November 21, 2008
post written by Bag Bliss blogger: bRs

Dooney & Bourke Shiny Leather Hayden Clutch
No offense to Dooney & Bourke, but their designs have been so far off the handbag radar lately that they might as well not even exist. Why? Well, quite frankly, they are just plain ugly. Plus they are way too kiddie looking for the hardcore bagista. I understand that the company wanted to explore other markets, but why not make some normal looking bags that adults can appreciate? So when the original Hayden bag was first introduced, everyone at TBF was surprised by how non-Dooney like it was. Of course it wasn’t a show stopper by any means, but it was way better than the bag Emma Roberts designed! And now it looks like our friend Hayden Panettiere has gotten her creative juices flowing again. Meet the Shiny Leather Hayden Clutch. It’s not too bad looking, in my opinion, for a Dooney bag. But I can’t picture myself actually buying it. I like the shape and the contrasting trim. But what it up with the lion head? Apparently it is meant to represent Hayden’s astrological sign (Leo) and it’s 24kt gold-plated too boot! Personally, I would prefer the clutch without such an embellishment.

The Shiny Leather Hayden Clutch is available in Royal Blue, Red, Fuchsia, Purple, Ivory, and Black. It retails for $295. Find it at Dooney.com. You can also find Dooney & Bourke at Macy’s

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November 21, 2008
post written by Bag Bliss blogger: Marissa

Juicy Couture Quilted Buckle Bag
Lately, I have been absolutely obsessed with Juicy Couture. I use to only crave Juicy Couture clothes, but recently I’ve been craving the accessories, bags, clothes, shoes, etc. The latest Juicy Couture handbag that has be drooling is the Quilted Buckle Tote and my oh my is this bag gorgeous. It seems as if the quilted pattern is in for this Fall/Winter handbag season and I must admit I’m loving this trend. Juicy Couture did a fabulous job at making a quilted handbag to fit in with this seasons trend, and I love it. Best part about the Quilted Buckle Tote is how roomy it is. With a height of 14 inches and a width of 17 inches, a bagista has so much room to put all her fashionable essentials plus more. The bag appears not to have a closure but it actually does. The Juicy Couture Quilted Buckle Tote has a hidden magnetic closure, which is great for those who don’t like bags that just stay open especially when you lay them down. The handbag is complete with a Juicy Couture logo charm at the bottom left hand corner. All in all I rate this handbag one of the better quilted bags I’ve seen of the season.

The Juicy Couture Quilted Buckle Tote retails for $395. Yes, it seems a little bit expensive for a handbag these days, but in reality it’s one of the cheaper quilted handbags of the season. I absolutely adore this handbag and if I wasn’t saving for a certain handbag I would definitely snatch this one up in a heartbeat!

See the Juicy Couture Quilted Buckle Tote at: Nordstrom

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November 20, 2008
post written by Bag Bliss blogger: Marissa

Zufi Alexander handbags
Not many people can say they have the privilege to own a Hermes Birkin at the young age of 16 like Zufi Alexander can. Zufi Alexander has always been exposed to fashion ever since she was a young girl due to her Mother. As stated on her website Ms. Alexander remembers her Mother mostly by, “her Jackie O sunglasses and vast collection of handbags.” Luckily, for Alexander her love for Fashion continued well after her completion of college.

After Zufi Alexander completed her Masters in Business she joined Christie’s in London, to continue on her handbag designing journey. “Being renowned in the company for sketching handbags, one of its directors finally suggested that she create her own handbag line”, (ZufiAlexander.com). Once, Ms. Alexander left Christie’s she opened her company in May 2004. Only five months later Alexander was ready to show her first collection at Fashion Week in Paris. Amazingly, her collection was immediately snatched up by Henri Bendel and Saks Fifth Avenue.

