April 2007 Archives

I am currently obsessed with blue patent, I picked up a pair of Louboutin blue patent pumps with blue suede trim that are to die for in New York last month and everything blue patent has been catching my eye since. Jil Sander has a great blue patent bag but the Lanvin blue patent pochette is by far the most stylish I've seen. I have not found this in the US yet and only have seen it on the German site, My Theresa (a fantastic source of designer goods!) I absolutely love the brown leather handle and strap, it makes the bag more casual not to mention way more hip! There is only a little bit of understated silver hardware framing the flap, so it won't be that heavy. The monogrammed interior (so much more chic than having monogram on the exterior of the bag, I am all about reverse snobbery!) has two compartments and a zippered pocket. It's about 12 inches wide so it is generously sized but still will work at night. As I always advice, unless you are really a messenger, remove the messenger strap. The red patent is just as cute but I am crazy about the blue! $1,848 at My Theresa.

This is almost too easy but just in case any of you finds this disgusting outfit remotely appealing, you have a chance to vote in her favor. Britney seems to have gone insane or maybe she has found a new job working the streets of Hollywood. I actually think professional hookers are offended by the constant comparison between Britney and them though. I know this is a free country and we can wear what we want without getting stoned (as in buried in sand with stones thrown on our heads, not as in toking one) but this woman is a mother of two! What are the odds that these boys will grow up with any respect for women with this hellish mess as a role model? What does everyone else think? Snob or Slob?

Source: Celebutopia

Don't be fooled by this picture (laid out flat like this makes it look like some cartoon rabbit robot), this is an unstructured tote that is slouchy and has an interesting twist. Notice the handles aren't placed in the front and back like all other bags, they're from the sides and when put together the shape of the tote is more bucket like and has an interesting geometric, almost triangular shape. It fits so comfortably under the arms and stays put because of the way it's made. Very smart and very cool! This is a great bag for those who need a regular tote for convenience but want something a little different and a lot stylish! It is a good size bag, 15"x14", but because of how it collapses against the body, it is not overwhelming. I promise you will be seeing this on a hip, chic celeb. At Barneys for $1395.

I love lunching with my girlfriends, not only are they the sweetest and funniest group of women on earth, they always carry the best bags (which gives me lots of inspiration for Bag Snob)! Especially my friend Kim, she's the only person in the world who induces bag envy in me so you can only imagine how delicious her bag collection is. Kim and I joined our crew at Neiman Marcus downtown for juicy brisket and lobster salad the other day and one of the girls had a bag that I could not take my eyes off. It was a luscious cream colored Anaconda bag trimmed in buttery soft cream suede. Do you want to melt now or should I continue? I kept asking to see it and really just wanted to steal it from her but she had about 10 pounds of "stuff" in it so it would have been hard to discreetly stick it in my Valextra Boston bag and run off with it. So what was this bag that captured my attention through lunch you ask? It was the Mahdi from Jimmy Choo, are you surprised? I'd never seen the Anaconda version of the Mahdi before and it looked completely different from the leather versions I'd seen at the stores and never gave a second glance to! Everything about this bag is divine, the big bold Anaconda scales contrasted against milky suede add incredible texture and dimension to the bag, the gold hardware livens up the monochromatic palette, and the two outer side zippered compartments are functional without getting in the way of the overall design. I also love that the logo is discreetly placed on top of the bag. It is so easy to use and will absolutely go with everything for every occasion. It's actually a very soft and unstructured bag and not at all boxy like the photo above. You must go see this for yourself and tell me what you think. $3,895 At Jimmy Choo boutiques or JimmyChoo.com.

Beverly Hills 310 860 9045
New York 212 759 7078
Hong Kong 852 2525 6068
Singapore 65 6732 9880
Taiwan 886 22712 8155

Happy Friday! Have fun this weekend, hope everyone is having the nice warm weather I am experiencing!

Second City Style on designer Cyndi Chan. Just in time for Spring/Summer '07.

Get started modeling with Stylebites as she spills the secrets on how to get scouted and submit to agencies in NYC!

Beauty Snob looks pretty with the pretty Monarch Butterfly pallette from Chantecaille.

Fab Sugar discovers a pillow that will prevent wrinkles!

SheFinds - -Fashion, Beauty, FINDS Drew Barrymore and Jennifer Lo.'s bangles.

