It’s safe to say that Milan’s Fashion Week is usually the most luxurious of all. Italians are known for their way with skins after all, and Milan designers’ time-honored craftsmanship is usually countered with creative innovation. For Fall 2012, two of the most major Italian bag houses had very different interpretations on what we should be carrying come September. Let’s compare and contrast:
The Good:
Prada: This season, Miuccia is all about the “pleasure of fashion” – and we can definitely take pleasure in her new bags. For the most part, bags were sleek and slick, but far more exciting were the printed numbers. Briefcase-inspired top-handles livened up the menswear-inspired collection with patterns reminiscent of vintage ties.
The prints were vivacious and lovable, but this was a fairly safe, tame collection. Only one crazy piece stood out: a square frame bag adorned giant crystals, beads, and fringe. My favorite of the colorful bunch? I’m very into the beaded doctors bag, especially in dark purple – they’re the perfect mix of function and fancy.
The Bland:
Fendi: Fendi has been on a hot streak as of late, but it looks like they have cooled down to tepid temperatures for Fall 2012. Considering how good the bags have been, this wasn’t their best effort.
Oversized luggage-style bags featured panels of crocodile set off with leather in muted colors. Other big top-handle totes came in corded velvet, colorblocked in shades like green with bright-red trim – and they looked downright cartoonish. Giant-scale patchwork, orchestrated almost like bathroom tiles, just isn’t doing much for me; neither are what would be lovely croc totes trimmed in wigs of fur. I can’t tell if they are trying too hard or not quite enough, but here’s hoping Fendi gets their newfound groove back again.
Not fair. I love Prada and Fendi. Fendi is the winner.
I love all of these handbags. Fendi, Prada, bring them on.
This is a really hard one as I love both Fendi and Prada, but if I had to pick just one, it would then be Prada for me.
Sometimes the bloggers make me wonder if they know what they are writing about. This Fendi design might be bit too simple (although it looks very fine to me – check the pics on purseblog.com – they show better bags of the same style), but – who would want to look like a clown wearing those tacky cheap looking Prada things? When did circus come to town?