Clara Kasavina - This Stuff is Gorgeous
Filed under: Handbags, Jewelry
I had never heard of Clara Kasavina when I met Clara herself (right) at a recent event for BagTrends in New York City. Now, I'm a little obsessed. It wasn't just the fabulous handbags which caught my attention, it was the amazing work they do with crystals. I can't wait for you to look through the gallery and see the lavishly encrusted minaudieres and accessories, but first, here's a bit more information.Clara and her husband Misha have been making handbags for 15 years. Clara designs the bags -- with resplendent taste -- and Misha is the model maker, whose superb craftsmanship is evident in each of their stunning final products.
The bags are made in a variety of jewel tones with different shapes and materials. "Usually we choose to match our python, so we have it in the python, we have it in satin," said Clara. Their other unmistakable feature is their dynamic and opulent use of Swarovski crystals, packed tightly but unevenly, like a mosaic. "They are like a skin almost," explained Clara, quite rightly. The result is bags and accessories with an extremely opulent vintage feel -- your bag may be new, but it looks like a hand-me-down from Princess Grace.
We see a lot of handbags, but we rarely see old-school glamour like this, and with the season's return to flashy, speakeasy styles, you'd be smart to pick up a Clara Kasavina for the holidays.
I first met Barb Polin when the two of us were stationed next to each other at a craft fair. I was showing fine jewelry and she had these gorgeous silk scarves... I basically spent all the money I made that day selling jewelry at Ms. Polin's booth. I should have known better than to actually visit her store, where I'd find more than small accessories -- whole outfits of the most beautiful marbled silk material I'd ever seen. Goodbye, paycheck.
This delicious little shoulder bag by Fendi, the Pouchette Shoulder Bag is new and only available for pre-order.
Jewelry has traditionally been about femininity and beauty, with designers taking inspiration from the best and most beautiful things in life. But 
It's red, white and blue ... and pigskin leather. It's a 
