Kooba

Personally, I am a fan of metallic handbags. There is something edgy, chic and downright eye catching about metallic handbags. The Kooba Gemma Tote is no exception. I’ve had my eye on this handbag for a little while now and I thought it was high time to write about it. The rose gold metallic leather tote has the right combination of girlie and edgy. Hinge detailing and the buckle strap work well together. Kooba puts together some really great totes. There is always plenty of room to store what you need to without the bag seeming too bulky or awkward. I am all for large totes, but not when they are so large they become a burden to carry. I hate walking around and having my bag bump into my surroundings. This tote is a great size. I think the only thing I worry about is if the color will become outdated too quickly. What do you think? Buy through Bluefly for $328.95.

Oh, and speaking of Kooba, make sure you check out the Kooba Blake handbag today over at Purse Blog. It is day 5 of our 12 Days of Handbag Giveaways and you can enter to win!

Sigh. I am not happy with what I see. You might remember that I am one of Kooba’s biggest fans. In fact, I still carry around my very first Kooba which was given to me by Megs several years back. Yet, when I came across this bag, I found myself literally speechless. I really don’t know what was going on when the Kooba Side Sling Shoulder Bag was designed. I am all for thinking outside of the box and pushing the envelope, but I think this bag is a miss. There are several elements that individually work, but when combined, I just don’t think I like it. The yellow leather with silvertone hardware might work together if the shape of the bag was different. And, I am still trying to figure out how you access the contents of your bag. Do you squeeze your hand through the cinched top closure, or is that zipper on the side actually a way into the bag? Don’t get me wrong, I am sure there are plenty of people out there who could pull this off, yet, when all is said and done, this bag isn’t for me. If it is up your alley, buy through Bluefly for $381.

I’m at one extreme or the other with Kooba - I either love their bags, or I completely fail to understand what they were trying to accomplish with them. I’m rarely, if ever, anywhere in the middle, and I consider this fact to be to Kooba’s credit. Rarely does a bag make me HAVE THOUGHTS, be they good or bad, on a design level, but Koobas almost always make me think a little bit about what they’ve attempted to create. And, ladies and…well, mostly ladies…that’s success right there. In an over-crowded luxury handbag market, getting a consumer to stop and notice is half the battle. And with their new Rio Metal Tipped Patent Leather Tote, they’ve won the other half of that battle (with me, at least). A beautiful dark red shade, shiny-but-not-too-shiny patent leather, an eminently usable and functional shape, and those interesting metal bits there in the middle. I’m not sure what those are for, but I like them. I can only dream what other colors this beautiful bag might come in once other retailers start receiving their shipments.

Pre-order via Nordstrom for $645.00.

I’d like to preface this by saying that I really don’t like messenger bags on grown women, particularly those with any breasts to speak of. They create this odd boob-droop issue in the same way that a seatbelt does, and usually make one boob sit higher than the other. And that’s weird, right? I think that’s weird. It always makes me sort of uncomfortable to see a girl like that.

That being said, if you’re a cross-body enthusiast, I think that the Kooba Jenny Convertible Crossbody Bag is about as good as you can do. In a shiny-but-not-too-shiny black patent, the bag is the right size to still be a purse and not a utility bag, and being smaller than the average messenger gives it a signficiant advantage: the loaded-down weight of a messenger bag is often the cause of the previously mentioned boob-mangling. It has an interesting look to it without being flashy, and the outer adornment is minimal, just the way I like it. Beautiful bags don’t need gimmicks.

Another thing that attracted me initially is the word ‘convertible’ in the name - other messenger-haters like me can simply enjoy this as a shoulder bag, no boob-mangling required. Buy through Saks for $595.

As we dive into this year’s holiday season I find myself constantly wondering what I am going to buy for others and of course what I might treat myself to. So, the economy is down, is that going to have a huge impact on how much you spend this year? Even if you are going to need to be a little more cautious this holiday season, there is nothing to worry about, there are plenty of reasonable and amazing handbags to choose from! Take the Kooba Hobo Bag for example. The shape of this bag is what instantly caught my eye. For some reason I am a total fan of the loose shape and structure. Although it looks like a typical silver purse, the color is actually iced lavender which is perfect for so many occasions. The hobo is roomy enough for daily use while stylish enough to be carried out in the evenings. In typical Kooba fashion, the interior of the bag is supple lining with several different pockets for quick access to your essentials. So, whether you are carrying this around while shopping for others, thinking about buying for someone else this holiday season or adding it to your collection, buy through Bluefly for $357.

Bows are back. Well, actually, do they ever completely go away? I mean, I definitely notice that bows are more popular some years than the next, but I feel like bows are an accessory that never completely disappear. Kooba found a great way to incorporate a bow into their clutch. The Kooba Kasie Bow Clutch is definitely one I would love to see in my closet. The crosshatched metallic leather is contrasted with leather piping. The pleating and bow detail on the front of the clutch takes a classic look and makes it chic, urban and youthful. Now, since I am a huge Kooba fan, I am sure my opinion could be a little biased. But, I have to say, Kooba bags are wonderfully made. I’ve had my first Kooba for about six years now and it looks as amazing as the day it was given to me. Well, minus a few of my own mishaps of course. So, if this clutch is made like a typical Kooba bag, it is sure to stay looking gorgeous for all the bow seasons to come. Buy through Bluefly for $195.

