Recently in Exotics Category

One of our favorite stops in New York is always the Nancy Gonzalez showroom. Imagine, the Bag Snobs in a room full of exotic bags in bright colors!! We act like we are shopping for ourselves even though we are supposed to be doing a preview for the blog. Luckily for us, sometimes the two are the same =) There a new shapes, always new colors and new techniques used with the skins for Spring 2010.

Jump to see our favorite pieces.

We visited Bottega Veneta's showroom last week and were left to our own devices for about 5 minutes (yes, it did cross our minds to stuff every bag in there down our dresses) to play with the bags. We not only previewed the Resort bags, we got a sneak peek at the Spring 2010 bags! The stand out was an insanely fabulous Cabat bag made of tie dye woven leather. It was absolutely gorgeous and part of Bottega's new men's line. Our friend John Pfeiffer (THE model guru who books models for every important show in NY) also had a sick Bottega bag from the new men's collection, it had a distressed olive/gold finish that I'd never seen before and gave the classic woven pattern a fresh new twist. (Jump for photos of both)

We were intoxicated by the scent and sight of so many amazing Bottega bags but I zeroed in on the San Marco lilac gold karung twisted bag and have been dreaming about it since returning home. The gold karung is twisted and interwoven into the body of the bag in a circular pattern and is an exemplary example of the Four Cornerstones of Bottega Veneta:

1. Contemporary functionality 2. Outstanding craftmsmanship 3. Innovative design 4. Highest quality materials

I love that the brand continually challenges itself in innovation and design each season. I'm constantly surprised and will never, ever tire of Bottega! The San Marco Lilac/Gold Karung is $3,600 at Bottega here.

Marchesa showed their Spring 2010 gowns with a new clutch collection! As well as drop dead to-die-for jewelry from Garrard, which you can see on the hands of the models. Garrard is the English jeweler who makes the Crown Jewels for the English Royal family. Fancy! They showed 9 clutches, all evening of course, and absolutely stunning. I loved that they did a presentation so that I can go up close and personal to inspect the intricate details of each clutch. And the models are so nice and cooperative - they held them out for me as I ogled each one. All are box clutches in satin with pleats and flowers, all over beaded and one in alligator. The closures are like jewelry, either one giant piece of crystal or crystal embellished hardware clasps.

Go to the jump page to see all the pictures.

We were invited to Oscar de la Renta's showroom and studio the day BEFORE the Spring 2010 show to preview the new bags and collection. Oscar himself explained the new bag collection to us! Seriously!?!? It was the highlight of our entire week! Especially when we were told that the only people that had been allowed the sneak peek were Anna Wintour and Cathy Horyn of the NY Times. We felt warm and fuzzy all over and tried our best to stay out of the way while we watched Oscar and his team work on the final fittings. Everyone was so calm, but I guess with Oscar at the helm and in the studio daily there is no chance of anything going wrong.  We just got home and will have the complete review of the new bags up soon (you will see them in the video-- the best bag collection ever from Oscar!).  Oscar also agreed to a Virtual Personal Appearance on Bagsnob soon so you'll be able to chat with him directly-- stay tuned!  (Jump for part 2 of video and more pictures).
To satisfy your Oscar urge right now, I recommend grabbing this glittering distressed gold python roll clutch here.
Gold is not just meant for the dance floor; I like carrying sparkling clutches to luncheons, too!  This one has a functional detachable shoulder strap and a gorgeous embroidered love knot on the front flap.  Sized at 8.25" x 4.75" and retails for $1,390.  Call Mindy for more info!  214-346-0400

I am stalking the girls on SATC 2 this week. The bags, the jewels, the shoes! It's all so very exciting! Samantha (I call them by the fictitious names as if they were my friends, yes I need help) clutched a fabulous VBH yesterday-- the Palm Clutch in Shocking Mastice Drip Python (even the name is sexy and appropriate for Samantha!) Retail is $1,300-- so reasonable for an exotic large clutch with impeccable detailing that all VBH bags are known for.

Call Juliana at Stanley Korshak (they carry the largest selections of VBH bags! We're hoping to get the very handsome Bruce to come out for an event with Bag Snob ;) or email Juliana here! Trust me, if they don't have it, she will find it!

I love Zagliani. The exotic skins they use are top notch and the construction is flawless. Total investment worthy. But this new One Handle bag has some fatal flaws, even though it is still gorgeous and has that same Zagliani look. The buckle is just for show, it sits under the zipper, which flips the top open. Which means, you can never use this bag without zipping it up completely. And it does not even open all that well because you have to bend the top completely over and out of the way of the interior. There is no way you can do this without setting the bag down somewhere or you will be fumbling with both hands. It does not ever make sense to make a bag this high maintenance. You almost need an assistant with you at all times. Sure, it looks great when closed, so I suppose it's great for someone like Queen Elizabeth who just walks around with a bag but never needs to actually go into her bag. And at this price, it needs to be perfection. It almost doesn't matter that the skin is so incredibly lush with perfectly beautiful scales. At Browns Fashion for $18,850.

Are we out of skins to use for bags? You know, like leather, crocodile, python-- what, no good anymore? So now we have to resort to road kill? I mean it'd make sense for Davy Crockett to utilize skunk fur (to repel other animals from his food stash?) during the three years he roamed the country as a trapper but why would a girl like me want to carry this? The fact that it is described as soft skunk fur is beyond creepy. I have a question, does it stink? Cuz the bag design sure does. It's along the same idea as the uber popular peekaboo tote but is smaller and has a cross body strap. The bag looks stiff and awkward as it is but that giant skunk tail sticking out of nowhere just makes it worse. Fendi Skunk Fur Bag $1970 at Saks.

This is a puzzing clutch from Halston, it's going for the cool deconstructed look but literally falls short.  The exposed suede portion is completely out of place and the wristlet strap is strange to the point of distraction.  I know this is supposed to be a grab and go clutch but I just don't jive with it.  What about you?  Snob or Slob?  Halston Henry Ponyskin Clutch

I'm all about the clutch now. I am trying to simplify my life and with that, a whole new thinking on bags. Why am I always carrying around so much stuff? Why do my bags need to be so heavy? What the heck is in my wallet that requires it to be so big? I am now using a zip coin wallet that has a few cards, my driver's license, cash and change. Lipgloss, phone, keys and maybe a small tube of sunblock - that's all I need, all of which fits nicely in a clutch. So, my new "bag lifestyle" requires that I get an investment clutch that will take me through years without consideration of trends. The Bottega Veneta woven cluth in karung has divided interior compartments for organizing long term use (not just one night). The karung is easy to maintain (versus leather which gets stained and cannot be wiped down) and the subdued Grape is neutral enough, yet adds happy color for an all black or gray Fall wardrobe. Like I said, this is an investment piece so the price concurs, but you might not. At Net-a-Porter $2,950.

This striped crocodile tote from Nancy Gonzalez is really unique and interesting, not to mention a thousand times better looking in person.  The strips of crocodile meticulously sewn on to the suede gives it the accordion looking pleats that I find most appealing.  It's like getting the look of fringes without actual fringes.  I'm also into contrasting textures that we're seeing a lot of this season (Derek Lam's Henrietta contrasts suede with python)-- suede and crocodile is an unusual combination as well and offers us the look of luxe exotic without the price tag.  This pretty baby is $2,750, not bad for crocodile and the handles are croc which makes it look substantial.  Nancy Gonzalez Crocodile Striped Tote at Saks here!