colors.
I’ve included two Lianes that feature lush texture by way of python or pleating, but the plain leather versions of this bag are equally beautiful. Ricci is the perfect choice for a woman who wants to wear something obviously luxurious but not obviously branded. Even bags that feature no outward branding, like Balenciaga motorcycle bags or Gucci Jackie hobos, are still widely recognizable to even casual fashion followers. If you’d like to fly even further under the radar but still carry something gorgeous that keeps people guessing, this is a bag that you should be looking into.
Nov 14 2011
Posted: under Chanel.
Mother Nature decided to send a downpour of rain with a mix of wind and a sprinkling of downright nasty to NYC today. I’ve been stuck inside desperately trying to find a way to boost my spirit and keep me moving while the weather is so drab.
This Chanel bag will bring a smile and an intense sense of yearning to everyone who sets their eyes on it. No matter what it looks like outside my window, the Chanel Classic Flap in Gold Alligator makes everything right in my world today.
Fall hues would look so stunning with this gold Classic Flap. The finish is not an in-your-face gaudy look, rather a worn and delightful take on metallic gold. I would love to wear this with a sleek pair of slacks and crisp blouse. Ah, a girl can dream. What would you pair this stunning (and unfortunately no longer available) Chanel Classic Flap in Gold Alligator?
Nov 14 2011