In May of 2005 Zufi Alexander was named New Accessories Designer of the Year by London Fashion Week. Not to long after receiving this coveted award Alexander was hired by the Louis Vuitton VIP club, Celux, to design limited edition handbags for its members. In my opinion, when you are hired by anything associated with Louis Vuitton you must be pretty special and obviously Zufi Alexander is. What is even more shocking is that Ms. Alexander has achieved all this success with her fashionable mind in four years. Some people can never achieve success in the fashion industry, and what Zufi Alexander was able to do in four years is fashionable and not to mention remarkable of course.

Among the celebrities sporting Zufi Alexander handbags are Beyonce, Katherine Heigl, and Sienna Miller. Cate Blanchett once wrote Ms. Alexander a note describing her handbag as “delectable”, as stated on Alexanders’ website.

Just like her Mother, Zufi Alexander has a vast variety of handbags in her Wonderland collection. Among my favorites are the Alexandra in Ostrich, Kiss It in Black Luxe, Kiss Me Baby in Gunmetal Metallic Leather, and the Rachel in Bronze Disco Phython. I’m craving to have the Kiss It in Black Luxe. It’s elegant, gorgeous, and kind of reminds me of a prettier version of a Fendi Spy. Although, the handbags above are my favorites in Zufi Alexanders’ collection there are lots more to choose from. What I love the most about the Wonderland collection is the variety of gorgeous exotics, styles, and beautiful vibrant colors. Even, the detail in Ms. Alexanders’ handbags is stunning and definitely is not something seen on very many handbags these days.

In conclusion, Zufi Alexander is a very talented designer and with all the success she has achieved in such a short amount of time, there is no doubt in my mind that she will be around for a very long time to come.

Some of my favorite Zufi Alexander handbags are as follows:

The Alexandra in Ostrich is absolutely amazing, topped off with an extra sprinkle of gorgeous. Of course I love this handbag because of the color, but it really looks like something you have never seen before. It’s different, exotic, and very unique in everyway possible. The Alexandra is definitely a bag that would catch every bagista’s eye while you carry it. No other word to say about the Alexandra but: beautiful.

The Kiss It in Black Luxe is to die for. As I mentioned above, it reminds me of a more elegant and prettier Fendi Spy. The Kiss It looks like a handbag that you could wear day or night. It’s not to fancy and not to casual, which makes it perfect for everyday wear. Doesn’t get any better, than finding a beautiful handbag that you can wear anytime of the day and the Kiss It is one of those handbags.

The Kiss Me Baby in Gunmetal Metallic Leather would be a great handbag when you are having a night out on the town. It looks a little too fancy for the daytime but when you’re going out to dinner at night to your favorite restaurant this handbag screams PERFECT! I love the color and shape of this handbag. The Kiss Me Baby does remind me a little of the Christian Dior Karenina bag but I must say, the Kiss Me Baby is much cuter. If you’re looking for a unique looking night handbag, the Kiss Me Baby would be a great buy,

Lastly, and probably my favorite of all the Zufi Alexander bags I have mentioned is the Rachel in Bronze Disco Python. I adore this handbag!! I’m all about satchel like handbags and the Rachel says stunning all over it. Yes, it is another “night” handbag, but it is another gorgeous handbag to wear when you go out. I’m usually not into little handbags but the Rachel is definitely some serious eye candy.

Shop Zufi Alexander handbags at: Zufi Alexander

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November 20, 2008
post written by Bag Bliss blogger: bRs

Rebecca Minkoff Croc Morning After Mini Bag
Over at TBF, Rebecca Minkoff bags have become a very common sight. And the most treasured of these bags is the one that started it all. Originally designed for Rebecca’s good friend Jenna Elfman, the Morning After Bag is very popular indeed. And the Morning After Mini? Just as popular as its big sister, if not more! Which means pictures of this new version of the Morning After Mini might be hitting our “Show Off Your Bags” section very shortly. Now what do I like about this new version? As obvious as this might be, I really do like the croc-embossed leather. I think the croc print makes this bag look even more sophisticated than it already is. It compliments the clean lines of this bag very nicely, making it a very work appropriate bag. My only regret is that, so far, it is only available in Brown. Personally, I think a pop of color would make this bag even more appealing. What does everyone else think?

