Shop the Kooba sample sale

Shop celeb fave (and Handbag du Jour fave) Kooba at its spring sample sale! Here are the details:

WHAT: Kooba sample sale

WHEN: Tuesday April 20 – Friday April 23
10AM – 8PM (Closed 2PM – 3PM)

WHERE: 141 W. 36th Street (btw. Broadway & 7th)
10th Floor

Cash, AMEX, Visa and Mastercard accepted

Become a fan of Kooba on Facebook and follow Kooba on Twitter for all the latest news, information and promotions!

What’s your favorite Kooba bag?

Meet Kooba’s founder and creative director, Abbe Held at King of Prussia Mall

As a Philadelphia native, I must tell you fashionistas that King of Prussia mall is a must-visit. Even more so for bagistas. Tomorrow, March 4, you get the opportunity to meet the co-founder of one of the hottest bag brands in the world - Kooba! Creative Director Abbe Held will be making a personal appearance at the King of Prussia Neiman Marcus for its “Fashion Rules” event. She’ll be presenting Kooba’s Spring 2010 handbag collection. Enjoy cocktails, music and hors d’oeuvres while you shop the latest from Kooba and you will also have the opportunity to have your photographs taken with Held! And if you purchase a bag, she will sign it and 5% of all proceeds will be donated to the local charity - Help to Adopt. Also, you’ll walk away with one of Kooba’s brand new leather cuffs (images below) that are launching this spring (while supplies last).

Event details:
Date: Thursday, March 4
Time: From 6-9 PM
Place: Neiman Marcus- King of Prussia Mall, The Plaza
160 North Gulph Road
King of Prussia, PA 19406

See you there!

Can’t make it? Shop Kooba online at Revolve Clothing, Shopbop and Zappos.

Kooba Jagger Expandable Leather Shoulder Tote

When I think ‘rockstar bags’, I think Kooba. And the appropriately named Kooba Jagger Expandable Leather Shoulder Tote is exactly the bag that comes to mind. Made of Kooba’s luscious glazed and distressed leather, the tote is unique in that it zips down the front, as well as on each side to expand the bag. Read more

Top 9 bags of 2009 by Handbag du Jour

It’s been a busy year blogging about bags and now we’ve come to the end of 2009 so we decided to compile a list of the top 9 bags of 2009. In no particular order are the bags that made us swoon, drool, and whip out those credit cards and shop! Check them out below and share your favorite bags of the year!

1. Jimmy Choo Mandah Hobo
All the girls carried the Jimmy Choo ‘Mandah’ Hobo BagJimmy Choo Mandah. Halle, J Lo. and Jessica Alba were fans of this smooth calfskin leather and suede bag in brown, leopard and hot pink. With a zippered gusset panel down the front and back center and two rolled handles accented with gold bands, the Mandah was the perfect hobo and the suede/leather combo made it great for any season.

2. YSL Easy Studded Y Bag
Any bag that can distract AWAY from Lady Gaga’s outfits HAD to make the list. The YSL Easy Studded Y Bag was a fave of Gaga, Adrienne Bailon and many other celebs. YSL bags are typically very understated and simple but even they got in on the 2009 studs trend and executed it perfectly. The result was a fabulous duffel bag that we couldn’t take our eyes off of. And that’s no easy feat when you’re in the hands of Lady Gaga.

3. Alexander Wang Coco Duffel
Alexander Wang was the designer of the moment this year. With easy, cool separates and accessories, and a celebrity following led by Rihanna, Mary-Kate Olsen and Amber Rose, it was easy to add Wang to the list. The Alexander Wang Coco Duffel was one of this year’s edgiest bags, with tough leather and even tougher bullet studs on the bottom. The exclusive blue denim version was to-die-for and the grey and tan versions were nice too.

4. Kooba Alex Tote
I’m a bit biased since I own and love this bag, but the Kooba Alex Tote was a must-have this year. The rich aubergine glazed leather was ever-so-slightly distressed, giving it a vintage vibe, while the mini studs gave it modern appeal. The shape was just right – not too big, not too small, and had Kooba’s signature unstructured, ’sling it over the shoulder and go’ feel.

5. Alexander McQueen Faithful Glove Clutch
The Alexander McQueen Faithful Glove Clutch may not have been directly related to the late Michael Jackson but it certainly paid homage to him and his iconic style. The luxe leather clutch featured a detachable fingerless glove on the front, with slanted zippers on either side. We’re sure the King of Pop would have approved.

