We are thrilled to hear that Derek Lam has been promoted to Creative Director at Tod's. It is clear that Tod's has had a fresh direction of late and it is one that we have been loving. He has revitalized this legendary house by giving it back some much needed youth but still keeping in mind the impeccable feel that is Tod's. Our only concern is that he tends to be a little embellishment happy in his bags but let's just hope that that is something he strickly keeps for his eponymous line. We obviously love the Bensonville so we are not too concerned. So how did he get here? He graduated from Parsons and went to work for Michael Kors for 12 years. We see that Kors has not recovered from this loss. He started his own line in 2002 and in 2004 won the Ecco Domani Fashion Foundation Award for new designers and won the CFDA Perry Ellis Swarovski Award in 2005. Certainly with this resume he can get a job anywhere but we feel Tod's is the perfect fit for Derek with his flirty girly designs and we cannot wait to see what he has in store for us now that he has total control and power!!
November 2006 Archives
Dear Bag Snob,
I LOVE your website! I'm about to embark on my new professional career and I wanted to have a stunning briefcase in tow. I was wondering if you could do a feature on stylish and luxurious briefcases to help me find that perfect work accessory. I definitely want it to be the envy of everyone in the office and your recommendations would definitely help with that. I would appreciate it if you could find the time to help me out.
Thanks,
Kay
I predict the next step for Marc Jacobs is licensing his name to Sears for a line of polyester elastic waist band pants in mousy colors. At least that's what it feels like the direction is going based on this crap. First we saw his leather shopper, which was gross but could have been construed as humorous. But this!!?? It is black PVC, otherwise called plastic, with contrasting top stitching to make it look even cheaper and to top it all off, shiny gold hardware. It is a plastic tote with no design behind it (Vivienne Tam did fiberglass fabric bags that were well designed and super chic). I am offended that Marc thinks we are all so stupid as to follow whatever he puts out the way his celebrity pack dogs do. By the way, this bag is $1400 at Neiman Marcus.
Look at this woven ostrich office tote. It is meant for holding documents and magazines for work (I suppose not everyone's work requires the reading of magazine but whatever, you know what I mean). It is the ultimate in luxury to have your entire home and office appointed with Bottega Veneta furniture and accessories. It is a little too much testosterone for me but each individual piece is oh so deliciously Bottega! Tote is $21,260. Available at Bottega Veneta stores, call 646-292-5888.
I was at Neiman Marcus in Beverly Hills yesterday as they were pulling bags off the shelves to pre-sale at 30-40% off. My heart stopped when I realized they were pulling "it" bags, as in the kind that you want to carry and not random crap they can't sell. The Chloe Edith in every color and size, Tod's Bensonville in dark olive (actually a stunning color that will be a good substitute for brown), Chanel, Fendi, Marc Jacobs, Gucci, Prada, Miu Miu, bags bags bags galore. Run to the nearest Neiman Marcus today if you can.
I had lunch with Sari Brown of LuxCouture and she showed up with this super fab ostrich! I had immediate bag envy. It was so dreamy and luxurious because it is a big bag of beautiful ostrich goodness. The incredible detail of Nuti is really something to cherish and again, I will say it, the label is totally overlooked, but not for long. Designer Ilaria Nuti has bags in the works that will put her on the "it" list. I of course will order mine in this natural from Sari. At $4900, it is a steal for such a big ostrich of flawless quality but it is now on sale for $3430, sale ends Nov. 30th. Order yours immediately at LuxCouture.
The biggest perk of being the Bag Snobs is being able to interview incredible figures in fashion. One of our favorite designers, Anya Hindmarch was kind enough to allow us a 40 minute interview last week. She was excited to speak to us because she is a Bag Snob fan! How flattering is that? We are so incredibly excited to bring you an exclusive.
THE WOMAN
Anya Hindmarch is the epitome of a classic English beauty with flowing blonde locks and bright blue eyes. She kind of reminds us of us, speaks very fast and gets excited when talking about bags; she is a true girly girl who adores all things beautiful. She is a mother of five, 3 from her widower husband whom she married in her early 20's and two more that they had together. She has passed down her good taste to her beautiful daughter who is already designing bags.
She is as obsessed with politics as she is with fashion. She is a notable environmental activist and thinks about the future she is handing to her children. An interesting piece of trivia no one knows about her is that she is a classically trained opera singer.
So how did this well rounded beauty become a heroine of handbags? It seems like Anya came out of the womb a bag snob. She made her first bag at the age 6 out of paper and made sure to include little compartments inside. She understood the importance of being organized even at an early age. When she was 16 she became fascinated by the psychology of handbags after her mother gave her a nice bag and it made her feel fantastic. It didn't matter if you were dressed in sweats, a great bag instantly altered your mood. Something we can all relate to! Her future was sealed when she attended a fashion seminar given by a bag designer and right then and there knew that that was what she was meant to do. She immediately went home and designed a bag. At 18 she had her first complete collection of bags. In 20 years, she still sees herself obsessing over and designing bags.
Day after Thanksgiving has become America's favorite day for shopping but we prefer to visit our favorite websites online!
Discover the Fab Gift Guide from Fab Sugar!
Black & white is always a smart choice. Fashiontribes shows how to copy a Viktor & Rolf tuxedo dress look on a budget...or not.
Second City Style had the opportunity to spend an evening with Project Runway's Tim Gunn and Season III's Angela Kesler.
Coquette says, "Ooh la la!" Get the Frenchy Starlet Dress at Red Dress Shoppe for the perfect holiday party look!
Confused about accessorizing in winter? Check out the latest how-to suggestions from Stylebites.
I don't know about you but after gorging on turkey and stuffing yesterday we are feeling really fat, so what better way to hide the post turkey belly than a big fun bag? I know, I know, we rag on giant bags all the time but we love Marni's slouchy tote in washed gray leather, it's a great travel bag for those weekend trips over the holidays but also works as an everyday bag. Consuelo Castiglione, creative director of Marni, has a loyal following of sophisticated fashionistas that understand the luxury of simplicity and this is as simple as they come. There are no frills or tassles on this tote, just lots of style and functionality with detachable single strap for carry on travel and multiple interior pockets. It's also lined in easy to clean canvas so you don't have to worry about your lip gloss exploding on the plane. $1,065 at net-a-porter (don't forget free shipping only lasts til Dec. 4)
Check out our latest press on CBS news, the video of last night's broadcast on upper right. A huge thank you to Shannon Hori, our favorite CBS 11news anchor and one of our biggest supporters! The Bag Snob girls have a lot to be thankful for, especially for our readers without whom all of this would not be possible, Happy Thanksgiving all!
