Friday Funday: The Proenza Schouler Python Suede PS1 Bag

Proenza Schouler Python Suede PS1 Bag, $3645 via Barneys

As regular readers have probably noticed, Megs and I have different personal styles. I tend more toward black, she tends more toward brown. She usually chooses hippie-ish details, I prefer industrial finishes. Our tastes overlap more than you’d think, considering those big differences, and one place that we’re always able to meet in the middle is over our shared love for everything Proenza Schouler – especially the handbags.

That’s why it didn’t surprise me when yesterday, Megs turned her laptop around to show me a bag she was drooling over and it just so happened to be the same one that I had stared at for what seemed like hours a few days prior – the Proenza Schouler Python Suede PS1 Bag. Just…look at it.

I’m eying a PS1 (or maybe a PS11? I can’t decide.) as a Christmas present to myself, and although I know that this python version isn’t in the budget, I can’t help but sigh with desire every time I look at it. With all the python colors and finishes that we’ve seen pass through retail accessory departments over the last six months, I think this combination has to be my favorite. Sueded python is so incredibly modern and luxurious compared to its glossy alternative, and this grey shade variation brings the skin’s natural texture into stark relief. If I had to pick this week’s ultimate splurge, there’s no question – this bag would be it.

Bag Battles: Anya Hindmarch vs. Reed Krakoff

If I had a nickel for every post I’ve written about mixing colors and textures over the past year…well, I guess I actually do have a nickel, since I get paid for this. The point is, I’d have a lot of nickels. Not enough to retire, but enough to pay my rent, even though they give me a really hard time when I try to pay it in nickels. I’ll admit, it’s a heavy bag.

Anyway, the trends represented by the Anya Hindmarch Stripy Gracie Mini Shoulder Bag and the Reed Krakoff Kit Python and Leather Shoulder Bag are nothing new – exotics, brights, you guys are all old hat at this. But which do you like better, lots of natural snakeskin with a little bit of color, or lots of color with a little bit of texture? Check out the larger photos and vote in our poll, after the jump.

Man Bag Monday: Bill Amberg Full Grain Leather Messenger Bag

Bill Amberg Full Grain Leather Messenger Bag, $385 via Mr. Porter

Man bags are always one of the most controversial topics we tackle here. Some women don’t want their men wearing any kind of bag, and some men would never be caught dead carrying one either; usually, the arguments from both of those groups is that there’s something inherently feminine about having a bag with you. I don’t think that’s at all true, and one quick look around New York City (or any urban area where most people don’t have cars) will indicate that those hang-ups go away as soon as necessity dictates.

But what if your man is one of those dudes who’s always giving you stuff to put in your purse and you want him to carry a bag, or he wants to and doesn’t really know which way to go? Start him out with something like the Bill Amberg Full Grain Leather Messenger Bag. With a very reasonable price point (less than $400) and a masculine color and construction, there’s no way he’ll feel like he’s carrying a purse.

A friend of mine purchased this bag as a gift in the not-so-distant past, and although I’ve yet to see it in person, he’s of discerning taste and promised me that it’s a steal for the price. The leather is soft and thick, with a great whiskey-toned finish and slightly rough edges, and the bag is big enough to feel like an honest-to-goodness messenger bag instead of like a large women’s purse. If your husband, boyfriend or brother is in sore need of something to schlep his stuff, he could do a whole lot worse and spend a whole lot more money.

Oscar de la Renta Pre-Fall 2012 Coverage

This morning we attending the Oscar de la Renta Pre-Fall 2012 show and were able to take tons of amazing pictures backstage before and during the show. Oscar is King of fabulous details, and this collection did not disappoint.

We are sharing photos on Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr, so be sure you are following us to get a sneak peek at what Oscar has in store for next fall.

Rochas Miki Soft Shiny Top Handle: Ladies Don’t Slouch

Or do they? A prim, ladylike yet light, slouchy bag may sound like somewhat of an oxymoron, but Rochas proves that proper and casual can work in harmony. The house designed their Fall 2011 collection with one word in mind, a word that often comes out of bag snobs mouths: chic. It turns out Rochas’ sense of chic is feminine, low-key, and not too serious.

I love the smooth shape of the clean lines, via a hard frame-top and soft body; that slight slouch ensure it not so rigid and serious. Just driving the point home that this isn’t your average frame purse, this one opens all the way up into a roomy satchel (unlike most which have limited accessibility). In brown, it’s a fall classic; in camel, it’s got a refreshed allure to it. I’m not sure the original price had me sold, but now that it’s on sale? We have a keeper. 

Valextra Alligator Isis Clutch: The Color of Love

Be still, my beating heart! Not to sound like a swooning lover out of the Romantic period, but that’s precisely how this bag is making me feel, all dizzy in the head and overflowing in the heart. An alligator bag, as you well know, is enough to get my blood rushing. The same goes for anything Valextra. Put the two together, and you’ve got a surefire way to get me to act irrationally.

As in, very irrationally, seeing that this clutch is over $11,000, and I’m genuinely coveting it. I imagine Victoria Beckham has one in every color. And wouldn’t you if you could.  The shape is sheer perfection: a slight trapezoid urges the eyes to rove around the piece, and thanks to the exquisite alligator skin, the stares are going to stick. Topped with a push-lock enamel closure for complete polish, this is the ultimate sophisticated treasure. A classic feel that verges on vintage, not out of reference but timelessness, it’s only fitting it’s in lush (muted) green, the color of envy.

Opal Stone: Romancing the Stone

I tend to agree, and I’m already excited about Opal’s lush collection.

