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

Do you know what differentiates an everyday essential bag from special occasion bags? I'd say convenience is the main factor. An everyday bag should be comfortable and it should allow you to find your keys or other items in seconds. It should also match as many of your outfits as possible, so you don't have to move your items from bag to bag every day.

If you take a look at the Rebecca Minkoff Squeeze shoulder bag, you'll see that it features a lot of exterior pockets for various items and that it also has plenty of room inside. The leather is smooth and looks a bit worn, which is a very nice detail that adds to the elegance of this bag. The printed plain weave lining comes in a combination of dark blue and black, which makes things inside the bag easier to spot when you're in a hurry. The attention to detail is pushed to the extreme. All stitches are nice and even, the metallic hardware parts are discrete and some of them have intriguing pyramid shapes. The magnetic closure is firm enough to protect your belongings, yet easy to open when you need it. All four colors in which this bag is available are great: black, brown, pale gray or acqua blue, no matter which one you choose, you'll end up with a noticeable bag.

The Rebecca Minkoff Squeeze shoulder bag is 15.5” high, 14” wide and 6” deep and it has a 10” shoulder strap. You can buy it from Endless for $495 with free overnight shipping.

Like all other Isabella Fiore handbags from the Mosaic collection, Susanna features that Moroccan inspiration handcrafted intricate tile work that makes these bags stand out. In this case, the embroidery is placed on the outer front flap-patch pocket and nearby the top edge of the bag. It’s beautiful and discreet and it gives Susanna a sort of vintage look many women appreciate. This tote bag has double braided shoulder straps with 5.5” drop.

The interior is lined and the interior pockets have a nice leather trim on the edge, matching the indigo color of the exterior. The interior zip pocket is large enough and there are also two multifunctional pockets for the cell phone and the pda or for any other item you may want to easily find inside your purse.

Bag size: 17.5"W x 12.5"H x 5"D

Bag price: $395

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.

The most interesting feature of this Alexander McQueen tote is that it’s expandable, thanks to the two pairs of snappers hidden in the side folds of the purse. It’s nice to have such a bag, which is smaller when empty, but which can accommodate even bigger items if needed. For example, I don’t always need to take my netbook with me, but when I do, I like to put it in my purse, because I don’t like to carry two bags. Besides its practical side, this tote bag is very appealing. This red color Alexander McQueen uses for his handbags is absolutely stunning and the multiple zips, pockets, snappers, buckles and stitches are chic. The lining is made of electric blue fabric, creating a cool contrast with the red leather. The details of this handbag were inspired by a motorcycle jacket.

Bag size: 28 cm width x 42 cm depth; 15 cm handles with 18 cm drop.

Bag price: $1685

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If we were to define Alexander McQueen’s work with one single word, that would be “theatrical”. Unconventional and shocking, his art attracted a lot of controversy. Shocking or not, his ideas managed to ignite the imagination of enough fashion experts, as to be the youngest fashion designer ever who was awarded the British Fashion Designer of the Year. Actually he won this award four times, the first time being in 1996, when he was only 27 years old.

The Dazed & Confused Episode

Dazed & Confused is a fashion magazine about models with physical disabilities. Alexander McQueen accepted to work as an art director for one of the issues of this magazine. The show that was inspired by his cooperation with Dazed & Confused featured Aimee Mullins, an athlete who had suffered an amputation of both her legs from the knees down at the young age of only one. For this show, Aimee wore a pair of hand-carved wooden legs, which everybody in the audience mistook as wooden boots. Aimee Mullins herself was impressed by this show and by its spirit of empowerment, as she confesses in this following video:

Alexander McQueen’s Spring 2010 Show

You don’t know: it’s a skin, it’s a dress, it’s a costume? Or maybe it’s the exteriorization of an attitude. The almost scary makeup and hair styles make those otherwise beautiful models look quite threatening. Move your sight from their head to their toes and you’ll understand: cuteness and smiles have nothing in common with walking on these monstrous hills. Despite all these, if you take away all drama and effects, you end up with perfectly wearable outfits for all moments of the day. I think this is the real art in fashion: make a memorable show, but give me something I want to buy and wear in my daily life. I’d wear many of the dresses in Alexander McQueen’s Spring 2010 show any time. Based on electric blue and black, the fabrics remind of an exotic bird’s feathers. One could easily believe those girls were born in their dresses, that’s how well they are tailored to fit.

Alexander McQueen has died! Long live Alexander McQueen!