6. Chloé Paraty Python Tote
This. Bag. Is. Amazing! There’s not much more that needs to be said. With a brilliant design and luxurious python, Chloé really redeemed itself with the Paraty Tote. We haven’t been this excited about Chloé since the Paddington!

7. Valentino Shining Flower Tux 360 Tote
If it was on Gossip Girl, it had to be good. The Valentino Shining Flower Tux 360 Tote made its debut on the show with Blair Waldorf drooling over it and women all over the world followed suit. Following in the footsteps of Valentino’s couture creations, the 360 is what you could call a couture handbag. Rows of black sequins, cream-colored ‘petals’, crystals and a large bow are everything you’d expect from the design house, but wrapped up onto one pretty bag.

8. Rebecca Minkoff Stud Devote Belted Tote
Studded bags were BIG this year and who better to create one than Rebecca Minkoff? The Stud Devote Belted Tote reached instant cult handbag status with its wide, belted and buckled main opening and rows of studs around the top and bottom bands. The edgy bag incorporated Minkoff’s signature California cool with the hot stud trend.

9. Novella Royale Mister Studded Tote
Green is the new black, or haven’t you heard? Novella Royale debuted the hottest in green (eco-friendly) bags this year and our fave was their Mister Studded Tote. This handmade bag is made of recycled leather from motorcycle jackets (so no two are the same), and the oversized resin studs made it look brand spanking new!

Kooba Madison shoulder tote

Our love for Kooba just grew a few more notches when we stumbled upon this Kooba Madison shoulder tote ($595). This bag just screams haute with its cement gray leather with black patent trim. The size is perfect - just large enough to cram it full of our everday essentials but not so large that you’ll need to visit a chiropractor for back pain. The buckle detail and X-shaped trim lends a nice touch and the patent leather pops against the neutral color of the bag. The design is great because it is made to fit comfortably on and under your shoulder with the flat shoulder straps and deep ‘V’ at the top of the bag. Measures 15″ x 14″ x 4″ with 11.5″ drop.

Buy Kooba at Saks Fifth Avenue, Zappos and Revolve Clothing

Bag review: Kooba Alex tote

I’ve loved Kooba handbags pretty much since their inception, so when I received the Kooba Alex tote from the Fall 09/10 collection, I was thrilled! My chat with Kooba designer and creative director Abbe Held is soon to come, but for now I’ll tell you all you need to know about this must-have bag!

I received the aubergine (plum) color - the bag also comes in black and cognac. The color bleeds a bit so I would advise against wearing it with a white shirt (I learned the hard way). It’s made of glazed, distressed leather and it has a beautiful sheen that remains even as you break it in. The bag is super roomy, which I love, because I only like to carry one bag for the day and need to be able to fit everything inside it. Currently I have my usual bag essentials, and am also able to fit a pair of sandals, hardcover book, umbrella and bottle of water inside. And it doesn’t at all look bulky or feel heavy on my arm! Kooba’s leathers are sturdy yet lightweight, and the crraftsmanship is so well done that you don’t have to worry about it falling apart at the seams.

The bag is slightly structured and slightly slouchy so you no matter which you prefer, you get the best of both worlds. The shape is sort of pentagonal, with a top magnetic snap closure and side gussets that meet at the top, with three large brass snaps on either side. The only thing is if you stuff the bag full like I do, the snaps at times pop open. However, you have to be carrying A LOT of stuff for that to happen. And the snaps are positioned to let the bag expand in the event you want to pack it full.

There are two adjustable shoulder straps with old English brass buckles and brass patterned studded flaps down both edges of the bag, on the front and back sides. The studs are perfectly balanced so it doesn’t feel like a trendy piece that will be out of style in a few months, but rather a nice design element on a classic bag. Inside the bag there are tons of pockets including an interior zip pocket, two slide cell phone pockets and and a pen pocket. The inside is fully lined in satin and includes an interior key clip.

Bag dimensions: 13″ high x 20″ at the widest point x 5″ deep
Shoulder drop: length adjusts from 9″ to 13″

I’ve been carrying the bag since I received it and have no plans of changing it anytime soon. It really meets all of my bag needs - it’s large, compartmentalized, slightly edgy, and sturdy. And the color really looks great with everything I wear!

Buy it through LunaBoston.com or on Kooba’s website.

Special thanks to Kooba for the bag!

