Leila is an oversized leather hobo bag featuring a Moroccan-style intricate design with enamel beadings. The braided strap detail offers a very elegant look to this otherwise simple bag. There are two color versions of this bag: one in tan and one in indigo. All pockets of this bag are on the inside, but that’s not an issue, the bag is large enough to accommodate plenty of items. I see Leila as the perfect bag for summer days, the ideal match for casual outfits. Nonetheless, it could be a fit for business clothing as well if needed.

Bag size: 17”L x 14”H x 4.5”W

Bag price: $450

It is very hard, if not impossible, to pass by an Isabella Fiore handbag and not notice it. These handbags are shocking, so one can either love them or hate them. It seems there’s no middle way. I’ve recently heard somebody referring to those clutches in the latest 2009 collections as being multicolor tacos. Tacos or not, these handbags are surely something to talk about. Older handbags collections were also remarkable, but the style changed a lot, from those “Baroque a Go Go” totes decorated with side tassels to the newest collections such as “Once Upon a Tattoo”, “Geometrics” or “Mosaic”. What’s with mentioning here is that even though the style has changed, Isabella Fiore handbags managed to preserve that “artistic” appearance that brought them the fame and appreciation of the public.

The designers behind the Isabella Fiore brand are two ladies from LA, Jennifer Tash and Tranh Huynh. They managed to bring Isabella Fiore into the attention of several celebrities who became their clients, among them being names like Katie Holmes, Madonna or Kate Hudson. I think Halle Berry was spotted wearing Isabella Fiore handbags, too.

Latest Isabella Fiore Handbags Collections

Watermark

Watermark includes three bags: Sara, a python patchwork clutch with detachable crossbody strap, Rania, an oversized shoulder bag with outside pouch pocket and Mia, a double top zip tote with outside slit pocket fold out.

Geometric

The Geometric collection features Leila, an oversized hobo, Suzanna, a top handle tote with woven flap closure and Amalia, an oversized fan-shaped clutch.

Mosaic

In the Mosaic collection we meet again Amalia, the clutch, this time with a different kind of pattern and with a cute tassel attached. Leila, the Isabella fiore oversized hobo, has now an embroidered side panel. The last piece of this collection is Serena, a double handle top zip balloon tote with woven handles. But these were only the three flagship bags of the collection that we can find featured on Isabella Fiore's website. In fact, the collection also includes the Isabella Fiore Mosaic Susanna Tote, which is as beautiful as the other ones.

Mesh

These handbags are a little bit more sophisticated, suitable rather for evening outfits, although the shape and size of Leila and Francine suggest all day usage.

Once Upon a Tattoo

These three purses are really cute. Liz is a mid-sized shoulder bag with a very nice floral embroidery and with a beautifully rounded shape, Mia is a top zip tote with outside coin purse and Amalia is the same taco-shaped clutch with an exquisite whip stitch detailing and a jeweled leather tassel.

The price range of Isabella Fiore handbags falls within $200 - $700, thus being quite affordable compared with other designer handbags.

Many times it’s enough that one of the most loved celebrities is seen carrying a certain bag model for the whole feminine population of a certain age group to follow. Even if the bag in question is too big for my needs, who cares about that? We can easily find stuff that we could use during the day, so filling up a big handbag is definitely not an issue for the modern girl of our days.

One of the large yet elegant bags that have just been launched for the Spring and Summer 2010 is the new Kristin Metallic Python Drawstring large hobo from the newest Coach bags collections. With a generous size of 17 3/4" x 15 1/4" x 3 1/2", this handbag can also be used as a netbook bag in case you don’t feel like having a lot of luggage in your daily “trips”. Kristin Metallic Python is made of fine Juno leather, carefully embossed in a python skin pattern, featuring a metallic sheen that reminds of modern SF movies characters. One of the most creative accents is the pink color of the fabric lining. Besides the fact that it offers a contrast that’s appealing to the eye, it also resembles the largely open mouth of a real python. With its two multifunction interior pockets, one interior zip pocket and two cute side pockets on the exterior, the Coach Kristin Metallic Python Drawstring large hobo can help a girl be organized and find her important stuff easily inside her bag. This large hobo bag features a shoulder strap with 12”.

Bag price: $589 (in the official Coach online store)

Burberry is a British luxury fashion house which became famous for its tartan check pattern. They manufacture clothing, fragrances and other fashion accessories, handbags included. The Burberry house was founded in 1856 by Thomas Burberry, who was only 21 years old by that time and who decided to open his own shop in Basingstoke, a small town in England. Thomas Burberry opened his first London store in 1891, in the Haymarket. The location is still used today as corporate headquarters for the company. Burberry is the inventor of gabardine, a water-resistant yet breathable fabric which was patented in 1888. Breathability was possible thanks to the fact that waterproofing is done upon the yarn before weaving it.

