Kara Ross NY: Exotic Extravaganza

At the age of 13, Kara Ross discovered her true calling in a tourmaline stone she found on a family trip to Kenya. Her parents allowed her to design a ring around the stone and her future was cast. Kara is now a Gemological Institute of America Certified Gemologist and has spent the last five years designing her own jewelry line. It’s no surprise that she approaches handbags with the same eye for craftsmanship and love of special materials.

I had the pleasure of touring the Kara Ross NY showroom recently and was blown away. Like a kid in a candy store, I ogled beautiful jewels, stunning showpieces, amazing handbags and a sneak peak at Fall 2011. While I can’t share the Fall highlights with you…yet, I can share some of the special items for Spring/Summer!

With Kara Ross, the materials are an important feature of the bag. Python, alligator, ostrich, snake, lizard, stingray and even cork and sequins are embellished with crystals, stones and jewelry grade metal accents. One beautiful gem-like bag is this seafoam green alligator Dea featuring geometric black onyx with metallic accent. A smaller sized clutch, it fits beautifully in the hand and is one of my favorites from the collection.

In a showcase of fine craftsmanship, the treatment of the material is a key feature of this Necia bag in Fairytale. Softly sueded python is soft and supple to the touch. Each scale dip-dyed by hand. Accented with an onyx stone and silver hardware, this bag features a chain strap that can be hidden in the bag to become an over-sized clutch. It is truly a statement bag for the girl who needs something unique to add to her handbag collection.

At the end of the showroom, a wall of medium and large totes in soft python with gold washed accents dazzled. Available in natural shades with gold and rose gold washed as well as beautiful denim, mint and papaya shades. There’s even a stunning Fairytale finish!

As a boutique brand, the price point for Kara Ross exotics is lower than one might expect. Priced from $700 for a snakeskin clutch to over $3,000 for large exotic shoulder bags. Check out their collection at fine boutiques and at Kara Ross.