Milan Fashion Week handbag trends from the runway

Milan Fashion Week sent the last set of models down the runway today and left the fashion world with many new trends, designs and handbags to think about. The handbags that were shown mirrored trends from last season as well as trends from decades ago. There were classic styles, vintage styles and a few styles that handbag fans were unsure of; i.e. the Dolce & Gabanna fanny packs. The big trends that Milan Fashion Week did produce, and are likely to hit store shelves for the fall 2011 season include; the long shoulder strap, the Lady Bag, the daytime clutch, the hobo and color. The Shoulder Strap on shoulder bags has been the biggest mover over the past year. As the straps grew long during the runway shows for spring 2011, shoulder bags joined the vintage trend with apparel as the 1970’s became an important decade of influence for designers. The long shoulder strap was spotted once again on the fall 2011 runways throughout Milan runways such as Gucci and Etro. The Lady Bag was huge for fall 2010 and slid into the background on the spring 2011 runways. Stores ignored the fact that the Lady Bag was hiding in the background and buyers have filled up their spring shelves with top handle satchels. The Lady Bag knows her place and came back on the fall runways with a vengeance. Gianfranco Ferre and Fendi showed standout Lady Bag’s for fall. The Daytime Clutch was a huge trend on the spring 2011 runways. This style has returned on the Milan Fashion Week runways in a slightly larger and more structured form. D&G and Prada showed creative, standout daytime clutches in their collections. The Hobo Handbag was a big spring 2011 runway trend in slouchy soft leather. For fall, hobos are being shown in a variety of fabrications and in both structured and slouchy styles. Giorgio Armani and Gucci showed fresh takes on the hobo for fall 2011 during Milan Fashion Week. Color is not going anywhere. Designers in Milan continued to show bold colors on handbags well as combining two or more colors together; either in blocking patterns or as a pattern on fabrications such as brocade. Trends from the runway to watch; the north/south tote which was big on the spring 2011 runways was once again spotted during Milan Fashion Week. A few designers showed short shoulder straps on their shoulder bags which allowed the handbag to tuck into the armpits of models. This length of strap was huge at the end of the 1990’s and shortly after Y2K. This length could pop up again for the spring 2012 with more fervor than for fall 2011. New York Fashion Week and Milan Fashion Week have given handbag fans a glimpse into what will appear on store shelves this fall. Stay tuned as I cover Paris Fashion Week which starts today.

Gucci handbags fall 2011 Milan Fashion Week

Gucci, designed by Frida Giannini, showed their fall 2011 collection today during Milan Fashion Week and it showed signs of the 1970’s influence as well as vivid colors remaining important for fall. Gucci sent models down the runway in culottes, long hemlines with long slits, wide leg trouser pants, an occasional bow at the neckline, pencil skirts and vivid colors mixed with traditional basic black, brown and white. The fabrications used for the collection include mohair, python, fox, mink, silk, exotic leathers and tweeds. There were several handbag styles on the runway as well, including a mini Lady Bag, hobo handbag and varying shoulder bags. The mini Lady Bag on the Gucci fall 2011 runway was the size of a daytime clutch and the shape of a regular, daytime satchel. The mini Lady Bag featured one top handle and a flap closure. Gucci created the mini Lady Bag in black, orange, purple and pink for the Milan runway. The shoulder bag made several appearance on the Gucci runway and was shown with two different length straps; the long strap and short strap. The long strap allowed the shoulder bags to reach the top of the models’ hip bones. The short strap would tuck the shoulder bag right under the armpit if worn on the shoulder. For the runway show, Gucci showed the shorter strap shoulder bag being handheld by the models. The shoulder bags were shown in black, brown, pink, purple, tan, white and black with brown leather trim. Gucci featured flap closure on the shoulder bags as well as python, exotic leather or smooth leather. The sides of the shoulder bags featured accordian pleats. Gucci also created a long, rectangular daytime clutch for the fall 2011 Milan Fashion Week runway. The long, daytime clutch was made from shiny python and could easily fit a wallet, smart phone, keys and lipstick. There were also classic hobo handbags on the runway in python and smooth leather. The python hobos were slightly more structured than the smooth leather. The overall silhouette of the hobo handbags was less slouchy than what was shown for spring.