Shop this week’s online sample sales

Just click on the links to sign up and shop!

ideeli
Monday 5/18/09: Abaco Paris handbags, Bedhead sleepwear, Tracy Matthews jewelry
Tuesday 5/19/09: Earnest Sewn, Eddera jewelry, Tila March
Wednesday 5/20/09: Carmen Marc Valvo, Indulgems jewelry, Joe’s, Red Carter
Thursday 5/21/09: Multi-designer ideeli Red Sale

Gilt Groupe
Monday 5/18/09: Alice + Olivia by Stacey Bendet, Diamonds by Erickson Beamon, Christian Lacroix clothing, designer sunglasses
Tuesday 5/19/09: Bodhi handbags, Helmut Lang clothing, Miriam Salat jewelry
Wednesday 5/20/09: Emanuel Ungaro clothing, Konstantino jewelry, Banfi Zambrelli shoes, Converse by John Varvatos
Thursday 5/21/09: Tomas Maier clothing

Billion Dollar Babes
Monday 5/18/09: Modern Amusement apparel
Wednesday 5/20/09: Nicole Miller & Carmen Marc Valvo Eyewear
Friday 5/22/09: Kooba handbags
Monday 5/25/09: Viv & Ingrid
Wednesday 5/27/09: Three Dots, MK2K

Haute Look
Monday 5/18/09: Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent clothing, Jessica Elliot jewelry
Tuesday 5/19/09: Decades Two shoes, 7 For All Mankind clothing, Ebel watches
Wednesday 5/20/09: Dear cashmere, Whiting & Davis mesh metal bags
Thursday 5/21/09: Alexis Hudson handbags

The Top Secret
Monday 5/18/09: XCVI clothing, Ed Hardy accessories, Christian Audigier scarves
Tuesday 5/19/09: Magic Bra swimwear

Rue La La
Monday 5/18/09 - Thursday 5/21/09: Cole Haan women’s and men’s shoes and bags, Pink Tartan
Monday 5/18/09 - Wednesday 5/20/09: Plenty by Tracey Reese, Movado
Wednesday 5/20/09 - Friday 5/22/09: Kate Spade accessories, Vineyard Vines by Martha’s Vineyard,
Thursday 5/21/09 - Saturday 5/23/09: Dior handbags and shoes, Judith Ripka jewelry, Born women’s and men’s shoes
Friday 5/22/09 - Tuesday 5/26/09: Carlos Falchi handbags, Stitch’s jeans

Juxzy is a free, highly exclusive and invitation-only sample sale site. In order to join, please email me at editor (at) whatshaute (dot) com
Current sales:
Bulga Handbags
Lesa Wallace handbags
Moreschi shoes
Rocco e Dante handbags
Kimberly Baker handbags
Simeon Dacumos lingerie

Kooba Jenny Bag

How can you not love Kooba? Their bags come in distinctive shapes with signature hardware, a variety of yummy colors and are crafted from sturdy leather. Like this Kooba Jenny Bag. The berry pink/fuchsia hue is just perfect for the season – not too bright (neon pink) and not too pale (pastel pink). Read more

Shop the Kooba sample sale in New York!

Kooba’s designer handbags burst onto the scene in 1998 resulting from the lack of diversity in the luxury bag market. Distinguished by their signature designs, shapes, and details (like dominant hardware, whipstitching and a vast array of colors, just to name a few), Kooba bags have attracted every day women and celebrities alike. Celebrity fans range from Nicky Hilton, Jessica Simpson, Rihanna, Sarah Jessica Parker, Courtney Cox, Naomi Watts, Samaire Armstrong, Beyonce Knowles, Rachel Bilson, Kim Cattrall, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jennifer Garner, Molly Sims, Mena Suvari, Ashley Judd, Brittany Murphy, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Kristen Davis, Alicia Keys, Sienna Miller, Katie Holmes, Debra Messing and Julia Roberts.

The much-loved brand is having a spring sample sale for three days only. If you’re in New York, snap up Kooba must-haves from the current and previous seasons. Kooba handbags, totes and apparel will be priced up to 80% off! Admission is free and VISA, MasterCard and AMEX will be accepted for purchases.

Here are the details:

WHO: Kooba
WHAT: Handbags and apparel sample sale from all seasons up to 80% off of suggested retail!
WHEN: Tuesday, April 14 - Thursday, April 16, open 10 AM – 8 PM (Closed 2 PM- 3 PM)
WHERE: 141 West 36th Street, 3rd Floor

For more information, visit www.kooba.com. And shop Kooba online at Shopbop or Pink Mascara.