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

Once more, Monkia Botkier proved that she created an approachable designer brand. The Howard Street satchel combines the edgy looks with the comfort and functionality of an everyday bag. The bag is made from finest quality leather, which is very soft and pleasant to the touch. Being so soft, the bag bottom is sagging a bit when you put stuff inside the bag, but this doesn't make it ugly. Well, it depends very much on personal preferences here: if you like slouchy bags, than the Howard satchel will be a great choice for you.

The Howard Satchel features two zippers which are fully functional and which can unzip completely around the bag. It's cool, you can then use the inner zipper compartment to store some of your secrets in there. On the front of the bag there are two D-rings, perfect for hanging a keychain or a small toy, if you're into that style. The tassels on the bag are removable, so in case you want to get rid of them for a while, there's no need to destroy them, you can put them back on again later.

While the leather for the black Howard Street satchel is pebbled and matte, the leather for the Cement Howard bag is smooth and quite shiny and the leather for the Espresso brown Howard is shiny and crinkly. The Natural Snake model is shiny and it replicates very well snake scales. All of them are very good looking, but I think I've fallen in love with the distressed leather of the brown bag.

The Botkier Howard Street satchel comes with an attachable strap which would allow you to wear it as a shoulder bag. For wearing it crossbody, you'll have to be very short, as the strap is not as long as needed in our opinion. Anyway, it's not a messenger bag, therefore I don't see this as a major drawback. You can buy the Botkier Howard Street satchel from Endless for $475.

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

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

The Coach Signature small backpack is a stylish way to have both your hands free, while still having all your needed stuff with you. The backpack is made of signature jacquard fabric with leather trim, it has fabric lining, a back zip pocket, an inside zip pocket and a ring to clip a keyfob or one of those useless but cute accessories we all like to hang to our purses, wallets or mobile phones.

The 32 1/4” back straps are adjustable and they seem sturdy enough to bear a lot of weight, just in case you want to use the backpack for carrying books or a laptop besides your regular items. The drawstring and clip-front closure has a nice design and it’s easily accessible, but not as easy as to be exposed to robberies. This small backpack belonging to the Coach bags originals series is available in either black or khaki. It’s not an elegant bag, it’s not suitable for business outfits, but for casual occasions and everyday use it’s just great.

Bag size: 8 1/4" x 10” x 4 3/4"

Bag price: $258

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.

If spring means romance and romance means flowers, then the new Coach Madison Floral Audrey is a true icon of the spring. The daring combination between the floral pattern fabric having purple as dominant color and the modern metallic gold resulted in one of the most feminine Coach bags collections. As usual for textile Coach purses, Madison Floral features leather trim, fabric lining and multifunctional pockets. The double handles with 5 1/2" drop recommend Audrey as a handbag, but the 13 1/2" drop detachable strap makes it possible to wear it as a shoulder bag, if needed.

Bag size: 11 1/2" x 8 1/4" x 6 1/2"

Bag price: $358

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