I’ve been trying all week to think of something appropriate to say about the Lanvin Amalia Patchwork Snakeskin Tote and I just…can’t. I can’t! It’s Friday and I’m out of words, and this bag might be so complicated that it has now damaged my eyesight, which makes any attempts on my part to accurately review it utterly futile. So! That’s where you guys come in.
In today’s rousing game of Fill in the Blank, I want you to describe this tote to me. Y’all know how this works – either finish the title sentence in the comments or take a gander at this bag over at Nordstrom, where it’s priced at $3498.
Karl Lagerfeld’s aptly named Karl “masstige” (that’s the portmanteau meant to denote almost-luxury items at a relatively-not-terrible price) line debuted at Net-a-Porter to much fanfare and hype on Wednesday, and I do have to admit that there were a few items I considered picked up: the faux leather pleated skirt, sequined collar, leather moto gloves, silver high-tops…okay, maybe there were more than a few. I like black, just like Kaiser Karl. But what of the handbags? And what of that slightly batty video of Karl interviewing himself, which we have provided for you after the jump? It’s Friday, after all.
The collection included a couple of black leather bags, none of which were of particular note based on their design and price points. What I did kind of enjoy, however, was these two canvas totes, both bearing the visage of Karl himself. At a price point of $25 and featuring drawings of Karl (on in profile, one from the back) on both sides, it’s easy to guess why the Karl Printed Canvas Shopper sold out immediately. If you prefer your Karl a little more abstract (and slightly more spendy), the Karl Large Printed Canvas Tote might be more up your alley if you have $135 to throw toward what is essentially a novelty. It’s a KARL LAGERFELD novelty, though, so that’s something.
And speaking of novel, among the seemingly endless media materials for this launch is this gem of a video from Net-a-Porter, in which Karl Lagerfeld sits across from himself and conducts an interview. With himself. I’d be perfectly content if Karl retired from fashion forever and spent his days making YouTube videos, honestly.
Back in October, we discussed whether or not the legendary Fendi Baguette, the first real It Bag and practically the fifth cast member of Sex and the City, might be poised for a return to prominence. Based on the Baguettes that are starting to surface for Spring 2012, I’d say that we might all be carrying Fendi in a year’s time. Can I request a crossbody version, please?
The simple, familiar shape of the Baguette has always lent itself particularly well to gobs of embellishment, and since fashion seems to enjoy gobs of almost anything these days, it’s perhaps no surprise that the bag would once again gain a certain amount of favor. The bright colors of the Fendi Python Baguette make for a perfectly trendy all-season bag that feels very now, while the modernist beading on the Fendi Optical Beaded Baguette appeal to those who appreciate the minimal lines and bold color choices of brands like Jil Sander.
With the wide-ranging design possibilities, it’s easy to see how the Fendi Baguette fervor began in the first place; they do have sort of a collect-them-all feeling, right? Usually those kinds of responses from me are reserved for box clutches, but the Baguette takes that same possibility for creation and makes it easier to carry during the day. Here’s hoping that the bag continues on its second wind.
Fendi Optical Beaded Baguette, $3340 via Neiman Marcus
Fendi Python Baguette, $2520 via Neiman Marcus
Judging by the date on the calendar and the state of my email inbox, New York Fashion Week is upon us. Like everyone else in the industry, this is about the time when I look at my wardrobe and whine pathetically about how you guys, I just don’t have anything to wear. While my lack of sartorial options is objectively not true, not even a little bit, it sure does feel that way when you’re staring down the barrel of a week of nonstop industry events.
Given the part of the industry that we focus on over here, having good accessories is always the first priority on my list when planning an ensemble, particularly for a fashionable occasion. I’m more satisfied with my bag collection than any other part of my wardrobe, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t love a new bag, particularly a Reed Krakoff Atlantique, to debut at Lincoln Center in February.
The Atlantique is one of a number of wide-gusseted north-south totes to pop up in the wake of the popularity of the Celine Luggage Tote, and it might be my favorite of the group so far. Although I know that this bag shape doesn’t work for my lifestyle (I recently parted ways with my own Celine because I just didn’t use it very much, I’m sad to say), I can’t help but be drawn to it. I need a shoulder or crossbody strap, but what I really want is to be able to enjoy an arm-carried tote like this one.
If I had my way, my first choice would be the cobalt blue python version – THAT COLOR. For those with bigger budgets and narrower views on color, there’s always the super-spendy alligator-trimmed version. If you want things to remain reasonable, the all-leather option comes in below $2k. Really, there’s an Atlantique for everybody. Except for me.
Reed Krakoff Python Atlantique Tote, $5900 via Reed Krakoff
Reed Krakoff Alligator Trimmed Atlantique Tote, $7150 via Reed Krakoff
Reed Krakoff Leather Atlantique Tote, $1490 via Reed Krakoff
You can always rely on Margiela for a good dose of the unexpected – a magnifying glass made to look like a pair of broken glasses, peep toe shoes that peep in an entirely different way, a clutch covered with broken reflective plastic instead of sequins. Whatever your expectations are, Margiela delights in turning them on their ear.
Similarly, when you consider a grocery bag, you probably have one material very clearly in mind – thin plastic, usually white or beige. The Maison Martin Margiela Studded Leather Grocery Bag, on the other hand, takes the expected shape and turns it totally luxurious with black leather and studs.
Thankfully, this incredibly expensive take on the grocery bag doesn’t seem intended to actually carry groceries, as some triple-digit bags of a similar shape seem intended to do. Instead, it’s a thoroughly modern design that takes a wink at another kind of bag that we all carry with great regularity but few of us every think about. Not only that, but because grocery bags are a little piece of everyday functional design that we take for granted, odds are that this bag would be pretty easy to carry. It may not fit everyone’s style, but for Margiela fans, this would be a pretty sound purchase. Buy through ShopBop for $1440.
No matter where I go in New York or who I talk to, once people find out what I do for a living, almost all of them ask me if I know where they can get a Celine bag, what I think of the Celine bag they want to buy and if I have a Celine bag myself. As we’ve noted over on BagThatStyle, it seems like a new celebrity pops up carrying one every day, and judging by the long pre-order lists in stores, none of the Celine hysteria is going to abate anytime soon.
Even stock photos of Celine bags can be difficult to round up in one place; stores don’t sell the brand on their websites, so product names and prices are often rumors at best. What we have here, though, is the best collection of Celine Spring and Summer 2012 (Celine splits the season into two separate groups of products) bags that we could find. If you have more to add, please let us know. If not, please enjoy the nearly 60 photos of Phoebe Philo loveliness after the jump.
