Chloé has put out soo many fantabulostest bags this season, it’s mad! Many aren’t happy with new (and recently sacked) designer, Paulo Melim’s clothes, but come on - those bags! I’d hire him if I didn’t do all my own designing and well, owned a huge company. Just for bags, of course. To me, this will be Chloé’s big year, aside from 2005 - there are just way too many bags I’m dying to blog about, even with my newer philosophy to stick to only the most notable (good or bad).

So yes, I’m behind this Spring… and where to start? Well why not where I have a little pun already popped into my mind - even though it’s just an update on my favorite, and I recently blogged about the Paddington, but oh well! It’s a fave for a reason, perhaps.

Yes, the Paddy, that I have dubbed…

The Pattenton

Basically, the Paddy’s out in patent now, which actually is notable for a bag known largely for its smooshy leather. I say since they recently failed to keep up with the quality, why not just go patent? Not forever, but it’s amusing, aaaaaaand surprisingly gorge! I love the matching tone on the new padlocks, too, and that blue is giving me cravings! Other tiny details were altered, as well, which always keeps the bag-candy browsing interesting … even if I can’t afford such a bag right now. And it’s not one I can easily “copy” and make, either. But that does just keep the love deeper.

If you want to and can snatch one up - good luck - Paddies are widely sold out, at least online.

_ O _ _ _ _ & _ _ _ _ _ E C _ _ _ _ W _ _ _

I can’t figure out if the ampersand counts as a word, so part of my pun is messsed up. But Dooney & Bourke has a new logo collection (they’re way ahead of Coach now in coming out with new signature patterns!); called Crossword with diagonal letters inside blocks. Part of the gaming fun is missing, however, with all of the brand letters filled in. Is this a case of visual design before name concept? (No, that is not a bad thing.)

Overall these bags are very attractive, with new design elements to them, even. There are no wild colors, no the bags are pretty understated. I give these letter-emblazoned bags a B _ _ _ _ _. (Hey, they’re not as hot or desirable as the Giraffe line.)

Unearthed, an exotics worker who makes accessories for sale on Etsy.com, seriously amazes me. She often uses these exotic skins, like lizard, for wrist cuffs and bags. And she’s a reasonable artist, too. I’m talkin’ a python purse would run in the mere low hundreds, NOT $10,000!!!

The bag I’m featuring tonight has rich brown leather trim, fun studs; all surrounding a funky, textured wool body. The bag is slightly reminiscent of COACH, but would compare to their $700~ish bags. The pricetag of this purse? $345, but it’s honest pricing folks! The designer chose the finest of leather and you can clearly tell the purse it well put-together.

I say, if this (The Unearthed Oslo Bag), is what Indie can do - let it be the future!

Combining a few of the hottest trend aspects of the season: unique closures, gathered leather and … maybe a high price point; is the new range by little-known Smythson; the Nancy bags.

In the styles of clutch, small satchel and large, and standard colors of white, tan, black and dark brown; there’s almost something for every fashionista this Fall with the Nancy collection … except that these bags are propelled into the IT race with a price range of $1,032 to $1,981. Somewhat much for a little-recognizable status bag, but the purses really are nice. And did I mention trendy? They have a lot of the appeal of a Stam, plus the more practicalities of a medium size option and no heavy hardware. The gathered leather is done in a sophisticated and unique way; sort of appearing like a diamond quilt pattern but not - and the clasp is not only fresh, but covered in luxurious leather - the same calf skin the entire exteriors are made of.

Besides the major minus of toting your new prize causing some to think you merely have a brandy inspired bag, is the lack of a fun color - which to me is the most important trend of today. A punch, some jazz! Still, these are purses meant to display elegance, maybe they need only be subtly beautiful.

And who knows what we’ll see in the future if the Nancy catches fashionistas’ fancy!

When does the phrase “hand made” really mean something? “Designer bags” are “hand made”. Yeah, right — we can’t actually know the level of strictness that label really means for most brands (below Hermès). And then there’s the hand made for which straight stitching means it’s, well, “cute” straight - if-ya-know-what-I-mean. And that’s great! Nothing wrong with a little amateur purse making.

But when we get something hand made, and not in China, that appears to be the same creativity and quality as any high end brand, like Coach or higher perhaps?—and then .. it’s the same price point as those Coach bags. Well -

It’s certainly SOMETHING Special!

Take the bag above; look at the lines, the uniqueness, the leather, the hardware (and the symmetry, thank you)! This bag was made by an Etsy seller, and it sold (yes, it’s sold) for (only) about $200.

