Burberry Prorsum Fall 2010

It's no surprise, given Christopher Bailey's decree that his Burberry "Cadet Girls" follow the ideals of "Protect, Explore & Inspire," that his fall collection of bags lean toward a harder edge. Witness Burberry CEO Angela Ahrendts, who sported one such piece--an alligator Cadet Sling bag--as she arrived at the show Tuesday. A quick review of the press notes reveal such adjectives as "armor," "riveted" and "lockable" used to describe the fall bag collection. Aside from one oversized hobo shape (called the "Parade"), the Burberry focus bag this upcoming season is more grounded and body-skimming; it features a top handle as well as an over-arching, not to mention removable, shoulder strap but can also be carried easily as a clutch. Think of it as a three-in-one perhaps? Naturally, it's available in a glorious variety of skins, colors, patterns and fabrications--ranging from denim and python with dome-shaped nail heads to shearling with oversized Nova check. Personally, it's a shape I'm still getting used to. My initial impression is that these bags aren't going to fit much--they measure roughly 15.4" x 7.1"--and tend to lean more toward evening or weekend. And they're awfully structured. I miss the large, super chic totes and holdalls Burberry showed on its runways in seasons past, but perhaps it's time for a change. Carrying everything but your kitchen sink in your bag does seem a bit passé.