it bag

Phoebe Philo to Helm Celine

Filed under: Apparel

It's been two long years since famed Chloé resuscitator Phoebe Philo left the studio to focus on her family. But come October, Philo will take over as Creative Director at Celine, in a move that parent co. LVMH hopes will again breathe new life into a flagging luxury brand.

Credited for designing perhaps the mother of all It-bags, the Chloé Paddington, Philo started out as Stella McCartney's assistant at Chloé before McCartney left to design her own eponymous line. And like everything in fashion, Philo's appointment makes whatever happens at fashion week (which starts today in New York) feel like old news. She'll present her first collection for Celine in March 2009.

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Tags: celine, chloe, chloe paddington, ChloePaddington, it bag, ItBag, lvmh, phoebe philo, PhoebePhilo, stella mccartney, StellaMccartney

Is the It Bag Over?

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Handbags

As any regular reader of this blog knows we feature a handbag every day. After all, if there is any symbol of the rise of the luxury market aimed at the masses it is the "it bag" the bag that is released and suddenly dangled off every celebrity's arm. Everyone must have it for a season or so and then, just as quickly, everyone quickly consigns it or relegates it to the back of the closet. The Fendi baguette, the Vuitton Multicolore Speedy, the Chloe Paddington and so many others have been loved and then discarded. But could all this buying be slowing down. The NY Times' Eric Wilson took on the question of whether the status bag is on the way down.

There's no question that tthe mid-range luxury consumer that fueled the bag frenzy of the past few years, is cutting back. While once a trendy bag was the way to show the world you had made it (and much cheaper than the status car or the status home), now in troubled economic times it seems like an easy place to trim the fat. Especially since, as designers churned out more and more special and limited editions it has become impossible to keep up with the latest trends.

If I had to choose a "jump the shark" moment for the handbag craze it would have to be the release of the Louis Vuitton Patchwork Tribute bag, the $45,000+ haphazard creation shown at right which was last spring. I might also speculate that more and more consumers are becoming aware that their bags are less likely to be coming from a French atelier and more often are being churned out in a Chinese factory.

Handbags are clearly not going away. And for the true fashionista there will always be a market for a beautifully done bag. As in other markets, a loss in status or interest usually pushes the dilettantes out, leaving the dedicated obsessives behind.

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Tags: aspirational consumers, hanbags, handbags, it bag, louis vuitton, luxury, masstige

Longchamp L�gende, Handbag of the Day

by Sandy Maple (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Handbags

Inspired by an old-fashioned doctor's bag, the Légende handbag is anything but dated. With clean lines in a suede-style calfskin leather, the bag sports an extra large, double-zippered top and two stacked side pockets. The warm color is perfect for fall - a rusty red they call Amour. The bag measures 14½ x 10¼ x 5½ inches and is also available in black. $1085.

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Tags: designer handbag, designer purse, DesignerHandbag, DesignerPurse, fall handbag, FallHandbag, it bag, ItBag, leather handbag, leather purse, LeatherHandbag, LeatherPurse, legende handbag, LegendeHandbag, longchamp handbag, LongchampHandbag, luxe handbag, LuxeHandbag, luxury handbag, LuxuryHandbag, purse