They’re not all bags this spectacular and luxe over at Cha Cha’s shop, but there is a nice demi flap purse going for $145. If you fell in love with the bag above, though, one other great aspect of indie design and shopping is that you may ask the designer to make another - and she probably will!

I need to tell you the back story that brought on the awe for this bag …..

Sunny in autumn, newly a Floridian, I tried a familiar hair salon company’s new hometown franchise. I had wanted red for Fall, orangey, yet natural. What in MA had been friendly, professional, but amazingly inexpensive, here there was a big language barrier, only “one” shade of “red” hair color (????), assumptions, blindness, stubbornness, greed, and well … one disastrous hair coloring and a plain cut later (surprisingly, she got the bangs right) and I went browsing the mall … apparently for a pick-me-up.

An obviously designer-inspired handbag lured me inside for a little guilty pleasure browsing. The bag, metallic, tacky — wayyy too Chloé Bay. But another. Clearly the constructor took liberal cues from what had to have been a far more talented eye. Another designer copy - probably. But not already knowing, and thus knowing, no well sorry hoping, it wouldn’t be an obvious leech — I just had to purchase this awesome-looking bag (with the “unique” closure). I needed a little giftee for my pain. (For an almost painless price, $70 is steep for pleather.) But it was red! I had to start collecting red things to match my new crayon-hued tresses. Oy.

Not being able to work as much on the computer, setting up my apartment, being on my own with all these expenses — (No flashlight or cooking oil of my own….. all the building blocks piling on the hundreds of dollars in actual necessary spending) — means I have to wait and save for Coach bags at a discount, forget some pipe dream IT designer name. While I still didn’t know the true creator, I could buy innocently…. enough.

Then last night I came across it. MY bag. In a sea foam green — there were hints at a name, so further investigation brought me to the true design.

A Ferragamo Marissa Bag aka Capra Vernice Satchel. (Find at Neiman Marcus.com)

Oy. $1,1900. Barely any being sold. Nary a color choice. So for now I love, commit a fashion crime red-shouldered (cause I love that big, deep bag, I tell you!) while I wait for a red version to drop below retail authentically. Don’t you understand? It must be red!

Wee-woo wee-woo! What can I say, but just make adoring noises about this gorgeous bag?!

It’s a fabulous, chocolate-trimmed Spy bag in Zucca logo fabric well hidden for a subtle effect under luxe sequins.

*Moans & groans*

This Fendi Spy costs $5,490. *Moans & groans*

A hot bag this past fashion season for the desirers out there has been the Burberry Beaton. Shown here in this season’s Baby sized House Check style. Take a square body and cinch it at the top, with double handles, then add a top off of signature Burberry print or leather, and we have the Beaton style. This Beaton has been made special with the oversized check so symmetrical, I’m proud to refer to it as “House.” The baby comes in at $1395, but if that pricetag doesn’t blend with its 11″ x 8″ high child-like size, I feel ya. If you decide to turn to eBay, all I have to say is ask a trusted message board’s members, like eBay’s own or at www.forum.purseblog.com. And good luck!

A new, interesting Chloé Edith is here again. Ahh, refreshing. With a medium-length thick shoulder strap with double buckles on each side, this tan leather bag features a true-buckled/magnetic flap closure a double buckled pouch pocket and a zippered pocket with oversized pull. It’s all signature style. Measuring 10.5″ x 10″, this IT-variation Mini Edith Satchel will throw itself over your shoulder if you’ve got $1190 for it.

Pictured here is an actual handbag for sale by designer, Marni. It’s huge, it’s design-less, it’s shape-less, it’s detail-less. Oh but it has a pricetag! $1230 for a sack of leather is fabbingMy F-ing word ridiculous. I would expect to see this at Target for $49. And only that much for the size and being genuine leather. And I would never expect something that looks like this to be actual leather. Or even a handbag, because this obviously is the closest thing we’ve seen lately (or EVER) to a bag just being a container for old food you don’t even want to give the dog. The ginormous size helps this image. There is nothing about this “bag” that warrants a price nearly like that, not even the Marni name (no one buys for the Marni name). I hope the brand sells 0 of this unit and they learn the hard way that the designers need to wake up in the morning and actually work at what they do, not just nap all day and be so proud of themselves that they’ve almost learned how to sketch a circle (it was a pretty shaky ellipse, the sketches of this style). Seriously, the one lone detail of the hanging plain fob just makes a bigger mockery of this whole charlatan of a purse. F for Effort for Marni on this one. You’d better do make-up work over the Summer, and when I see you again in the fall, try to be most improved.

More pictures of Spring 2007 Runway shots of Marni fashion and fuglyfabulously ugly bags.