Accessories, Fashion Illustration

Accessories Spotlight

Luxury Handbags

 

A beautiful designer handbag is a true investment in a timeless work of craftsmanship… a piece of art.

Ok so a handbag cannot change your life by itself; however, it can make a dramatic difference in your wardrobe. A gorgeous handbag can make your heart flutter; rejuvenate your style; and be an investment in your fashion future.

The Chanel 2.55 quilted bag is at the top of my ‘Handbag Most Wanted’ list. It is the crème da la crème of French style. Coco Chanel designed the 2.55 as she was tired of carrying her handbag in her arms and decided to create a bag that freed up her hands. Now over 30 new models of the classic 2.55 are produced each year, forming part of the House’s collections.

The design of any luxury handbag is meticulously created with consideration paid to every tiny element – from the inside material to the outside detailing. For instance every part of the Chanel 2.55 bag is rumoured to be attributed to an exact reasoning:

>> The lining’s burgundy colour represents the colour of the uniforms at the convent where Coco Chanel grew up
>> The zippered compartment on the inside of the front flap  is where Chanel is rumoured to have stored her love letters… oh la la
>>The back outside flap is for storing money.
>> The famous quilted pattern is believed to have been inspired by several sources, one of which was the cushions in Chanel’s Parisian apartment.
>> The revolutionary chain strap is supposedly inspired by the orphanage Chanel grew up in. The caretakers would hold their keys at their waist dangling from the same type of chains.

Why invest in a beautiful handbag:

Craftsmanship
Each bag is handcrafted with extreme attention to detail and in some bags cases it can take up to 18 to 24hours to complete just one bag. For instance, Hermès does not use assembly lines. Only one Hermès craftsman may work on one handbag at any time – painstakingly hand-stitching each individual piece.

Luxury Materials
Designer handbags may be created in an array of materials, from luxury fabrics to precious metals and exotic skins, including; alligator, crocodile, buffalo, shark, lizard, snake, lamb, oxen, deer, calf and ostrich. The skins are first professionally treated before being dyed in an extensive range of gorgeous colours and shades.

Innovation
The metallic detailing on designer handbags is often plated with precious metals, such as gold, and will not tarnish over time.

Worth The Wait
The term “It Bag” is often used to describe an easily recognisable status bag. Many truly lust worthy bags you will have to wait for…some a very long time! The Hermès Birkin bag can have up to a 6year waiting list.

A Work Of Art
A beautiful handbag is a miniature work of art, which would be as much at home on your wall in a frame as it is holding your belongings.

It May Just Become A Collector’s Item
Hermès is one of the few handbag labels which either hold or increase their value over time.

A classic handbag is one you will still be loving and wearing until your granddaughters are old enough to covet them… truly the title of a ‘quality investment’.

I would love to hear your thoughts. Which designer handbag are you lusting after? Or you do you feel any or overrated? xx

Fashion

Fashion Editorial

A Breath Of Fresh Fashion Air… Crisp White

Nothing looks as sophisticatedly chic as an all white look

This coming season, many Designers chose to embrace a clean palette of creamy white hues for a fresh fashion start.

Fashion should be fun, positive and inspiring. And with the new air of optimism that swept through the Spring / Summer collections, it is set to enliven every wardrobe.

Yves Saint Laurent once said: “What I love about Manet is the sumptuous, nuanced white.” Elegant, sharp and tailored – white appeared across the catwalks like a breath of fresh fashion air. From Dolce and Gabbana to Calvin Klein Collection, Derek Lam and Alexander Wang – the seductive, sweetness of white evokes innocent beauty while being sophisticatedly sensual.

