Archive for June, 2009

When I hear about moto style leather handbags, the first thing that comes to mind is luscious Balenciaga. It’s for the fact that the Italian based brand has such a high profile with their motorcycle line accessories, and most Bagista’s will agree on how great their handbags are. Recently, a popular American based brand has created a moto style collection of its own; meet the latest newbie in the Foley & Corinna collection, the Moto Leather Hobo.

From the looks of it, this hobo has got the rocker chic vibe to it. A slouchy silhouette that’s great for carelessly tossing over the shoulder, distressed leather, and a couple of sets of tassels that are bound to fly in the wind. I’ve never owned a Foley & Corinna leather bag, but from the looks of it, the leather looks pretty durable and thick. Various zipper details and buckles at the sides adorn the minimal detailed shoulder bag. The light café happens to be the only color available for the Moto hobo, which although it’s a nice warm hue, I’d most definitely prefer a more eye catching color. I wonder if theirs a plan to release different colors soon.

Ladies, what’s your opinion on Foley and Corinna’s Moto bag? Shop the Moto Hobo through: Saks Fifth Avenue

The Chat: Foley & Corinna Moto!

If you love small handbags then you may just love the Juicy Couture Lock & Knotted Fringe Demi bag. The bag comes in three gorgeous colors: Black; Dk Prepster (dark pink); and Winter White (white). Each color looks adorable in this bag but I think the white and black versions are more appealing.

The only downfall about this handbag is that it is very small. With measurements of 11″ wide x 6″ high, you can’t fit much in this bag. The most you can probably fit in the bag is a: wallet, compact, lip gloss, and your cell phone. If you don’t mind small handbags, then you may just love this bag!

Some details of the handbag include a top zip closure, interior zip pocket, and logo-stripe lining. The exterior of the bag is accented with Juicy Couture hardware to give the bag an extra dose of cuteness.

The Juicy Couture Lock & Knotted Fringe Eva Demi Bag can be purchased at Nordstrom (or Zappos), in any of the three colors, for $228, which isn’t a bad price for a little designer bag. Small or not, this handbag is adorable!

The Chat: Juicy Couture Eva!

I’ve always been a fan of Prada’s Bowler handbags, and when I came across the Juicy Couture Butterfly MD Bowler I was stunned! Not only was it more affordable than a Prada Bowler but it was also gorgeous!

My favorite detail about the Juicy Couture Butterfly MD Bowler is it’s size. The measurements of the handbag are 14 3/4″ wide and 14″ high, which makes the handbag pretty spacious for all of your stylish essentials. Other details of the handbag include: dual handles; studded accents; platform bottom; and interior lining to name a few.

The only downfall about this handbag is that due to the size and with all of your essentials inside it can get heavy. If you don’t mind a heavy and large handbag it would be a great handbag to add to any collection.

You can purchase the Juicy Couture Butterfly MD Bowler at Zappos for $450. In my opinion, the price is a little too high and for that much I rather put the money towards a French or Italian designer brand. If you have the extra cash though, it would be a gorgeous handbag to have.

See the Juicy Couture Butterfly Bowler: Here at Zappos!

The Chat: Juicy Couture Butterfly!

Some handbags just compliment each other nicely. Although these two designer pieces aren’t exactly replicas of each other, if you pay close attention to the number of similarities they have in common, it’s enough to have these two pieces battle it out against each other.

First up is the famous Nikki hobo with a twist of bohemian chic in it. It’s the Supernova Stud Nikki by Rebecca Minkoff. Pebbled leather, studded banding throughout the sides, and a comfy flat shoulder strap all found on this famous hobo bag. It’s a favorite among many Minkette’s and one of the latest pieces to the Rebecca Minkoff collection.

Now for its match, to the left is the Efram Hobo bag by Tory Burch. Distressed leather, studs running at the sides, a single flat shoulder strap and of course, the familiar hobo silhouette. They’re both newbie’s within their line, except that the Studded Nikki made its debut a couple of months earlier than the Efram hobo. The Nikki measures in at 14” x 19” x 4” while Tory’s hobos dimensions are 14” x 18” x 4”. Price wise, the Efram hobo costs $550, while the Studded Nikki retails for $650.

Ladies, whats your input on these hobos and most importantly, which one is your favorite? You can find these hobo bags online through: shopbop

The Chat: Rebecca Minkoff vs Tory Burch!

Listen up all you Bag Bliss readers out there, CHia New York has a special offer just for you! That’s right, for the entire month of June you can save 15% on any CHia New York handbag.

In case you haven’t heard, CHia New York is an up and coming handbag company that was first launched in Fall 2006 by designer June Chang. Modern and sophisticated, each CHia New York design has a taste of European flair. Each piece is carefully crafted of the finest Italian lamb, goat, or cowhide leathers. Plus Chang is big on intricate details giving each of her handbags the perfect finishing touches.