On February 11th 2010, Alexander McQueen was found dead in his home. He committed suicide. When private persons die, their name continues to live only on the funerary stone. Public persons’ names have a life of their own, so when such a person passes away, the name keeps on living as if nothing happened. And if you happen to be the bearer of a name that’s been bought by a company like Gucci, you can be sure it will last long after you’ll be only a far away memory in the minds of a few people.

Despite initial uncertainty, the parent company of the Gucci Group, PPR, announced that there would be an Alexander McQueen show in Paris in the spring of 2010, and that the brand would continue without its founder, setting off speculation over who would succeed him. (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/m/alexander_mcqueen/index.html)

Bags by Alexander McQueen

Although he is mostly famous for his clothing creations and for his spectacular fashion shows, Alexander McQueen created several lines of handbags featuring amazing shapes and colors and top quality materials and execution. Here are a few of what I consider being among his best creations:

• Love Red Faithful Satchel
• Blue Kaiser Clutch
• Red Medium Faithful Tote
• Black Python Faithful Tote
• Midnight Faithful Tote
• Ziggy Mercury Chain Bag

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
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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.

Bottega Veneta’s Paille Shiny Calf Cabat is one of the limited edition bags, available with pre-order on their website. This edition will have only 500 pieces double faced woven handbags with inside pouch. Each bag will have it’s own numbered plaque inside. Like all limited edition purses, these ones may become very valuable some day (not that they are actually cheap today at $7800 each, but try to think of buying such a bag as an investment, as it really could be priced 10 times more than its actual price). This handbag is plain and simple, it doesn’t even have a lining. Its size is generous. At 17.6” x 12.9” x 7.8” it can make a great shopper, provided that you don’t get caught by some heavy rain, case in which you’d have to take care of your Paille Shiny Calf Cabat so it doesn’t get spoiled. But, of course, you wouldn’t walk while wearing such a purse, would you?

Founded by Michele Taddei and Renzo Zengiaro in 1966, Bottega Veneta is a luxury leather goods designer and manufacturer based in Northeastern Italy, in Vicenza. The company was acquired by Gucci in 2001, since then being a subsidiary of Gucci Group. The line of handbags, shoes and belts that made Bottega Veneta famous was the Intrecciato woven leather. This leather goods line is still in vogue today, but models are, of course, different than the original ones. The Bottega Veneta Ready-to-Wear clothing collection was introduced by the British designer Giles Deacon, and it was the company’s first step on the way of claiming their position in the luxury segment of the fashion ware market. After Gucci bought the company, they appointed the German designer Tomas Maier creative director for the leather goods division.

The fashion design company has boutiques in Italy, Spain, France, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Germany, Russia, Japan, Hong Kong, Guam, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Kuwait, the United States, and the United Arab Emirates.

Bottega Veneta managed to capture so many hearts (and wallets) with their simple yet elegant line, with their light-toned natural colors and with their obsession for detail. One of the noticeable features is that they label their bags on the inside, not on the outside like most handbags designers do. Celebrities such as Jennifer Aniston and Nicole Kidman are among Bottega Veneta’s clients.

Bottega Veneta Bags for Spring Summer 2010

The Spring-Summer 2010 season brings a lot of color and amazing combinations that make decisions very hard to make when one wants to buy only one-two purses. Many of these new handbags are so cute that choice is really hard to make. This new collection uses a lot the intreciatto details leather that made Bottega Veneta famous, as in the following purses:

• Cigar Gladiola Yolk Intrecciato Acquarello (color combination of yellow, purple, brown; price: $1750)
• Orchid Intrecciato Nappa Bag (color: purple; price: $980)
• Paille Shiny Calf Cabat (color: paille; price: $7800 – available only with pre-order)
• Orchid Paille Intreccio Sfrangiato Nappa Aquatre Bag (color combination: purple with paille accents; price: $3250)
• Cigar Ivory Moro Tie-Dye Nappa Umbria Bag (colors: brown and ivory; price: $7850)

Other handbags feature other interesting leather patterns, like this Cigar Origami Plume Leather Tejus bag which really looks like a big brown origami. However, at $8500, it can’t be just origami made of Japanese paper, it has to contain some damn fine leather.

This new collection of bags and purses from Bottega Veneta features also a series of crocodile leather bags. They are interesting, but one can’t buy them online for two reasons. First, they can be bought only with pre-order (that’s good for the crocodiles, not to be killed if there’s no real interest in these purses). Second, I doubt people are willing to pay online amounts that exceed $20,000. I’m not yet prepared to spend that on a bag, but if I were, I’d go to the brick and mortar shop to make the payment.

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.