Fendi’s Fall ‘09 collection seem to exude a stylish “survived the calamity” feel. First thing you’ll notice was the color – there were a lot of dark browns and blacks. You’ll then notice the clothes were cut with tapered flying panels. At first look, the clothes appear worn and shabby albeit very stylish. Upon closer look, you discover that the frayed threads were diminutive mohair fur sprinklings; the worn fabrics were actually treated cashmere, singed chiffon, and flannel. The collection was a…

For Christian Dior’s fall 2009 collection, designer John Galliano looked to the Orient for inspiration while remaining true to the house’s Parisian roots. Standard suits, hobble skirts, paisley-print dresses, harems, embroidered chiffon cocktails and evening dresses littered Dior’s runway. The collection had a classic yet worldly feel to it. The Asian influence also made its way into the handbags, with colorful silk wristlets displaying Indian and Chinese-inspired embroidery. The rest of the bag…

Bottega Veneta’s Fall 2009 RTW fashion show was all about glamour. With long, flow-y, goddess gowns and dresses, the collection was like watching the Oscars red carpet. Of course, what’s the perfect dress without the perfect purse? The fashion house’s 2009 handbag collection was just as glamorous. Tomas Maier opted for classic and sophisticated pieces instead of going for hip and trendy. The boxy tote bags were made of either leather or exotic materials. Some featured intricate spiral details ar…

Miuccia Prada’s Miu Miu’s designer created a well-set, yet decidedly feminine handbag collection. Miuccia used traditional, yet high-quality materials for the collection such as leather and exotics, in this case, snakeskin and croc. The leather is soft and supple – which means it can be easily manipulated, and thus explain the complicated detailing in some of the bags. And also explains the interesting, yet romantic shape of the bow satchel. As for the exotics, the use of croc and snakeskin is …

The CollectionDonna Karan’s 2009 clothes collection seemed to have picked up where her Fall collection left off. Her clothes are soft, slouchy and sexy. The pieces were made mostly of fluid-looking materials such as matte charmeuse and satin jersey in warm earth tones with accents of aquamarine and citrus here and there. The dresses were draped loosely on the shoulders, which hang low on the front and wrapped around the hips. 2009 HandbagsDonna Karan’s 2009 handbag collection feature mostly clu…

Runway ShowHermés creative director Jean Paul Gaultier succeeded in staging a cowboy-themed fashion show in Paris, and at the Elysée Palace no less. Parisians seemed not to mind the very the Western-ness of it all. They may even be fascinated with it. After all, as Style.com pointed out, and Gaultier must have thought: Hermès = equestrian heritage + sophisticated world traveler. Pieces featured Mexican striped-serapes, bandannas, cashmere knits and slinky jersey dresses. Gaultier even managed t…

Accessories at Bottega Veneta are looking chic and citrus-y. With the recession underway, most designers are going out of their way to create unique pieces so that all fashionable women would want to buy despite the sagging economy. But at Bottega Veneta, designer Tomas Maier is going the opposite route. He decided to design handbags just as classy as though we’re not going through a bit of a financial crisis. Maier designed timeless pieces that will draw customers to Bottega Veneta with the kn…

For Chanel’s Spring 2009 collection, Karl Lagerfeld sent his models down the runway with what looked like Chanel paper bags for accessories.Taking a second look at these “shopping bags” and you’ll realize that they are actually made of leather, in various shapes and colors. Lagerfeld’s reinterpretation of the ‘paper bag’ must have been inspired by our love for showing off our latest purchases – expensive purchases, you might add. And these shopping bags are actually fairly practical since they …

Always the designer to move at her own pace, Vera Wang is – at long last – foraying into handbags. We all know that handbags are a staple when putting together the perfect look. At the Vera Wang show at the Spring/Summer 2009 New York Fashion Week, Vera Wang showcased her one-of-a-kind bags, much to the delight of her fans. The bags are definitely Vera Wang in color and style. Steering away from brightly colored materials, the bags are in her usual somber colors: blacks, grays and whites. The s…

Marc Jacobs has long been known for his way-out-there designs. His accessories for Spring Summer 2009 are no different.Bags that are layered within an inch of their lives with textiles of varying patterns and textures dominated the runway, to be carried in the arms of Victoria Beckham and her ilk. Then again, Marc Jacobs likes to please – at least on some level. There are bags for the fashionable-but-not-yet-fashion-icons: quilted totes with sporty stripes on the flap, tiny quilted lady bags in …