The Burberry Equestrian Knight Logo

The Burberry Equestrian Knight logo was developed and registered as a trademark in 1901. It contained the Latin “Prosum” which means forwards. Ten years later, Roald Amundsen literally took the Burberry logo forwards, in his successful attempt to reach the South Pole. Today, “Prorsum” is still the name of a Burberry handbags line of 11 bags, from the minuscule Feather Leather Wristlet and Feather Leather Sling Bag, to the Alligator bags which include the Baby Alligator Leather Tote Bag, the Suede Leather Tote Bag with Alligator trims and the Alligator Leather Tote which costs nothing less than $22,195.

The Burberry “Check”

What we know today as the “trench coat” was initially the military officers’ coat adapted by Burberry in 1914 to better suit the war conditions of that age. Civilians adopted this fashion after the war and it soon became so popular that it was featured in movies like Casablanca: who doesn’t remember Humphrey Bogart wearing that famous trench coat with the iconic Burberry check? The famous Burberry check is a black, tan and red pattern, initially used only for the lining of clothing items, then extended to umbrellas, purses, scarves and luggage. After the success of this pattern, Burberry launched two more: the Novacheck, aimed at younger target, and the diamond pattern.

Bags that feature the check pattern:

• Burberry Studded Check Shopper Handbag
•  

The Burberry Outlet Chain

Burberry is by definition an UK fashion house, but this didn’t stop them from opening boutiques all across the USA, from Aspen, Atlanta, Austin or Beverly Hills to New York City, Washington, Philadelphia or Minneapolis. They also run operations in Asia.

Shopping for a Burberry Bag for Less

A Burberry bag will always be perfect to the smallest detail. Burberry is a high-end, top quality brand, therefore they keep their standards at a very high level. Although no authentic Burberry purse comes cheap, it is possible to find some of them discounted, especially during sales seasons. Make sure to check the Sales section on the Burberry website, as they offer a lot of clothing and accessories at heavily discounted prices. Counterfeit Burberry handbags are quite widespread, therefore it’s not advisable to buy so-called authentic purses in places like the China Town in New York or from non-trusted sellers on eBay.

Made of graffiti fabric with metallic leather trim, the new Poppy Graffiti pocket hobo is a bag that can’t pass unnoticed. It’s once more a proof that Coach bags can be appealing also to young generations of girls, and not only to those of us who are already using expressions such as “when I was young…”. Silver makes an excellent background for the vibrant red and orange, giving this bag a fresh look.

The new Poppy Graffiti pocket hobo can be worn as a handbag, thanks to its 16 3/4” handle, but also as a shoulder bag or crossbody, as it comes with a detachable 37 1/2” shoulder strap. The bag features zip-top closure, fabric lining, multifunctional inside pockets and two cute outside pockets with hidden magnetic snap.

Bag size: 13 3/4" x 11” x 4 1/4"

Bag price: $268

As a photographer for fashion magazines such as Mademoiselle and Surface, Monika Botkier spotted a niche that was still uncovered in the fashion design world: approachable designer creations. Always in search for the perfect bag, Monika ended up by creating her own line of handbags, which were a happy marriage between style and functionality. Her downtown Manhattan style made this first handbags collection a success, although when she started, she only wanted to make those bags for her personal use. Actually, Monika did create a few purses for her personal use, but many women in her entourage expressed their interest in buying such handbags, so she started considering this more seriously. From here to the international recognition Botkier has managed to acquire in 2007 when she became a member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, there was only one more step, translated in passion, creativity and hard work. Fashion magazines like Glamour, Vogue, Marie Claire or InStyle published articles about Botkier handbags and shoes collections and even featured them on the front cover.

After seven years of building her reputation in the fashion accessories industry, in January 2010 Monika Botkier opened her first flagship store in New York, in NoLIta district. In designing her boutique, she collaborated with interior designer Valerie Pasquiou for creating a modern and sophisticated atmosphere. Cool and chic, Botkier handbags are luxurious without being expensive, “an independent brand that marries luxury with utility” as Monika herself states on the Botkier website. Indeed the prices are in the $500 range, way less than what we’ve been used to when we talk about designer handbags.

Many celebrities such as Beyonce, Halle Berry or Megan Fox were spotted wearing Botkier creations.

Botkier Bags Collections

Here are the latest creations, covering various bag types such as satchel, hobo, crossbody, shoulder, tote or clutch. Detailed reviews of many bags in these product lines will make subjects for separate articles and will be published as we manage to write them.

Venice: 

Botkier Venice crossbody clutch

Rio:

Botkier Rio Tote Bag

Dion

Harper

Howard:

Botkier Howard Street Satchel Bag

Brooklyn

Logan

Botkier Logan Satchel

Noa

Aiden

Tao

James

Sasha

Trigger

Sydney

Uma