Not using animal skins does not get in the way of Stella McCartney's creativity. It seems that the challenge has only inspired her to be unique and interesting purely based on design. I mean designing a croc bag is not so hard because the skin speaks for itself and the same is true with any exotic. It's like a giant diamond solitaire, it doesn't need design to make it fabulous. This simple boxy bag is snazzed up with double handles that transitions to a almost architectural front detail with the rings. I love the double gusset giving the bag shape and functionality - the interior is split up into 2 compartments for easy organization. This is an exceptional bag that cries out for the uber stylish to give it justice. At Net-a-Porter for $1095.

This Bag Snob Pop Quiz bag is so amazing, I had to do a separate story on it to elaborate. The shape is so unlike anything else out there. I know this bag has been around for ages, but Devi Kroell is hitting her stride now and this bag is going to make major waves. The straps are made of anaconda and can be worn in 3 different ways, on your arm, on your shoulder or when unbuttoned, as a messenger bag across your body. Have you ever heard of anything so incredibly smart?!!? The price point is also incredible, the patent python in ivory is only $1890!! I have to have one, this design is so unique, clean and sophisticated. And functional to boot! It is everything we look for in a bag. It comes in medium, which I recommend, and the large which is also great, but make sure you weight more than 100 lbs if you want the the big size. Calf Leather with Anaconda Straps is $1490 at Devi Kroell online. Thanks to Devi and Mindy for sponsoring the coin purse prize!

My friend was talked into purchasing this bag the other day at the Chanel boutique and she brought it to lunch to get my opinion. I told her it was fun and cool, a little rock-n-roll, a little motorcycle chic and the silver metallic lambskin trimmed in chains is very trendy and of the moment. Her face fell and she said "but they told me it's a classic! I told them I wanted to invest in a classic bag!" I'm sure you've all been there before, giddy and high while making a purchase but suffer severe buyer's remorse the minute you arrive home.(this is why you should bring a trustworthy friend with you when making large purchases or at least make sure the store has a good return policy). Don't get me wrong, I love this shiny silvery bag trimmed in chains but anyone who thinks having double C's on a bag automatically qualifies it as a classic needs to read Bag Snob more regularly. Remember the giant Chanel trash bag from last season? (one of our friends, who is a fashion editor, actually got stuck in a revolving door carrying that monstrous bag!) Now the 2.55, boring as it may be to some, is a classic in the truest sense. My friend ended up returning the flap chain bag because she is of an age where trendy has no place in her wardrobe. But if you are not that age and you want a status brand that is also young and fun, this is the bag for you. $1,675 at Chanel

I said this pop quiz would be hard but I am sure Bag Snobs out there will not have a problem naming this designer. First one to get it right gets a snake skin coin purse from the designer!! How exciting is that? The straps on the bag are anaconda (just like the coin purse you will win). I am in love with this bag, more info to follow after we announce the winner. Please leave your answer in the comments and make sure to include your email address so we can contact you (it will not be posted).

Update: This is the fabulous Devi Kroell Tiffany. Irena was the first person to get the right answer. Congrats!

Bleeker by Coach

Coach addicts will be thrilled to learn that the company has plans to launch two new lifestyle lines this year: Bleeker collection will be launched in Fall 2007 and will fill consumers' demand for a lighter weight leather bag - average price at $350 (the average Coach bags are $275 and Legacy bags average $450) The second line, Heritage Stripe, will launch Spring 2008 with durable and sporty totes made of coated canvas cotton. Lew Frankfort, Chairmand and CEO of Coach said in an interview with Wallstreet Journal this week, "the two lines were the company's response to voids in the market and to customer needs. In one case, our consumer expressed considerable interest in a lighter-weight, leather-based collection inspired by our history, and Bleecker offers that. In terms of Heritage Stripe, it met a functional void since we don't have a comprehensive lifestyle collection of durable, chic, sporty totes".

Currently the Ergo line (pictured left), is selling like hotcakes in Japan and US. Coach's popularity worldwide translates to a strong bottom line, sales are currently $625.3 million, up from $479.7 million last year. Frankfort also stated that Coach will be shutting down corporate accounts business that sold to distributors for corporate gift giving as bags were being distributed to unauthorized retailers such as Costco. I think this is a good move as it will boost company image because no luxury brand, entry level or not, should be featured at Costco next to the 10 pound boxes of bananas!

Source: WWD