Charm and Luck’s Calla Bags

Though most of us women love handbags, not all of us are willing to shell out loads of cash for them, especially for those new ‘It’ bags that are out next season. So many designers have started to create lower priced ‘diffusion’ lines, (for example, Gryson and Devi Kroell for Target). Now it’s Charm and Luck’s turn. They have recently launched a new designer handbag collection called Calla (Charm And Luck Los Angeles). The bags have the same blinged-out styles, designs, custom hardware and construction as Charm and Luck but are made from woven fabrics, faux snake and crocodile skins. The prices range from $69 to $120. With a variety of styles, you can own multiple Charm and Luck-style bags at very affordable prices. Check out more of the bags at CallaBags.com

Be sure to watch BagTrends.com’s Pamela Pekerman reviewing the Calla line on Friday, June 27 at midnight on HSN!

The Jack Rabbit Collection Concord Tote

Such a stunning bag doesn’t seem like it would be part of a brand called the ‘Jack Rabbit Collection‘ but that is the name of the brand started by designer Mollie Culligan. The Jack Rabbit Collection is an environmentally friendly line of handcrafted handbags, belts and jewelry with a celebrity fan base including Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu, and Mischa Barton. Despite the peculiar name, The Jack Rabbit Collection Concord Tote is one of those bags that is a design masterpiece and should be part of your personal collection. It’s ultra glamorous and ultrafeminine. The burgundy distressed leather has a vintage feel and the shape is amazing - it combines a hinged frame closure with a huge body so you have the style of a sophisticated purse in a hugely practical handbag. The top of the bag is pleated and has double handles for easy carrying along with a detachable shoulder strap. It also folds over to give you an additional look.

Check out more at www.thejackrabbitcollection.com

Rebecca Minkoff Yellow and Silver Morning After bag

I like to think I’m a savvy shopper. I mean, I do write about where to buy the best bags, right? Well my friend O.B. should be writing on this blog because she managed to get the yellow/silver ‘Morning After bag‘ by Rebecca Minkoff or only $220! She was lucky to catch a super sale at Bloomingdale’s which only had three in stock and she snagged one for herself! By the time I got to the store, they were all gone! But she brought the bag to work and I immediately fell in love with it. The leather is butter soft, the colors are amazing and the size was just perfect. The leather is glazed yellow with yellow and silver suede trim and bottom. Although the yellow trend is over, this bag has an everlasting quality about it. It even comes with a card inside that says ‘Call me’. So tongue-in-cheek.

Great find O.B.!

Available online at Shop Jake and Revolve

Furla ‘Eurice Medium’ Shopper

I always appreciate the simplicity and structural design of Furla bags. Some designers create simple handbags that are simply bo-ring but Furla’s basic bags always seem timeless. They even managed to make a gold metallic purse look classic and not at all trendy! This open-top tote looks amazing in a muted metallic patent leather. There’s a rounded front pocket with a striking flap lock closure. The inside has a center zippered divider and two large open compartments, with interior zip and cell phone pockets.

$465 at Nordstrom.com

Cynthia Rowley ‘New Survivor’ Multi Pocket Satchel

Wow! If I was ever stuck in the woods or some remote location with access to virtually nothing, this is the bag I’d want with me. I’m already the type of woman who carries too much a lot in her purse, and it drives me crazy when I carry a bag with only one pocket (you hear that Louis Vuitton Speedy?), so this one is just perfect. The Cynthia Rowley ‘New Survivor’ Multi Pocket Satchel has twenty-two exterior pockets, plus a roomy interior and several inside pockets! Plus it has dual handles and a removable shoulder strap. But despite all this excess, it is still designed well. It’s actually pretty fashionable and not bulky or busy. It comes in black leather and putty, which is better for the summer, though the black may be more versatile. Measures 14.5″ x 14″ x 9″.

Available at Nordstrom.com

Celebrity bag spotting: Janice Dickinson with Le PetitPas Wilm bag

Despite her self-proclaimed title “The first supermodel. Ever!”, Janice Dickinson is not who I look to for fashion inspiration. However, she was spotted on the streets posing with carrying a Le PetitPas handbag. The brand has an odd manifesto - it only produces one new, exclusive handbag every six months to a year so that every bag “is always new, never more of the past”. Only 500 are made in a true limited edition fashion. It’s an odd concept but it caught my attention. Anyway, the bag itself is satisfactory. The design is not particularly spectacular or unique, but the concept is and the bag is nice and well made. It’s made of red Italian leather with bronze plated hardware. The brand boasts “precision dual stitching to ensure robust handling conditions” as well as a “hand-stitched/thronged handle” which sounds pretty sturdy. It has a bunch of pockets - on the front, inside, etc. and just enough hardware on the exterior. It’s overpriced at $1,270 but since it’s a limited edition, you might think it’s worth it.