A while back when we began thinking about how we’d like to see Purse Blog grow, we had all sorts of ideas. Shoes? Clothing? Accessories? Well, it sort of dawned on us that for now, we should probably stick to what we know - handbags. As we got ready to launch Purse Blog Savvy we picked the Savvy brands and Kooba made the cut. I’ve mentioned it before, but a Kooba bag was one of the first handbags I ever had that I truly loved. I loved and still love everything about it - the shape, the color, the versatility, and of course, the compliments I get from others. Well, not only am I thrilled to feature Kooba more often on Purse Blog Savvy, but I am beyond ecstatic about the fact that during their next trip to NYC, Megs and Vlad will be meeting with Abbe Held, the creative director behind Kooba. In order to tempt you just a bit, Abbe was gracious enough to answer a few questions we had. We hope you enjoy this teaser and eagerly await the full interview like we do! Click here to read the questions we asked!

I think it should be clear by now: Kooba is a brand that keeps my attention despite making at least a couple of missteps per season. I’ve already written about one Kooba bag I loved and one bag I hated for their fall collection, and I’m about to write about yet another one: the Kooba Halle in red (also available in black and brown, but you know me…).

So do I love this one, or hate it? This one, I LOVE. Well, I love it without the chain. The chain is kinda awkward, right? But I love the color (the red leather is really saturated and bright, unlike a lot of red bags), I love Kooba’s super-soft signature leather, and I love that the flap is asymmetrical and with an unexpected zipper for emphasis.

Kooba went through a weird phase for a few seasons where their bags got increasingly more expensive, and I felt like they were pricing themselves out of their market a bit - their bags weren’t selling at nearly $700 for a regular-sized purse, so their stuff was continuously in the sale section. This last season, though, was a bit of a change - most of their really popular bags seemed to be in the $500-$600 range, and a lot of them never made it to the sale sections of our favorite shopping websites.

This season seems to be a continuation of that trend - the Halle, a perfect everyday bag, is a mere $495. I can personally attest - for the quality of leather that I’ve had in my previous Kooba bags, that’s a steal. Buy through Shop Bop for $495.

Do you remember the first really nice handbag you owned? Well, my sister was always a little more fashion forward than I was. While I had no problem bumming around in jeans and a t-shirt, my sister was sporting a one of the newest trends. In order to “help” me along, she bought me my very first “nice” handbag; a Kooba. As I opened the wrapping and held my new gift up, I thought to myself, “yep, there certainly is a difference between this and the purse I currently tote around”. From that point on, even if I couldn’t buy a new bag every time I wanted to, I always made sure to notice new trends, new styles and the quality of the bags I was interested in. At the same time, I continue to have a soft spot in my heart for all things Kooba; after all, it was this line of handbags which helped me become a little more fashion savvy.

So, as I was looking around the other day, I stumbled across the Kooba Hope Clutch and it certainly caught my eye. The bag is one I would love to my collection. First of all, I for one find clutches to be a lot of fun. I love the detail and swooping effect of the fabric. I think my favorite part is the ring and strap detail on the side of the clutch. It might seem like a small detail, but it is kind of detail that sticks out and makes this clutch unique. However, the clutch is ivory. Everyone needs to diversify their collections, but any shade of white generally makes me think twice. is it just me, or are white bags hard to keep looking new? I guess I just worry that the handbag will get too dirty too quickly. But then again, if you take care of the clutch, there shouldn’t be a problem. Buy through ShopBop for $325.

You know, sometimes I find myself wondering which celeb might sport the bags I like. Sure, peruse any gossip magazine, celeb sighting site or a variety of other sources and you will see exactly who is carrying what and when. But I still look at some bags and think, “you know what, I could really see so and so carrying this”. Either way, I can see tons of people (famous or not) carrying the Kooba Ashley Shoulder Satchel. To me, the bag is so multipurpose. Sometimes I try and justify a purpose by telling myself I can use the bag with so many outfits, so many different occasions, bla bla bla. But, with this bag, I know it is true. Plus, it doesn’t look seasonal; it can be used from season to season without anyone thinking twice about it.

The details about the handbag are awesome as well. Although the bag is made out of soft, slouchy Italian leather, the bag doesn’t lose its shape. The way the leather is cinched down the center gives the bag character and draws the eye towards the buckle and stud details. I love sturdy handles and this bag appears to have them. The bag has a zip closure, an inside large zipper, pen, cell phone and open pocket and is accented with a dog leash for keys. Honestly, I might not waste much time and treat myself to this bag ASAP! But back to my first thoughts, which celebs could you see carrying this bag? Buy through Saks for $625.