Spring is here and it’s time to consider your options for a new designer handbag! FASHIONOTES lists the loud, the luxe and the most lovely of the collections of SS ’11. A quick look at the SS ’11 runway shows and it’s clear our favorite designers are telling us the global climate is gradually evolving from drab to fab! The theme for spring allows us to travel back in time to the 70s where we can spread sassy sultriness and a bit of hustle.
The latest Louis Vuitton Spring 2011 collection is stunning, and, according to artistic director, Marc Jacobs, you’ll be able to carry these looks over into next year too. It was hard to pick one focus from the brand’s handbag collection because they’ve given us so many to chose from! However, this luxe collection captures retro-chic and stays away from the iconic monogram pattern. The collection possesses a vintage allure with its bold yet playful edge featuring bold contrasting trim and varying textures. Marc’s designs are youthful and practical—whatever it takes to bring fashionistas into the shops! If you thought that LV was returning to its classic roots for spring, these images will surely prove you wrong. Don’t these handbags just make you smile? Prepare yourself to fall madly in love!
[Images from Purseblog.com]
Chloe’s handbags have adopted a chic, minimalist aesthetic for spring 2011. We were surprised–but we love it! The new handbags are feminine and prim and the ultimate must-have for a casual but elegant look. The collection includes pretty, daytime clutches in red, white and black including top zippers and wristlet straps. Thankfully, Chloe included two over-beaded evening bags to weigh out the simplicity in some of the other styles. Simultaneously quirky and elegant, these clutches are explicit glamor!
[Images from Sunrainey.com]
The design duos at Proenza Schouler have done it again! Exploding with a measure of color and creativity including bright neon hues and bold stripes, these bags are perfect for the working woman or the city stylista. This collection features super-slim numbers which can be worn as clutches or over the shoulder. Other styles shine in fascinating colors and slink around your arm with fabulous large-scale chains. A momentary look at these bags and one might look away, but these assorted flavors are totally chic and here to stay.
[Images from Bagsnob.com, Style.com]
Rebecca Minkoff’s designs by Bekah Jenkins have attracted the likes of several Hollywood celebs including Blake Lively, Halle Berry and Reese Witherspoon. It must be the tranquil, casual and chic femininity expressed in her designs! Minkoff’s spring 2011 handbag collection debuts a lineup of youthful creations accentuated with relaxed fringe, blithe piping and edgy studs. P.S: These pics make us dream of summer days!
[Images from FashionGoneRogue.com]
Gianfranco Ferre took our breath away with his Spring/Summer 2011 collection. From his clothing to handbags, the aesthetic is certainly a modernist approach. The regenerating nature and capabilities of his latest collection are intended to transform a woman’s outfit. The architectural structure can be defined as bold, boxy and contrasting. A huge trend this season is the boxy bag–so androgynous and so chic. Although, the designs appear very modern, there definitely exists a classic feel. The collection screams luxury and includes geometric shapes, color-blocking and various metallic embellishments. This handbag collection illustrates just how important it is to have a great bag!
[Images from FashionStyleBecomeGorgeous.com]
Fendi moves beyond the typical handbag soaked in a sea of the brand’s logo. This season, Fendi’s accessories team marries a classy ‘Femme’ with bold colors. Fendi follows suit with the color-blocking theme, and their latest handbag collection incorporates several hues using a variety of leather and texture. The structure is traditional and clean–perhaps intended to balance the bold colors and various materials. If one could delve into the mind of Fendi, we might assume that the inspiration for this collection is drawn from the chic femme who accessorizes in a modern and inventive way, an evolution of fashion which has slowly but gradually developed.
[Images from PurseBlog.com]
Prada’s spring 2011 clothing collection suggests relaxed and sporty chic, but certainly vibrancy. The handbags are the perfect accessory for a confident femme ranging in several sizes and obviously bright and bold patterns. Matching your shoes to your bag might pose a bit of a problem with this collection, so we suggest that you throw that rule of thumb out the window! As always, the typical Prada handbag silhouette includes an oversized top handle however the massive locks and buckles suggest their move away from the serious edge of fashion to an ingenious and modern appeal. We’re so on board!
[Images from PurseBlog.com]
Versace circus-tent striped patterns are reminiscent of summer days at the carnival, injected with loads of chic and Greek mythology. We’re not surprised at the bold, contrasting colors considering how much color-blocking we’ve seen across the board all season. These feminine yet modern designs are stunning and so much fun! It’s interesting to note that the brand opted to emphasize the design pattern versus the logo. Nonetheless, we all know there is no mistaking a Versace bag.
[Images from 22onsugar.com]
Marc Jacobs certainly makes a statement this season with the use of such great bold colors and luxurious textures. It’s quite lucid that Marc Jacobs is back with a celebratory temper. His morbid fall designs are out, and the Marc Jacobs woman has seemingly evolved into a chic seventies glamor lady for le printemps. Hues include hibiscus pink, tangerine and mauve in exotic animal prints, patent leather and suede. Although his pieces involve a specific vintage allure, Marc is asking us to travel back in time to the 70s and embrace something more positive!
[Images from PurseBlog.com]
I think we all knew that those crazy prints and fabrics that conquered the clothing and shoes at Christian Dior were going to radiate onto their shoes and bags too. These firm, medium size bags are advisably held in hand, however, some of their designs provide elegantly thin straps and chains which prove rather comfortable on the shoulder. The designs are totally modern with a sort of minimalism that is everything but boring. The latest Christian Dior handbag collection is bright, positive and exciting, including boxy shapes, fringes and vivid colors – from bright pink and turquoise to peaceful nudes and whites. Every handbag lover appreciates a Dior handbag and this youthful collection allows for a stimulating and revitalizing revolution that we could all do with!
[Images from PurseBlog.com]