By jim

August 16, 2010

Fashion’s Night Out, the worldwide extravaganza spearheaded by Vogue to get consumers back into stores to engage with retailers and their splendid products taking place September 10, has gotten some serious street cred thanks to the number of designers that have decided to use it as a launch pad for new products. To wit, Salvatore Ferragamo is celebrating creative director Massimiliano Giornetti’s first womenswear collection with the launch of the new W bag. Named for the house’s feisty matriarch, Wanda Ferragamo, and originally designed in the seventies by her daughter Fiamma, the W bag served as the centerpiece of Giornetti’s Fall 2010 runway show.

At first glance I am immediately drawn to the large piece of interwoven leather. Coupled with the smooth tan leather, it harks back to an era of politer times–when men held doors open for women and women got dressed up to fly. The trademark Gancini buckles are present, natch, firmly affixed to the sides of the framed bag. While the bag certainly has a ladies-who-lunch appeal to it, there’ll undoubtedly be a younger generation of women attracted to this tote (perhaps in the process adding their own long strap to make it hands-free).

To celebrate the launch, models Elettra Weidemann, Alek Wek and Caroline Winberg will join the Whitney Museum of American Art to customize their very own W bag through an exclusive made-to-order program while enjoying libations and music by DJ Nick Cohen. A percentage of the evening’s sales will benefit the Whitney Museum of American Art.

$2,850, available at Ferragamo boutiques