Botkier bags are not only gorgeous, they are also very functional. They seem to be designed with the user in mind, this making them appreciated by modern girls who don't have a lifetime to spend looking for items in their purses, especially when those purses are totes, which are extremely roomy by definition.

Botkier Rio is a tote bag with two exterior pockets on the sides, a bit unusual for this kind of bag, but surely useful for keeping a few things handy. The high-quality shiny leather is smooth, yet resistant. So is the logoed lining, made from a strong fabric. The expansion zippers on the sides can help you turn this bag into a generous storage space. There's plenty of room inside for an iPad or a small laptop, for instance, together with a few accessories and other personal items.

The bag is available in two colors: bronze metallic and cognac.

Bag size: 15.5” height x 15” width x 5.5” depth. The shoulder strap measures 6.5”

Botkier Rio Tote Bag price for any of the colors: $395 at Endless

A clutch is a must-have in any woman’s wardrobe, not because you can stuff a lot of items inside, but because over-sized bags and purses don’t match very well formal outfits. Can you imagine yourself wearing a tote bag or a shopper bag with a cocktail dress or with a formal business outfit? I doubt about that. On the other hand, there are a few items which we might need, so this is what a clutch is for. Alexander McQueen Blue Kaiser clutch is made of patent blue leather with silver frame. The frame is embossed with the Alexander McQueen logo and it is applied only on the two flips that open the two compartments of this oblong and elegant purse. The cotton and leather lining is of the best quality, making this bag a good choice for elegant women who are concerned with quality as well as with their overall look and style. The Blue Kaiser clutch costs $925, the same as the Black Kaiser clutch, which is identical in shape. The third purse in this series is the Satin Stripe Kaiser clutch, which is made of blue and red striped satin and which costs $950.

If you look at this Burberry bag from a distance or if you see it in a picture, you could swear it’s made of soft, big feathers. However, the purse is pure leather in a pale pink color which they call “Crocus”. Manufactured in Italy, the Burberry Feather leather sling bag features a single handle in flat leather with a dark nickel Burberry logo on the strap. The purse has an interior zip pocket and sateen lining. The zip top closure is hidden between the purse top edges, so all you see at a glimpse are those leather feathers which look fantastic. Flat and delicate, this swing bag is one of the cutest at Burberry’s.

Bag size: 12 ½" x 5 3/4" x 3/4"

Bag price: $1195

This average sized wristlet that can be worn as a shoulder bag if desired, has an extremely simple line, with no decorations other than the “intrecciato” pattern of the woven leather. The Brunito finish hardware is designed in a clever way, so the bag looks great either when worn as a wristlet or on the shoulder. This is one of those simple ideas that seem obvious, yet it takes a brilliant mind to bring them into real life.

Orchid is one of the most vivid and beautiful colors Bottega Veneta offers us for this spring season. It surely reminds me of flowers.

The bag features top zip closure, suede lining and its dimensions are 9.8” x 6.6” x 4.9”. For those of you who are interested in buying an Orchid Intrecciato Nappa bag, check out the Bottega Veneta website, where you can order one for the price of $980.

This Nappa leather clutch can be an excellent purchase because not only it fits a lot of clothing styles and occasions, but it’s also one of the affordable designer handbags (I found it at $185 on several websites). Well, that’s not exactly what I’d call a bargain, but still, it’s affordable compared with other designer handbags which are sometimes way overpriced, in my opinion. Another point for buying a clutch is that we really don’t need to carry all those items with us all the time. Just take a look inside your purse and you’ll see what I mean. I bet you didn’t even know you were carrying half of that stuff. The DKNY Soft Nappa Rose leather clutch features a flap closure with a nicely shaped rose detail on its front, which gets shaped from leather folds on the purse. This makes it look very elegant, just what a girl needs for a cocktail party or other fancy evening events. The ivory color is easy to match with stronger colors, so you don’t have to worry you won’t be able to find suitable accessories or shoes. Besides, I think I spotted it also in black in one shop, so you can get a black one if it suits you better.

DKNY bags are true classics which can get you out of trouble when in doubt what purse to wear with your brand new dress.

DKNY stands for Donna Karan New York and it bears the name of Donna Karan, who is also the chief designer for the fashion house. Founded in 1984 by Donna Karan and her husband, DKNY became a publicly-traded company in 1996, then in 2001 was bought by LVMH, Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton who owns it to this day. Donna Karan developed a fashion concept for the modern woman, in which a few interchangeable pieces of clothing and accessories can create a wardrobe that fits multiple occasions and moments of the day.