Image: Starzlife.com

Mulberry Milton Shoulder Bag

Mulberry is one of those handbag brands that seems to pride itself on classic luxury. So when I came across the Milton shoulder bag on Net-a-Porter’s website, I was baffled. Are fingerprinted handbags the new ‘It’ bags? The Milton looks like the leather was handled before the paint was dry, or someone put their greasy fingers on the front of the bag. It does have some redeeming qualities:

1) It has multiple outside pockets and interior compartments,
2) The seafoam green / emerald metallic leather is a beautiful hue for the summer,
3) It is a Mulberry!

However, the $1,595 for a bag that looks tarnished is only for those of you with serious disposable income. Got money to spare? Then head on over to NET-A-PORTER.COM.

Celebrity bag spotting: Rihanna with the JT Italia HB Satchel

My boyfriend has a celebrity crush on Rihanna so I secretly despise her. But I have to admit, I really love her style. The edgy haircut, B-girl fashion and trendy accessories make her a true modern fashionista. She was recently spotted at the airport looking cute from head to toe, of course, but it was her haute red handbag that really caught my eye. I covered Rihanna’s handbags before but this one was a new one I’d never seen. After a bit of research, I discovered the bag in question was the

JT Italia HB Satchel
There’s a lot going on with this bag but it’s simply stunning. There’s draping, pleating, and leather wrapped around the handle. The bag is made completely by hand which makes it even more amazing, and consists of contrasting leather and buffalo skins. It’s pricey (I mean c’mon, would Rihanna carry a cheap bag?) - $3,400, but it’s one of those rare bags that’s incredibly well made, the perfect balance between classic and trendy, and offers celebrity style. In short, it’s the perfect bag!

Here’s some background on the designers from LuxCouture:

After 14 years of working for household names like Giorgio Armani, Calvin Klein and Donna Karan, as well as several top emerging talents, Jeff Parker and Tony Ta launched their handbag line JT (a combination of their first initials). Made in Italy using the finest materials, artisans and producers, and owing to the designers’ constant attention and continuous quest to harness old-world craftsmanship, JT bags raise the bar and redefine luxury. Driven by their instinctive passion for things inherently chic and sophisticated, the designers’ sight as inspiration their love of everything from dark chocolate and Gewürztraminer from the Alto Adige, Florence, to Caravaggio paintings and Brancusi sculptures, to all things “horsey”, vintage glass and the look of old alligator bags. It is easy to see how their designs reflect this depth of sophisticated sensibilities, as well as have a charming nostalgic aura to them. Yet, it’s the unique way they translate these beloved inspirations into bag-form – each design is exceptionally unique and cutting-edge – that makes us marvel at the designers’ brilliance.

Image: RihannaDaily.com

Ghibli Purple Python Tote Bag

Often the best bags come in simple packages. And it’s the simplicity that makes me love this Purple Python Tote Bag by Ghibli ($1,372). The bag is made of perfectly constructed Italian leather in a gorgeous purple color (though the description says ‘raspberry’). I love the structured handles and gold hardware that sets off the purple color nicely. The inside has three large compartments, detachable four-leaf clover shaped key ring and shoulder strap.

Celebrity bag spotting: Vanessa Bryant with the Timmy Woods Eiffel Tower purse

As far as Sex and the City goes, I think most women want to dress as fashionably cool as Carrie Bradshaw. I guess that’s why Vanessa Bryant (Kobe’s wife) channeled her inner Sarah Jessica Parker and pulled out this interesting look to wear to her husbands Lakers playoff game, complete with the Timmy Woods Eiffel Tower purse from the Sex and the City movie. I love Vanessa’s outfit - the puffy-sleeved tweed-look jacket (even though it’s June, Vanessa…), the leggings and blue Manolo Blahniks. The purse is kind of a throw away…it doesn’t really match, it’s more of a “I’m just as stylish as Carrie Bradshaw” accessory. But I guess if you’re young, beautiful and rich, there’s nothing wrong with that.