Paris Hilton wears Gucci clutch for Paris Hilton Passport launch at Macy’s

Paris Hilton officially launched her new fragrance trio, Passport, this weekend at Macy’s stores nation-wide. The official launch event was held at Macy’s Galleria at Tyler in Riverside, Ca. and Paris Hilton walked the step and repeat wearing a pewter metallic embossed leather Gucci handbag with the strap tucked in which completed her Honeysuckle pink, one shoulder dress perfectly. The Gucci clutch Paris Hilton wore at her Passport fragrance launch is the perfect size and fabrication to be worn for daytime events as well as evenings. The pewter color of the leather is an understated metallic, giving the handbag an on-trend hue while not reflecting the sun and blinding on-lookers. Pewter, being a darker metallic, can easily carry Paris Hilton from spring into fall; making the clutch a good investment handbag for 2011. The handbag features a small strap allowing it to be handheld or worn on the forearm. The strap can easily tuck in and allow the handbag to be worn as a clutch; as Paris Hilton has done for her Passport launch event. Paris Hilton’s Gucci clutch can easily fit a small wallet, smart phone, keys and lipstick. The soft leather has the Gucci logo embossed on it and the handbag features a flap magnetic closure.

Gucci handbags fall 2011 Milan Fashion Week

Gucci, designed by Frida Giannini, showed their fall 2011 collection today during Milan Fashion Week and it showed signs of the 1970’s influence as well as vivid colors remaining important for fall. Gucci sent models down the runway in culottes, long hemlines with long slits, wide leg trouser pants, an occasional bow at the neckline, pencil skirts and vivid colors mixed with traditional basic black, brown and white. The fabrications used for the collection include mohair, python, fox, mink, silk, exotic leathers and tweeds. There were several handbag styles on the runway as well, including a mini Lady Bag, hobo handbag and varying shoulder bags. The mini Lady Bag on the Gucci fall 2011 runway was the size of a daytime clutch and the shape of a regular, daytime satchel. The mini Lady Bag featured one top handle and a flap closure. Gucci created the mini Lady Bag in black, orange, purple and pink for the Milan runway. The shoulder bag made several appearance on the Gucci runway and was shown with two different length straps; the long strap and short strap. The long strap allowed the shoulder bags to reach the top of the models’ hip bones. The short strap would tuck the shoulder bag right under the armpit if worn on the shoulder. For the runway show, Gucci showed the shorter strap shoulder bag being handheld by the models. The shoulder bags were shown in black, brown, pink, purple, tan, white and black with brown leather trim. Gucci featured flap closure on the shoulder bags as well as python, exotic leather or smooth leather. The sides of the shoulder bags featured accordian pleats. Gucci also created a long, rectangular daytime clutch for the fall 2011 Milan Fashion Week runway. The long, daytime clutch was made from shiny python and could easily fit a wallet, smart phone, keys and lipstick. There were also classic hobo handbags on the runway in python and smooth leather. The python hobos were slightly more structured than the smooth leather. The overall silhouette of the hobo handbags was less slouchy than what was shown for spring.

From Balenciaga, New Ways to Wear Leather

Leave it to Nicolas Ghesquiere to discover a new way to wear familiar materials. His show on Thursday morning at the Hotel Crillon in Paris took us into new territory with black leather: He crocheted or braided thick rounds of the leather, as though they were yarns as thick as your finger, creating a bunched up look that is unlikely to be repeated on another runway….and if it is, it’ll look like a copy, even five years from now. He used the technique with jackets and a vest, as well as handbags, and threw them together with dresses. It was all about dresses — of sharp, vibrant floral prints that draped and swayed in the front but pulled more tautly and conservatively in the back. The rest of the collection fleshed out with familiar Ghesquiere shapes – scuba tunics worn over long slim pants were outstanding. He even tossed in a few seasonal trends – metallic threads, for instance. Mr. Ghesquiere has made Gucci-Group-owned Balenciaga all his own since taking over the brand. He doesn’t try to channel the namesake designer. In fact, Pamela Golbin, curator of the Louvre’s fashion and decorative arts collections, says it took him several years to visit the museum’s Balenciaga archives. That’s his method, and it must have contributed to his ultra-modern, directional approach. By directional, I mean that these are clothes that will lead other clothes to be made at a later date. The most fashionable people will wear Balenciaga, but these looks stand out, and aren’t for the faint of heart.