The idea of her fashion collections is that you never know where a day is going to take you, therefore you have to be prepared to take on all opportunities that may arise. Thanks to her creative approach and to her high-quality creations, in 1993 Donna Karan was awarded the Fashion Group International Superstar Award . She was the first American fashion designer to receive that distinction. In 2007, Donna was nominated one of the Women of the Year by Glamour magazine. DKNY is a design driven company, their stated mission being “to represent the international pulse of New York in the design, marketing and delivery of a complete lifestyle system to a global customer”.

DKNY Bags

As our website is about designer handbags we aren’t going to enter into many details about the fashion house itself and its clothing or shoes collections, but we are rather going to focus on the bags. We won’t find at DKNY the diversity and abundance of models which we encounter at Coach bags for instance, but there surely are enough models to cover several styles, thus offering a solution for any occasion or time of the day.

New DKNY Bags for Spring 2010

DNKY enriched its collection of purses with six new models:

• Soft Nappa Rose clutch (color: Ivory; price: $185)
• Large Pleated Nappa Leather shopper (colors: black, ivory; price: $345)
• Croc Leather Large Tote (colors: Stone, Caramel; price: $295)
• Croc Crossbody (color: Caramel; price: $195)
• Town and Country Crossbody (color: black; price: $165)
• Town and Country Satchel (color: black; price: $245)

As you can see, there’s a bag size for everyone and although there’s not a huge variety in colors, the chosen ones are universal, matching basically anything else. This falls within the DKNY concept of creating lifestyle rather than fashion. One can dress herself from DKNY from head to toe, starting with the underwear and finishing with the fragrance.

What makes Lena Erziak bags so special? Well, they are modern, colorful, elegant and extremely practical, the perfect choice for the modern New York woman, discerning and confident, who strives for something unique in her looks, because she really wants to make a difference. Lena Erziak handbags offer all these qualities and even more: a timeless elegance which makes them a classic and refined line of fashion and clothing accessories. All Lena Erziak bags are handmade in Florence, Italy, only from carefully selected, finest leather and using high quality accessories. The attention for detail is visible in the impeccable finish of these bags, both at the exterior and at the interior. Florence artisans surely know very well their trade, as well as the Erziak sisters, Leona and Hasna know how to cover the needs of the modern woman who needs to accommodate a lot of items in her bag, from the lipstick and the keys to her Blackberry, digital camera and perhaps a book or two, or even a netbook. Lena Erziak everyday bags are stylish, yet roomy and well-compartmented, therefore perfect. Tiny details like the built-in key chain are inspired from real life, in which we all know how hard it can be in some situations to quickly find an item in your purse.

We are going to take a glimpse into the new 2010 Spring collection of bags, which seems very promising and which is soon going to be available in their Stella Filante downtown New York boutique, as well as in high-end specialty boutiques and department stores all over the US.

Lena Erziak 2010 Spring Collection

For 2010, Leona and Hasna expressed their creativity in a line of 15 styles of bags made of various materials such as suede, leather, python and ostrich, all of finest quality. Taking into consideration the excellent finish and quality of the Lena Erziak spring 2010 handbags, the price range of US $350 – US $980 is not as high as it may appear at first glance. These bags are really competitive at the highest standards, a level at which bag designers launch their creations at prices averaging several thousands dollars. Besides, most of these bags are true keepers, as they fall into the timeless fashion segment, so they would probably become vintage after a number of years. With a sense of fashion trends and a bit of luck, buying future vintage bags can be a good investment. But now let’s stop day dreaming and go back to our spring-summer 2010 collection. Here are a few of the most representative bags:

Alessandro

An eye-catching carryall, Alessandro is a beautiful bag, elegant and still large enough for fitting a lot of items inside. It falls in the $800 - $1000 price range. The two front pockets feature hand sewn stitches and the belted opening creates the illusion of a small bag.

The Alessandro bags are available in a few versions:

• Big size, red python print leather – price $979
• Small size, red python print leather – price $862
• Small size, ostrich leather, blue color – price $5750 (well, ostrich is not such a common bird, so prices are higher for this kind of leather goods)

Davide

Davide is a small shoulder bag featuring a classy stud detailing and adjustable shoulder strap and a signature tassel. It is available in black or purple leather and in saffron suede.

Davide is a cute bag, suitable for a fancy dinner or a cocktail party.

Price: $453

Elio

Elio is an oversized tote bag which looks amazingly good and which can really host a lot of stuff inside. Its handles are a combination of chain and leather, strong enough to resist even when the bag is fully loaded (provided that you don’t carry stones around). Elio is available in gold or fuchsia suede or in black leather and it costs $777.

Other bags in the Lena Erziak 2010 collection:

• Romeo
• Luigi
• Alessio
• Sandro
• Andrea
• Enzo
• Lucca
• Gianni
• Valentino
• Jepetto
• Paolo
• Amadeo