Brands

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!

Rafe Totengco has made his Rafe New York Handbag line famous, accruing various awards and being the first designer to partner with Target back in 2006. A long time ago I ran into a few Rafe bags that I was not super fond of. But with time Rafe the designer grew as did we, and now I have found a beautiful jewel hued bag from this fashion designer. A perfect hobo option, the Rafe Hudson Blake Large Hobo Bag is designed with supple lambskin and accented with patchwork details and antique brass hardware. The bag is larger than it appears (16″ wide x 11″ high x 5″ deep, strap drop: 11″), meaning it will not overpower you by appearing too small, and a large hobo is a staple to every woman’s outfit. There is a single wide shoulder strap and a front zip pocket. We look forward to seeing more from this fabulous designer. Buy through Rafe for $575.

My mother is a woman with very specific requirements for a bag. It has to be soft, it has to fit over her shoulder, it has to zip or otherwise fasten at the top, the inside has to be divided into at least two large compartments (the more the better), and there have to be outside pockets. Bags that do not have all of these characteristics, no matter how awesome or attractive or drool-worthy they may be, shall not be considered. As such, it takes my mother about eight years to pick out a new bag.

A brand that mom mother has had an oddly high amount of luck with, however, is Marc by Marc Jacobs. I say that this is odd for one reason – MbyMJ simply does not consider her part of their target demographic. If you were to ask anyone in their marketing department who their customer was, they would tell you that it’s a young, hip 20-something with a slightly odd (but not too odd) aesthetic and possibly a newly-gotten degree in a creative field. In short, they want ME to buy their bags, and they don’t give a whole lot of thought to my mom. Being the awesome lady that she is, however (I mean, she did beget yours truly, after all), my mom does not believe that she is not cool enough for these bags (because she obviously is), and she just bought her second Marc by Marc Jacobs bag – the Totally Turnlock Teri. Click here to keep reading...

From Tory Burch we have grown to expect the signature logo. I do love the Tory Burch Reva Ballet Flats, and yes I know millions of people in NYC alone wear them daily, but they are comfortable! But Tory Burch bags have left me hanging. They just do not get the job done as far as offering a chic bag that is not logo-fied, although there is the Tory Burch Resin Clutch which gets the job done quite well. So ok, we have a clutch that is good from Tory, but what about a handbag. What about a bag that is not in the realm of too much at one time, but just right?

I think Tory Burch hit the nail on the head with the Tory Burch Horseshoe Hobo which offers a chic hobo shape, alluring color, fun buckle design, and perfect chain shoulder strap. The front buckle detail is just for show, as the bag opens and closes with a magnetic closure. The shoulder strap features link detail and the interior has plenty of pockets for storage. Is this the grown up Tory Burch bag that you have been hoping for? Buy through ShopBop for $565.

Rebecca Minkoff MAB Luxe Bag

When we last interviewed Rebecca Minkoff, she let us know that their was a new version of the highly sought after Morning After Bag (bag lover lingo: MAB). So out comes the dressed up sister of the MAB, the Rebecca Minkoff MAB Luxe Bag. Why we love this bag? It offers the same cool appeal of the MAB with extra additions; like the snap-flap and patch pockets at the front. The other major perk is the additional shoulder drop, which totals 9″. This will easily fit over winter coats, which was sometimes a problem with the Morning After Bag. There is tab and stud detail at the front and back along with a spring clasp detail at the sides. Now all you need to do is pick a color; dark brown or navy? The choice is hard, but I am a girl who loves her blues so I am all for the Navy. Buy through Shop Bop for $630.

Longchamp Pliage Trolley

Vlad and I travel often, but I can’t say that we travel in style. I, of course, carry a designer bag with me as my purse carry on, but my actual carry on is typically a Samsonite Trolley. Not dissing Samsonite, because their luggage is super sturdy and durable. LV luggage? Nope! I still fly commercial and my luggage is thrown around like you wouldn’t believe. So would I spend money on a designer trolley? Nope. But what about the Longchamp Pliage Trolley? Longchamp is known for their sturdy nylon, but will this luggage do the job for your travel needs? Without seeing this trolley in person, I can not say for sure if it is a go or no go, but the perk is the price. This Longchamp Trolley is trimmed with cowhide leather and has a pull handle. There is a zip around closure. The material is polyamide canvas with PVC coating, which should be sturdy enough. 13″W X 20″H X 8¼”D.