White cleanses the palette. From delicate white lace and sweet broderie anglaises – nothing says Summer dressing quite like it…

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Dolce and Gabbana

Taking inspiration from a ‘hope chest’, Dolce and Gabbana’s white lingerie-inspired dresses, sexy skirt-suits and innocent baby doll dresses – all lent themselves perfectly to pure white. The show stopping finale – all models appeared wearing the signature Dolce and Gabbana hourglass corset all in white (pictured above). Simply breathtaking…

Calvin Klein

At Calvin Klein simple cuts, luxe minimalism and architectural lines all in white creamy hues looked classically chic…

Alexander Wang

“Did you notice anything? There’s no black! I was looking for something optimistic, something pure.” said Alexander Wang of his Spring / Summer collection. Beginning the collection with a series of all white looks, Wang’s optimism shone through in his own way. The looks were deconstructed and strong, with model’s also wearing white paint in their hair. Alexander Wang gave white its own street-style cred…

Will you embrace white summer dressing? xx

 

Photos from style.com

Fashion

Fashion Editorial

Luxury Of Haute Couture

Couture collections are some of the most highly anticipated events on the fashion calendar – not to mention the most enchantingly beautiful. But do these seemingly expensive, overtly extravagant and often times very impractical pieces have a place in today’s ‘fast fashion’ society?

Quite simply yes. And Haute Couture is even becoming more popular!

Haute couture, French for ‘high sewing’, refers to the creation of exclusive custom-fitted clothing made to order. Sewn with extreme attention to detail with hand-executed techniques, Haute Couture is created with the highest quality fabrics, finishings and embellishments. Now a ‘protected name’ there are only a handful of labels that meet the couture criteria. These include: Chanel; Christian Dior; Valentino; Elie Saab; Givenchy; Armani Privé and Jean Paul Gaultier.

The Haute Couture Business

To these powerful luxury labels, Haute Couture is still an important element of business. It’s an investment in the label’s image and global communication.

The dream of Couture fantasy helps to sell perfume and all areas of the brand; but most importantly it is the purest form of fashion, with a growing client base intent on keeping the extraordinary craftsmanship and intangible beauty alive.

Today, Chanel has estimated that there are 1,000 potential Haute Couture clients around the world. With 200 to 300 of these clients attending the Chanel collections each season. Dior too has expressed that their client base is growing. The Dior Couture Spring 2011 collection was presented in front of 800 guests – double that of the previous season. Demand for Givenchy couture is expected to rise by 10%; meanwhile for Elie Saab the couture calendar accounted for 43% of the company’s business.

It is also an imperative component in publicity – with images of actresses walking the red carpet in these spectacular gowns beamed around the world. With Paris Couture Week taking place just before the Golden Globes, Oscars then followed by the Cannes Film Festival – it’s a winning combination for both actress and the label’s image. Remember Cate Blanchett’s unique Givenchy Haute Couture gown or the lavender lace Elie Saab Haute Couture gown worn by Mila Kunis (both pictured below)? These ladies and their gowns will be documented forever.

Haute Couture Evolution

An imperative element of all fashion is evolution. And Haute Couture is no exception. During the Couture Spring 2011 collections, a few houses broke the convention of traditional ‘Haute Couture’ to present spectacular creations for women of today.

Karl Lagerfeld weaved his magic at Chanel with a collection that was fresh with iridescent sparkle and delicate charisma. This wasn’t Chanel as we know it or traditional Haute Couture either. Skinny black jeans, black ballet flats and sprinklings of ‘cobweb’ like beads, floated down the runway like glistening rebellious ballerinas.

In fantastical shades of the lightest pinks, like delicious sweet macaroons, worn with beaded tulle leggings or jeans cut long and close to the leg – Chanel was seemingly enchanting a whole new generation of couture lovers. Of the collection, Lagerfeld said: “Haute Couture is about modern attitude. You have to adopt to the mood of the moment… this is the way people dress today.”  

Christian Lacroix once said, “Haute Couture should be fun, foolish and almost unwearable”

Haute Couture is a expression of spectacular craftsmanship, everlasting beauty, mesmerizing extravagance and above all else desire. Qualities I am certain will hold their place in the world for many, many years to come.

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