With a penchant for architecture and all things organic, she took conceptual elements from pieces like her popular Zebra cuff (designed to bring to mind an African sunset) and melded them into the hardware of her exotic-skinned bags. Like the Se handbag, multiple layers of fine skin in pitch-perfect grey.

The handles and the feet? All 18- and 22-carat yellow gold. The skins? Only the best alligator, crocodile, and ostrich (she uses Grade One American alligator, which is only the belly). And the lining? The same decadent skin to match the outside! Opal also maintains that the interior of your bag is equally important, a second home to you, so to speak, as it contains important components of your life.

Fluid shapes, an elevated sense of whimsy, and materials to die for: Opal Stone is set to deliver only the best, with quality for women who know their worth it.

HUGO BOSS TV Campaign

Dreaming of a NYC fantasy trip?  HUGO BOSS is raffling off an exclusive celebrity shopping experience in New York. The winner will enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the city that dreams are made of from December 13 to 15, 2011, including flight, accommodation in a luxury hotel and a personal Xmas shopping tour with an international fashion icon at the HUGO BOSS Store in NY’s Meatpacking District. The name of the international fashion icon who will go shopping with the winner will soon be revealed on the HUGO BOSS Facebook page: www.facebook.com/hugoboss
-Here’s how you can enter: Follow HUGO BOSS on foursquare at www.foursquare.com/hugoboss and watch out for Check-in Specials or look out for the QR code at our participating stores. The deadline to enter the sweepstake is December 6, 2011.
-Please note that the sweepstake only takes part in the following countries: US, Canada, Germany, France and UK

Fendi Snakeskin Chameleon Small Saddle Bag: Snake Charmer

There’s always a chance I’m speaking too soon, but I’m beginning to think Fendi has shed their logo-flaunting ways for good. From their sleek-ified Chamelon bag to the use of materials like canvas to their play on perforation for Spring 2012, the house has turned over a new leaf and I’m appreciating the makeover.

Could this cross-body saddle bag be anymore cheerful? Abstracted into a brightly colored pattern that almost resembles little budding flowers, I don’t think leopard print has ever looked so peppy!

Yves Saint Laurent Soft Ponyskin Top-Handle Cabas: What a Difference a Print Makes

Is it the cold weather that makes pony hair so comforting this time of year? Whatever it is, something is in the air because I can’t get enough of the softly lush stuff. Just when you thought the Cabas was inevitably inching its way towards ubiquity, Yves Saint Laurent whipped it up in a delicious skin with an irresistible print.

I still love the classic Cabas, but after seeing so many, both on the shelves of my favorite stores and the arms of knowledgeable celebrities, it was starting to feel bland. But now that the structured satchel is in a cheeky animal print?

Christian Louboutin Sweet Charity Paradis Shoulder Bag: Plumage or Perish

Just recently I was confounded by the logistics of Christian Louboutin’s Artemis shoulder bag, spiked so heavily on the strap you’d have to be a masochist to take pleasure in carrying it. I’ve got to hand it to the Paradis for originality (and softness, by comparison), but it’s still somewhat of an assault, just more of an attack on the eyes than the jugular.

I love a jolt of exoticism as much as the next person, but there is something almost violent about this calfskin-and-feather shoulder bag. As if a black-capped chickadee, Canadian goose, and a ferocious swan got in a scuffle and ripped each other to shreds. There are times when feral glamour can be successful (just look at Alexander McQueen) and times when you get the sense the designer is trying way too hard to shake a tail feather.

Top 5 AHAlife Bag Picks: For Every Walk of Life

With a plethora of super-cool options, it was fun to narrow it down to my top 5 AHAlife picks. From the bold, statement-making cage to the ultra-functional clutch-turned-iPad case, I’ve got all the gift-giving bases covered.

Whether you are buying for an ultra-femme fashionista (Khirma Eliazov Python Stingray Clutch ($925) bodacious design is perfect), a cool nerd (the luxury Capulet London Leather Netbook Case ($340) is just the thing she wouldn’t buy for herself), sexy librarian (Norisol Ferrari Harness Envelope Clutch ($650) evokes a rebellious, street-smart vibe), flashy social butterfly (the Anndra Neen Metal Cage Clutches ($675-$725) are edgy fun) or practical classicist (Cecelia Matte Python Convertible Clutch ($650) is a no-fail), these will have you channeling your inner Santa in no time.

Jessica Alba Carries Diane von Furstenberg: Golden Goddess

How to do gold metallics with daytime polish? Just ask mom of two Jessica Alba, who shows us how to glitter subtly and beautifully. Attending a luncheon for the March of Dimes in Beverly Hills on December 2nd, Jessica looked the part of the lady: fresh yet festive and shining brightly without revealing anything.

Pairing an intriguing Diane von Furstenberg Spring 2012 clutch with a Thakoon dress (gleaming at the trim, it’s a pared-down version of a wilder Spring runway look), along with Brian Atwood Pois pumps (I’ve been obsessed with these since I saw them on Zoe Saldana in July!) and a Giles & Brother necklace, she reminded me why DVF’s clutches are my go-to pieces, inexpensive and high on style.

If you’ve always felt one metallic piece per outfit is enough, keep in mind that gold-on-gold works amazingly well when mixed with contrasting textures, like the soft body of this dress. And when your clutch is petite, you can afford to invite more shine.

Don’t want to wait until the spring collection release? Get your 24-carat fix now with Diane’s Tonda clutch, in textural metallic leather, or her Lytton minaudiere, a darker take in hammered snake-effect cowhide.