Reconsider Advantages and Disadvantages of a Luxury Handbag

The reasons and drivers for investing in a luxury handbag are particularly strong and convincing if consumers fully consider both the benefits and costs compared to randomly picking up a purse from an unknown manufacturer. Shenzhen Wuzhou Changlian International Trading Co. presents a wide range of luxury handbags from 17 top brands at an affordable price and is currently offering insane discounts. Many consumers are reluctant to purchase a luxury handbag because of its usual unreasonable price tag. It is totally understandable why consumers step away from luxury brands, such as Burberry, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, etc. However, most people might have never thoroughly considered both the advantages and disadvantages. It is also logical that many consumers were simply frightened by the one time spending. Considering the quality of the luxury products and the time length they could last, consumers might wish to reconsider their predetermined mindsets. If a person spent $199 on a luxury handbag which would last for more than 10 years, that means that person would only pay less than $20 a year to own a magnificent sac. More importantly, owners should also realize how many admiring looks and praises they will gain for the next 10 years. On the other hand, a consumer can spend several $10 bills grabbing a regular purse from an unknown store, and discard it within a year because of its inferior material and poor quality. The accumulated amount of total spending is, in fact, considerably more than a luxury handbag. Even worse, consumers might sometimes have to sacrifice their jackets from handbag stains or possible scratches due to poor handcrafting.

The cultural significance of the handbag

It is possible, we all know, to learn an awful lot about a woman from what she carries in her handbag. A case in point must surely be the contents of Janis Joplin's, first uncovered in admirable detail in 1972 in David Dalton's Piece of My Heart and, only recently, making ripples across websites including Hairpin (the first to unearth this impressively obscure reference) and Jezebel. "Now where in the hell did I put that lighter...?" Joplin is quoted as wondering. "Probably left it in that bar. I'm real sloppy. Lose more damn things in bars. Left a wallet with a grand in it in a bar last week. Just can't seem to hang on to anything." This, it soon becomes apparent, is not strictly true: in search of the elusive item in question, the singer unceremoniously empties her bag onto her limousine floor. And the ensuing chaos, as Dalton himself puts it, is truly "awesome". "There are two movie stubs, a pack of cigarettes, an antique cigarette holder, several motel and hotel room keys, a box of Kleenex, a compact and various make-up cases – in addition to a bunch of eyebrow pencils held together with a rubber band – an address book, dozens of bits of paper, business cards, matchbox covers with phone numbers written in near-legible bar-room scrawls, guitar picks, a bottle of Southern Comfort (empty), a hip flask, an opened package of complimentary macadamia nuts from American Airlines, cassettes of Johnny Cash and Otis Redding, gum, sunglasses, credit cards, aspirin, assorted pens and writing pad, a corkscrew, an alarm clock, a copy of Time, and two hefty books: Nancy Mitford's biography of Zelda Fitzgerald and Thomas Wolfe's Look Homeward, Angel." What a woman. And what a bag, for that matter. Because any receptacle capable of containing such a diverse – not to mention weighty – selection of belongings is a thing of beauty indeed. Joplin's carry-all – in the most literal sense of the words – was, famously, a carpet bag. She once pulled $10,000 in cash out of one and bought herself a Mercedes – a purple one, for the record. Although this particular style is by now most often associated with the 1970s, at which point it was appropriated by any advocate of Flower Power worth his or her credentials, its origins stretch back further than that, to the American Civil War and the Reconstruction period that followed when the cheap, hard-wearing design became a symbol of a nation on the move. It was made out of used carpet, as the name suggests, stretched over a metal frame, and sold for not much more than $1. "Its appearance was a sure sign of a stranger in town and during the Reconstruction the derogatory term 'carpetbagger' was used to describe a profiteer from the North who came to exploit the prostrate, post-bellum South," reads a new book, written by Robert Anderson and courtesy of the Design Museum: Fifty Bags That Changed the World. It's quite a claim. But from Gladstone's Budget Box, a suitably battered affair still carried by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, to the Chanel 2.55 bag and from the humble plastic supermarket carrier to the Fendi Baguette, bags designed to suit each and every purpose have indeed transformed, or at the very least gone a long way towards revealing, the social and cultural mores of the times in which they were conceived.