For those underwhelmed by the sea-themed bags from Chanel Spring 2012, we have a treat for you today. Chanel Métiers d’Art 2012 debuted in a exquisite show in Paris’ Grand Palais earlier this week, and the intricately detailed handbags that accompanied the India-influenced collection will likely wow Chanel lovers and casual fans alike.
If you want a great explanation of the multiple reasons why this collection’s India reference was such a brilliant move by Karl Lagerfeld, Style.com’s review really nails it – the last days of the Raj are a fitting metaphor for the current political and economic climate, not to mention that the inspiration is a relevant comment on how fashion manufacturing has changed in recent years. Or, if you just want to see the bags already, hurry up, geez – they’re after the jump.
No matter the season, you can always count on Karl Lagerfeld’s Chanel show for at least one thing: a very strong theme. For Chanel Spring 2012, you had to look no further than Kaiser Karl’s seashell clutches to find the oceanic common thread that ran through the entire collection. Or maybe it would be more accurate to say that Lagerfeld was inspired by the shore; after all, the runway was lined with sand.
I’m not sure how many times a woman will have an opportunity to wear a conch shell-shaped clutch in her sartorial life, but if you’ve got a beach wedding on the horizon any time in, oh, the next ten years, I’d hazard a guess that these are the best bags you’ll find to carry to such an event. As always, Chanel will do lots of non-runway bags if you’re looking for something a little less literal, but a few of these bags make me long for a beach vacation something fierce.
For those of you who were disappointed that Chanel’s Fall 2011 runway show only featured a couple of handbag styles, fret not. We have a few more pieces to show you, courtesy of the fine folks at Style.com, plus a closer look at the modified flap bags that were featured on several models during the presentation.
This still isn’t enough to evaluate the whole collection, but I like most of what I see so far. Although I don’t entirely understand the photo of the gold python bag(s) (is it one or two?), I simply adore the finish of the material and hope to see it on lots of accessories come fall. In addition to the runway bags, designs of which you guys already know I approve, I’m also digging the post-apocalyptic python flap bag up top. It looks like it’s decomposing, but against all odds, Chanel makes it work in the context of the dystopian Fall 2011 collection. Check out the photos after the jump.
Since Chanel showed its diverse, covetable selection of Spring 2011 handbags in Paris back in October, I’ve been waiting patiently (ok, not-so-patiently) for detailed shots of the designs to hit the web. Now that they have, I feel confident saying that along with Pre-Spring 2011, Chanel Spring 2011 is some of the strongest work from the brand’s accessories team in recent memory. There’s a little something for everyone here, from the staunch Chanel traditionalist to the young woman who wants to mix neon and tweed.
I’m particularly excited to see that the fantastic leather-bound book clutch has made its way to retail, as well as some of the utterly feminine scarf-woven bags. What I loved but didn’t expect to see was a slim black and white clutch detailing the ceiling of Paris’ Grand Palais, where Chanel presents its collections every season. Not only is it beautiful and neutral enough to actually be used, but I could see it quickly becoming a collector’s item among Chanel devotees.
Photos courtesy of Chanel. Pricing and availability information available at (800)550-0005.
There weren’t many handbags to be found on the catwalk at Chanel Fall 2011, which struck me as something of a surprise. Chanel fully acknowledges the place of leather goods in its company history, and normally part of its enthusiasm for accessories spills over onto the runway in the form of lots of goodies for handbag lovers. This time, though, there was relatively little to see.
What we did see in the goth dystopia that Lagerfeld created in Paris’ Grand Palais was quite good. Most of the bags were of the chain-strapped flap variety, but Lagerfeld got rid of the brand’s iconic quilting and leather-woven handles to give a starker take on a Chanel classic. Little quilted hand-held bags were spotted here and there, but mostly the models walked with their hands empty, perhaps in a nod to the bleak-chic setting of the show. Although I’m disappointed to not have seen more bags, now I’m even more excited for press previews. Chanel wins again.
Over the past few seasons, I’ve noticed more and more Chanel fans expressing disappointment of one sort or another with the brand’s handbags. Too gimmicky, too expensive, not loyal enough to the brand’s customer base – we heard at least one, if not all, of those opinions every time we posted about a Chanel bag in this space. If you’re a former client who has found yourself disenchanted, you may want to take a look at the bags from Chanel Spring 2011.
It’s difficult to term this collection a return to form, since the brand seems to always churn out a few sought-after bags every season, no matter what. So I’ll just say this: many of the bags that went down the runway in Paris’s Grand Palais yesterday presented wearable, luxurious, aesthetically pleasing options for grown women in a variety of situations. From tiny, glittering flap evening bags to clutches made to look like old leather-bound books, the inventiveness of seasons past was still present; it just managed to show up alongside things like oversized 2.55 leather clutches without a gimmick in sight.
Remember that time when Karl Lagerfeld imported a chunk of glacier for the Chanel show in Paris and then showed a collection full of faux fur and what can only be described as yeti costumes? That seems like a long time ago, doesn’t it? Well, it was just six months ago, and now the bags from that collection are available for perusal on Chanel.com.
Some of the collection already popped up in the form of Pre-Fall 2010, but now the entirety of the line has landed and we’ve collected the pictures on your behalf. The designs range from useable, reasonable caramel-colored leather bags to wacky faux-fur-tufted creations that are only for fashion’s, uh, boldest individuals. My personal favorite is the ice cube clutch – let us know which ones you like in the comments. As always, photos are after the jump.
Pictures via Chanel. For price and purchase information, please contact the company at (800)550-0005.
Nothing says “Friday afternoon” like a post about Paris Hilton getting arrested immediately following one about college football (all tangentially purse-related, of course). We hope that all of you are enjoying the day before your long weekend as much as those of us here at PurseBlog are.
As we all know by now, celebutante Paris Hilton got herself arrested in Vegas last weekend for knocking some cocaine out of her purse in front of a cop (allegedly). Most people didn’t wonder what kind of purse she might have been carrying at the time, but I did. And now, thanks to Gawker.com and People magazine, I have my answer – her bag was Chanel. Or her friend’s bag, or whatever.
She claimed that the coke wasn’t hers because the bag wasn’t hers and the friend who had last used it had left it in there, but the purse that appears in her arrest photos also appears on her Twitter feed – as a new purchase that she made back in July. There’s a lesson here: you should keep your new bags off the Internet if you plan to use them in the alleged commission of crimes.
Thus concludes your weekly installment of trashy pop culture, since Real Housewives of DC didn’t have a new episode last night.
I want to know if your best place to buy Coach or Chanel bags, and how much they cost in general, and if they last long. And do the fake Coach purses and Chanel look exactly like real ones or not. I just want to buy a fake one if you can not say that it is false. Thank you.
Images via Style.com
Images via Vogue.com
Over the past few seasons, I’ve noticed more and more Chanel fans expressing disappointment of one sort or another with the brand’s handbags. Too gimmicky, too expensive, not loyal enough to the brand’s customer base – we heard at least one, if not all, of those opinions every time we posted about a Chanel bag in this space. If you’re a former client who has found yourself disenchanted, you may want to take a look at the bags from Chanel Spring 2011.
Remember that time when Karl Lagerfeld imported a chunk of glacier for the Chanel show in Paris and then showed a collection full of faux fur and what can only be described as yeti costumes? That seems like a long time ago, doesn’t it? Well, it was just six months ago, and now the bags from that collection are available for perusal on Chanel.com.
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