Out of all of the CHia New York styles, I love the Ima Clutch the most. Pictured above, the clutch features a crackled patent leather finish and a polished-looking bow on the front flap. I especially love this clutch paired with the heavy chain strap (sold separately). It gives it such a unique and fun look. The Ima Clutch measures 12″ x 5″ and it retails for $288.

You can find the entire CHia New York Collection at ChiaNewYork, Empower Collections. As a Bag Bliss reader, all you need to do to receive your 15% discount is enter the code BLISS15 at checkout.

Happy Shopping!

additional reads: CHîa New York Purses! + Interview with June Chang!

I’ve been taking a lot of trips to Macy’s lately, and somehow I always end up in the DKNY section. Whether it’s for clothes or handbags, I seem to have an attraction to DKNY goods. I recently came across the DKNY Patent Croco East/West Satchel and I couldn’t believe how beautiful of a handbag it was!

The DKNY Patent Croco East/West Satchel comes in two different colors: black and white. I must admit though, that I thought that handbag looked stunning in white. When I saw the handbag in black, it didn’t look as appealing as it did in white.

The measurements of the handbag are 15 1/2″ wide and 8 1/2″ high. The wideness of the handbag really gives you the room to carry everything you need to. Some of the other details of the handbag include two front exterior pockets and a top zip closure. This handbag in white would make a perfect summer bag, and in black it would make a perfect “night” bag.

You can purchase the DKNY Patent Croco East/West Satchel in either of the two colors at Zappos: Black Patent Style $193.68. White Patent Style $239.11. I prefer the handbag in white, but both are simply stunning!

The Chat: dkny deal

Over at ShopBop they just added a bunch of handbags, clothing, shoes and accessories to their sale section. out with the old and in with the new.

So when I was browsing the handbag section (ofcourse right?) I spotted the Anya Hindmarch Ivo clutch on sale for a reasonable $206.50. .then I remembered that I just saw this exact same clutch over at netaporter, where it retails for the full $670.

What’s confusing to me, is that the one over at shopbop says the full-retail for that clutch is $295!

How are these two in “Cobalt Blue” clutches different? Seriously if you see any difference at all please let me know. I spent at least 10 minutes going over each image on both sites and they look the same.. and the measurements are almost identical.

Here @ shopbop: (8″ length x 4″ height). Price: $206.50

Here @ net-a-porter: (9″ length x 4″ height ). Price: $670

The Chat: AH ivo for a steal!

New to the scene over at Zappos, Carlos Falchi handbags! One beauty in particular that caught my eye is the E/W hobo. What is it about this unstructured style of bag that I love so much?

Basic details of this bag include, yes the amazing slouchy hobo style, perfect for an everyday casual look. This bag also features a hint of exotic with the tiger snake trim on the suede version. Size wise this bag is very spacious. Measures in at 20″ wide x 5 1/2″ deep x 13″ high, which is just the right size to holds your daily necessities: wallet, beauty cosmetic bag, water bottle, sunnies and of course your phone, which finds itself home in one of the interior multifunctional slip pockets. The mouth of the bag is kept secure with the top zip closure. When open reveals a gorgeous floral interior. This light-weight bag also comes with a single shoulder strap, that drops 8 1/2″ length.

Pictured above is the super soft suede version, available in Royal Blue and Mink Beige. I love both colors, but my favorite of the two is that gem blue shade. The color is really just so eye-catching, it will surely add some pop to any wardrobe. Just look at the picture above, how it makes even the plainest weekend-wear outfit, look ultra fabulous!

If suede isn’t your thing, the E/W Slouch is also available in high-gloss patent leather. Without a doubt, this style is rainproof (hah!). This version comes Black and a cheery purple Lavender.

Now for the price range: The patent style retails for $599, and according to Zap’s ticker, there are 3 left in each color. The suede style is going to cost you about a hundred dollars more, but in my opinion, it’s worth the additional. $699 is the price and there’s only 1 left in the Mink and 3 available in the Lavender Purple.

Check out the new Carlos Falchi E/W Hobo over at Zappos.

The Chat: Carlos Falchi!

Here’s a starlet that seems to never leave the paparazzi spotlight, whether she’s hitting one of the hottest clubs in town or if she’s out and about with her partner, you’re sure to catch a glimpse of Miss Lindsay Lohan somewhere. The Mean Girls Star was catching up on some arts and crafting (?) on what appeared to a nice day out in London, England. Dressed in her favorite look of black tights, oversized shirt, and more outer wear, there’s not much to say over her typical casual look. Lindsay’s not looking too ecstatic over something or maybe she’s just squinting at the result of misplaced sunglasses. Whatever the case is, I know many Bagista’s who are in awe over Lindsay’s bag of choice for the day. Of course, it’s by no other than Yves Saint Laurent, the Large Muse bag, a staple to the YSL accessory family. The Muse is the perfect bag to take on shopping trips or as an overnight bag; it’s casual yet elegant and looks great in whichever texture or color you please.

Saks (dot com) has the patent black and textured suede brown in stock right now, but if you seek Lindsay’s purple Muse, try to score one through: Authentic YSL on eBay