The Rebecca Minkoff Croc Morning After Mini Bag measures 12.5″ x 8″ x 7″. It retails for $595.

Find it at ShopBop

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November 20, 2008
post written by Bag Bliss blogger: Deysa

Marc Jacobs TooPocket Hobo
I heart Marc Jacobs; he never fails to bore me with his creations. It seems like every two weeks or so, a new handbag of his is out in the market, and I’m definitely not complaining. Fresh off the pages of eLuxury (dot com) is the lovely Large Toopocket hobo, by Mr. Marc. I dig the vibrant hue, the shiny silver hardware, and just as I’m about to give this hobo a two-thumbs up, I realize that the material of choice is not leather, but coated canvas instead. Of course there is nothing wrong with good ‘ole canvas lining, as I myself own quite a few canvas pieces, but I really expected such a nice design to be lined with gorgeous Marc Jacobs leather. Maybe I’m just exaggerating and whining too much, but does anybody else agree with me? More details found on this hobo include, protective metal feet and a leather nameplate. Also, $750 for a Marc Jacobs Collection handbag seems like a bargain to me, especially since we’re not talking about any itty-bitty handbag here. If you love the color, style, and the fact that normal wear is pretty low maintenance, you can find this Marc Jacobs piece, at: eLUXURY

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November 20, 2008
post written by Bag Bliss blogger: bRs

The Feed Bag by Feed
With our environment in a state of crisis, more and more people have been jumping on the eco-friendly bandwagon. Being green and being fashionable are now one in the same for many people. Celebs everywhere have been photographed shopping at farmers’ markets carrying their reusable shopping totes. But don’t get me wrong, I think it is wonderful how everyone is becoming more aware of how humans have negatively impacted the Earth. My only hope is that the Going Green Trend will someday be more than just a trend, it will be a way of life.

So you like the idea of carrying around a tote bag that will help save the Earth. How about getting a tote bag that saves the Earth in more ways than one? Introducing the Feed Bag by Feed. When I first saw this tote, I only saw the word “Feed”. Wait… what kind of feed? Horse feed? But upon closer inspection, I realized that the bag actually said “Feed The Children Of The World”. Not only is this tote bag eco-friendly, it also helps feed the hungry by donating $20 from its sale to the U.N. World Food Program. According to the WFP website, “one in nearly seven people do not get enough food to be healthy and lead an active life, making hunger and malnutrition the number one risk to health worldwide.” Although this isn’t the most attractive eco-friendly tote I have ever seen, I think its worthy cause more than makes up for it.

The Feed Bag by Feed retails for $59.95. Find it at Vivre
And for more information about the WFP, please visit their website: WFP

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November 19, 2008
post written by Bag Bliss blogger: Deysa

Stephane Verdino Metallic Messenger
Looking for something different and eye catching? I think I’ve found a solution over at Saks (dot com). The Metallic Messenger Bag by Stephane

Verdino is really something else. It’s that in your face color that brought this bag to my attention, as for the designer himself is somewhat new to large specialty stores, such as Saks. Launching his collection in 2006, Stephane Verdino is known for styling bold and logo-less handbags in attempt to give off a luxurious feeling. The truth is, I don’t know much about this French designer, and I do believe that a luxury brand appeal is his intention, but I just can’t see this “luxurious” attempt on this piece. The shimmering metallic hue is fun, but other than that, I can’t imagine actually wearing this piece. Maybe it’s the fact that it’s looks a bit “cheap”, as in something I could find in a discounted rack store. Other details found on this piece include, a front flap with no closure, stud details and no lining… ? Surprisingly, this tacky messenger bag retails at a pricey $475! Ladies, what’s your input on this Metallic Messenger, and most importantly, would you wear this?

Shop Stephane Verdino’s collection at: Saks Fifth Avenue

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