Buy through Saks for $270.

You know what, sometimes I just like to feel pretty. I want to have pretty clothes, a pretty handbag and pretty shoes. Sure, I’ve said before that I really look for the functionality factor in a handbag, and don’t get me wrong, I do, but from time to time the only thing I care about is finding a new pretty bag to add to my collection. Well, I certainly lucked out here with Treesje. Megs and Vlad had the chance to interview designers Laura Darrah and Sheila Nazarian while not too long ago I had the opportunity to meet them while I was out in LA. Not only do I love the handbags, but also think the world of the designers. These ladies are smart, approachable, talented and fun. It is important to them that they provide handbags which are both functional and beautiful. The Treesje Luna Bag is fabulous. It is large enough to tote around during the day and chic enough to use during a night out on the town. The inside is fully lined and has cell phone/PDA holders, a zipper pocket and a key hook. I love the distressed champagne color, but if you are looking for something different, the bag comes in three other colors. Buy through Treesje for $685.

Over at Purse Blog we review Chloe bags often. Do I love Chloe bags? Yes. Do I own Chloe bags? Yes. But then there was the introduction of the See by Chloe bags, which I looked at, reviewed, and felt underwhelmed by. The See by Chloe bags looked like a sack, a large lifeless sack. Granted a handbag is just that, a mechanism to hold goods, but I want a pretty bag!

Luckily for See by Chloe they also had the Day Tripper Bag, which seems to be a huge hit! But now I have run into the See by Chloe Charlie Slouch Shoulder Bag which again appears to be a lifeless mass of denim waxed cotton. Furthermore, there is that pricing problem, asking us to pay mid $500 range for a bag that is merely related to Chloe, but does not bring anything special to the table. This bag bored me, leaves me with a yawn, but I realized that some people like this bag. It is an editor’s pick over at Shop Bop. So am I missing something? Does the Charlie Slouch Shoulder Bag offer something that I can not see? There are two handles, four pouch pockets around the outside, contrast purple lining, and large contrasting logo letter charms on the front. I dunno, still not feeling much from this bag. Buy through Net A Porter for $530.

I’ll be honest. It isn’t very often that I find a new(ish) designer whose line I instantly fall in love with. Yet, I have to say, this is how I feel about CC Skye. Not only does the line offer fabulous handbags, but it also has gorgeous accessories. We had the opportunity to look at some of the bags in person and they are as well crafted as their images appear. The handbags range from classic to a little more eclectic. Leaning towards the eclectic side is the CC Skye Nana Clutch. First of all, I absolutely love the color! I don’t always think I can pull off really bright colors, but this electric blue is a color I am dying to try out. Blue is already one of my favorite colors, but this blue absolutely pops. Then you add the shape and hardware accessories into the mix and you have a chic, fun and eye-turning clutch for the night. And if blue isn’t the color for you, fear not, the clutch also comes in carmel and cappuccino. Buy through CC Skye for $435.

Animal print is back! I guess when I think about it, animal print never goes away completely, but like many trends, animal print continues to cycle itself back into popularity. Just this week, we all went to grab a bite to eat at a restaurant in a mall. As we passed stores and did a little window shopping it was certainly evident that animal print is everywhere right now. The Kate Spade Spring Island 2 Evan with Rose clutch is a perfect example of what I am talking about. This is a classic clutch with all the features you would expect: flashy purple interior lining, back wall zip pocket, top flap with a magnetic snap closure and for a little extra something, a yellow rose accent. I am not sure how I feel about the rose accent, but maybe it is something that would grow on me. Other than that, I think the clutch is quite a hit. Usually, I am cautious about animal print because I hate when it looks like too much; kind of like this Charles David Satchel. But, in this case I think there is just enough animal print to make the clutch a spicy addition to your outfit. You can buy this ferocious clutch through Zappos for $299.